Instructions: Below is a letter of support for a sailboat grant from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration from Mayor Ravi S. Bhalla, Fire Chief Brian Crimmins, and Environmental Services Director Jennifer Gonzalez. To sign-on, please enter your information at the bottom of the letter and press submit. 

Dr. Neil Jacobs
Assistant Secretary of Commerce
National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration
1401 Constitution Avenue NW, room 5128
Washington, DC 20230
 

Dear Dr. Jacobs,

Please accept this letter of support for the City's application to the FY2021 Marine Debris Removal Grant to remove sunken boats from Weehawken Cove. As residents of the City of Hoboken, we are fully supportive of this effort to create a safer, cleaner, and more beautiful shoreline.

As you may know, currently there are 17 boats that have been abandoned in the Hudson River. This is of concern to our community, as not only are the sunken boats an eyesore for residents and visitors, but they are contributing to pollution in the Hudson River and adversely impacting marine life.

The City is partnering with Riverkeeper, a 53-year old non-profit organization whose mission is to protect and restore the Hudson River, and is seeking funding from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration to remove these 17 sunken vessels from Weehawken Cove and the Hudson River. Removing abandoned and derelict vessels will eliminate the potential release of harmful metals and chemicals, such as oil and mercury, as well as plastics and fiberglass as they deteriorate, thereby reducing the harm caused to the Hudson River.

Removing sunken vessels is part of the City’s overall initiative to improve Weehawken Cove, including:

• Construction of Cove Park, a resiliency park that enhances our flood mitigation infrastructure.
• Installation of a living shoreline that supports growth of marine mollusks that naturally filter water and attract a more robust marine habitat.
• Educational activities and volunteer opportunities to restore and maintain critical wildlife ecology.
• Possible installation of a reef in or near Weehawken Cove.
• Ongoing maintenance of Hoboken’s waterfront walkway through public/private partnerships

Hoboken would greatly benefit from this grant funding, and we appreciate your time and attention to this request.

Sincerely,

Ravi S. Bhalla, Hoboken Mayor
Brian Crimmins, Hoboken Fire Chief
Jennifer Gonzalez, Director of Environmental Services