Damage at Cape Cod National Seashore from winter storms will be repaired in time for the summer season with emergency funding provided the park.

Superintendent George Price said crews will be able to replace the stairs at Nauset Light Beach in Eastham and repair the revetment and north parking lot at Herring Cove Beach in Provincetown. 

“We recognize that these are both short-term solutions,” said Superintendent Price. “Both of these facilities have received storm damage each winter over the past three winters, reflecting an increase in storm activity from when these same facilities would only be affected once every three to four years. We continue to seek funding to implement long-term, sustainable solutions.”

One long-term solution is a concept for modular stairs that can be removed in the winter and re-installed in late spring. Such a plan has been proposed as a sustainable method of providing access to both Nauset Light Beach and Marconi Beach. A plan is also in development to relocate the restroom and bathhouse facilities at Nauset Light Beach towards Ocean View Drive, away from the eroding bluff.

In addition, the Herring Cove Beach North Public Use Site Plan and Environmental Assessment was approved in 2014, with a new design for the parking lot that would be sited 125 feet farther back from the shoreline, far enough to provide beach access for a projected 50 year period.

These resilient and sustainable shoreline facility solutions are all under consideration for future funding from the National Park Service.

Seashore officials anticipate that the Nauset Light Beach stairs will be completed by the first week of June. The details and timeline for the Herring Cove Beach north parking lot 2015 repair project will be determined once a contract is in place.