Port seeks OPC grant and donated dredge material to build living shoreline at Heron's Head Park

Port staff presented the Heron's Head Park shoreline resilience project and asked the committee to recommend acceptance of two funding sources: a $1,667,000 grant from the California Ocean Protection Council (OPC) and a donation of reclaimed beach material from Hansen Aggregates with an estimated market value of $417,000.

Carol Bach, the Port’s environmental affairs manager, described plans to construct a dynamically stable sand and gravel beach, install oyster reef habitat elements, revegetate wetlands and provide a youth employment/community engagement component. She said Hansen, a port tenant, would deliver up to 12,000 cubic yards of washed material that testing confirmed meets specifications and is free of contaminants.

Port staff said the OPC grant, together with an additional $1,493,000 grant from the California Department of Fish and Wildlife (Prop 1 funds), will provide sufficient funding to build the shoreline stabilization element. After no callers for public comment, the committee voted 3–0 to recommend the resolutions to the full Board.