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As part of its 100th Anniversary celebration, the American Shore and Beach Preservation Association (ASBPA) is proud to announce the recipients of the annual Best Restored Shore Award, recognizing outstanding natural infrastructure restoration projects from across the United States.
The 2026 award-winning projects are:
- Downe Township, NJ: Superstorm Sandy Buyout Properties Money Island Shoreline
Restoration Project - Old Saybrook, CT: Hepburn Family Preserve Living Shoreline Project
- Duck, NC: Town of Duck NC12 Resiliency Project
- Jefferson Parish, LA: Queen Bess Island Restoration Project
- Sandusky, OH: Raccoon Creek Nature-Based Barrier Wetland Project
Since 2019, ASBPA has presented the Best Restored Shore Awards to build public awareness of shoreline projects that restore natural infrastructure and protect coastal communities while also enhancing habitats, increasing resilience, and providing far-reaching economic benefits.
“As ASBPA celebrates its centennial year, these award-winning projects serve as a reminder that shore & beach preservation is an ongoing effort. The challenges facing our shorelines continue to evolve, and these projects highlight the importance of investing in solutions that will benefit future generations,” said Nicole Elko, Executive Director.
Award winners are selected based on their environmental restoration of natural resources to enhance shoreline resilience, recreating thriving habitats, showcasing long-term success, and aiding local economies.
2026 Project Highlights
Superstorm Sandy Buyout Properties Money Island Shoreline Restoration Project, Downe Township, NJ
This project’s exemplary approach to habitat revitalization and coastal resilience transformed a severely eroded shoreline into a thriving habitat for federally threatened species, the red knot shorebird and horseshoe crabs, while overcoming significant ecological and logistical challenges. A sustainable sand source rebuilt the shoreline, while simultaneously addressing sedimentation issues affecting local shellfisheries. Ecological impact monitoring showed a dramatic increase in red knot counts from 15 pre-restoration to 300 post-restoration.
Hepburn Family Preserve Living Shoreline Project, Old Saybrook, CT
This living shoreline pilot project helped to establish a standard of care for integrating coastal flood modeling, engineering, and ecological restoration (using a multi-disciplinary and risk-based approach) for design, permitting, and construction of natural and nature-based features for coastal resiliency on the coast of Connecticut. The lessons learned on this project were shared with over 30 local, state, and federal stakeholders convened by Senator Chris Murphy.
Town of Duck NC12 Resiliency Project, Duck, NC
Located along a quarter-mile stretch of NC 12, the project is readily observed by residents, making it a practical demonstration of how restored shorelines can protect critical infrastructure while improving coastal habitat and community resilience. The project combined nature-based shoreline restoration with transportation, drainage, habitat, and public-safety improvements along a highly visible coastal corridor. By pairing habitat restoration with critical-infrastructure protection, the project shows how restored shores can reduce risk, support natural systems, and help maintain essential community access.
Queen Bess Island Restoration Project, Jefferson Parish, LA
Remarkably exceeding its habitat restoration and bird nesting goals, the Queen Bess Island Restoration Project completion increased the abundance and quality of nesting acreage on the island, while bird monitoring has demonstrated the project’s significant benefit to avian communities most impacted by the Deepwater Horizon Oil Spill. The project was completed three years after the DWH settlement and is the first complete restoration project on an active Brown Pelican colony in the Northern Gulf of Mexico.
Raccoon Creek Nature-Based Barrier Wetland Project, Sandusky, OH
This project is part of the broader Sandusky Bay Restoration Initiative to improve water quality by creating wetland habitat, reducing nearshore impacts, and creating fish and wildlife habitat. The Ohio DNR partnered with The Nature Conservancy to successfully protect a 900-ft stretch of shoreline and is providing a variety of upland, nearshore, and aquatic habitat around Sandusky Bay on Lake Erie.
Celebrating 100 Years of Coastal Stewardship
In celebration of ASBPA’s 100th anniversary, the 2026 award-winning project teams will be recognized at the ASBPA National Coastal Conference Centennial Celebration in Atlantic City, New Jersey, October 5-8, 2026.
Learn more about ASBPA, the science and policy of shoreline restoration, and view a complete list of Best Restored Shore Awards at ASBPA.org.