Rep. Buddy Carter says Tybee Island getting $20 million for beach renourishment

TYBEE ISLAND, Ga. (WTOC) - Congressman Buddy Carter says Tybee Island is getting a major boost for beach renourishment.

Carter says the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers will put up more than $12 million for the project.

“Tybee Island, one of Georgia’s crown jewels. We’re able to secure funding for beach renourishment,” said Carter.

Funding breakdown

Combined with $8 million from the city of Tybee, Carter said the total comes to $20 million.

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Carter said that amount is enough to add more than 1.3 million cubic yards of sand to the beach.

“This is such good news for Tybee. They took a big hit last weekend when we had some high tides and some some high winds, and there was a lot of destruction on the beach. We got to make sure that we protect our sand dunes and this will give us the opportunity to do that,” said Carter.

Timing tied to sea turtle nesting season

Carter said the money was redirected from unused funds in a federal appropriations bill.

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“Some of the money that wasn’t used, I believe, up in new Jersey, is being redirected now for Tybee Island. And this is good news. This is something we’ve been working diligently on because time is of the essence,” said Carter.

Carter says the timing was critical, he said beach renourishment projects are limited to certain windows because of sea turtle nesting season.

“Well, it wasn’t easy, I’ll tell you that. But we were able to do it, through a lot of effort on behalf of our staff and and on behalf of Tybee Island, we were able to make calls that we needed to make and get in touch with the people we needed to get in touch with and and articulate,” said Carter.

“This announcement is a huge relief for the people of Tybee Island and across Coastal Georgia and the State of Georgia.  We can’t thank Congressman Carter enough for his tireless advocacy on behalf of all of us,” said Tybee Island Mayor Brian West.

Sens. Ossoff, Rev. Warnock deliver $12 Million in federal funds to support Tybee Island Beach Renourishment Project

According to Senator Ossoff’s press office, in March, Sen. Ossoff and Rev. Warnock urged the Assistant Secretary of the Army for Civil Works Adam Telle to allocate the Federal funding needed to help complete the shovel-ready Tybee Island Shoreline Protection Project, noting the project is ready to begin and has already completed its environmental review. According to his office, Sen. Ossoff again urged the Army Corps in June to allocate the Federal funding for the renourishment project.

“Senators Ossoff and Warnock are persistent advocates for Tybee Island and worked with us in our efforts to secure the federal funding to nourish our beach and protect our island. They understand that Tybee’s shoreline is not only vital to our residents and visitors, but also to the broader coastal economy and Georgia’s economy,” Tybee Island Mayor Brian West said. “We are grateful for their continued advocacy and for assisting in reallocating $12 million for Tybee’s beach nourishment project. Senator Ossoff first made us aware that funds were available this year from other states for this project. This has truly been a team effort, and I am grateful to both Senators and everyone who stayed at the table, making the calls, asking the questions, and fighting for this project. We are ready to get to work this winter.”

City of Tybee shares the news

In a social media post, the City of Tybee Island said, “this milestone is the result of months of persistent advocacy and collaboration between the City of Tybee Island, Chatham County, the State of Georgia, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers and our federal delegation, including Congressman Buddy Carter, Congressman Mike Collins, Senator Jon Ossoff and Senator Raphael Warnock.”

Construction and sand placement are expected to begin in December 2026, according to the city.