Federal officials have place Cambridge’s Shoreline Resilience flood mitigation project on hold, according to the Maryland Department of Emergency Management which administers the federal grants.
The $16 million construction grant from the Federal Emergency Management Agency, which had been approved, was put on what federal officials are calling a pause. The project is now subject to additional review by FEMA, said Jorge Costillo, chief spokeperson for Maryland’s emergency management department.
While the project could still go forward, Costillo said, it has fallen into limbo with a host of other FEMA funded projects targeted by the Trump administration, with no certain timeline for review and no assurances that the previously approved grant will be released.
Larry White, director of the Cambridge Shoreline Resilience project, said he will continue to move forward with the work on design, which has been funded, and hopes that FEMA will recognize the significant impact of the project and eventually continue funding.
The flood mitigation project for Cambridge’s west end began in 2019. Numerous public meetings, information sessions and lately, discussions with property owners along the bank of the Choptank River have taken place. The project looks to emplace a “living shoreline” with natural plants and other elements covering a raised berm extending from Cambridge Creek to Gerry Boyle Great Marsh Park.