WHAT: The New York District of the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, along with the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation, Sen. Charles Schumer, Rep. Andrew Garbarino, Maj. Gen. William H. Graham, Deputy Commanding General for Civil and Emergency Operations (USACE), Steve Bellone, County Executive of Suffolk County, Alex Romero, Fire Island National Seashore Superintendent, Tony Femminella, Executive Director, Fire Island Lighthouse, Suzy Goldhirsch, President Fire Island Association, as well as other elected officials, will celebrate the commencement of construction for the Fire Island to Montauk Point (FIMP) Coastal Storm Risk Management Project ? a major initiative designed to reduce flood risk from severe storms along vulnerable areas of 83 miles of shoreline from Fire Island Inlet to Montauk Point, NY.

WHEN: Friday, Dec. 17, 12:30 – 2:30 P.M.

WHERE: The event will take place at Fire Island Lighthouse located at the western end of Fire Island just east of Robert Moses State Park. In the event of inclement weather, activities will take place inside the lighthouse. Directions: Take Robert Moses Causeway south to the end; at the water tower, proceed east to Parking Field 5. Follow the boardwalk to the lighthouse.

PROJECT OVERVIEW: FIMP is a comprehensive civil works project designed to reduce flood risk to vulnerable areas of the barrier islands and low-lying communities on the south shore of Long Island. The $1.7 billion project, including a variety of features to reduce coastal flood risks, is 100 percent federally funded through Public Law 113-2, the Emergency Supplemental Bill passed shortly after Superstorm Sandy. Major aspects of the project include:

• Beach fill and dunes on shorefronts
• Structure elevations and building retrofits for approximately 4,400 structures
• Inlet bypassing at the federal navigation channels
• A four-pronged Breach Response Plan for breaches resulting from severe storms and tidal surges
• Coastal Process Features
• Adaptive Management of the Project Feature