You Voted, And West Hampton Dunes Won

Thanks to your votes, West Hampton Dunes has won the The American Shore and Beach Preservation Association Best Restored Beach Awards on Friday with 8,744 votes.

The American Shore and Beach Preservation Association (ASBPA) honors the Best Restored Beaches in America annually to build awareness of the value of America’s restored beaches.

West Hampton Dunes beat out Panama City, Fla. who came in second with 8,040 votes.

At one time, West Hampton Dunes was the poster child of what could go wrong with a project, but today it is a lesson in successful partnership and coastal management. The shoreline of what is now the Incorporated Village of West Hampton Dunes had experienced increased erosion since the construction of a groin field to the east of the Village boundary. But legal action by the residents against the federal, state and local governments and to a stipulated settlement that allowed redevelopment of the Village, improved public access, endangered habitat enrichment and vital coastal flood and erosion protection has allowed the beach to come back in full force.