Accomack receives grant for Cedar Island Coastal Resilience Project

Photo by Gordon Campbell At Altitude Gallery Cape Charles.

A major coastal resilience effort on Virginia’s Eastern Shore has received a significant financial boost, Accomack County Administrator Mike Mason reported during the December meeting of the Board of Supervisors. The Cedar Island Resilience Project—designed to protect the rapidly shifting barrier island from breaching at its southern end—has been awarded $5 million from the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation.

The project, led by the Virginia Institute of Marine Science (VIMS), aims to reinforce and extend the marsh behind Cedar Island, creating a strengthened natural buffer to slow erosion, reduce storm-surge impacts, and help counter the island’s accelerating landward migration. Mason called the award a major step forward for one of the region’s most vulnerable coastal areas.

However, the funding does not fully cover the project’s cost. The overall budget is estimated at around $10 million, leaving a $5 million shortfall that project partners must still secure.

In addition to funding needs, the project cannot move forward until it receives final permit approvals from regulatory agencies. Although the Board of Supervisors has already endorsed the initiative, permitting remains underway.

Mason noted that while the new grant represents a strong start, significant work remains before construction can begin on the Cedar Island project.