An Update in the Battle Over Dunes

Governor Chris Christie is taking steps to force Jersey shore homeowners to allow sand dune construction on their beachfront properties.

He issued an executive order to start legal action against about 1000 oceanfront property owners who've refused to assign a strip of their beach front to the state.

New Jersey wants these land easements to build protective sand dunes along the coast.

The Governor’s order comes on the heels of a settlement between a beach town and a couple who hoped to get 500-thousand dollars for their easement.  They ended up getting just one dollar.

Attorney Lawrence Shapiro represented the town: "Hopefully now the people who have to this point not given the easements, maybe thinking they would get a large payday, will realize that that’s really not going to happen."

Governor Christie admonished the remaining holdouts for being selfishly concerned about their view, while putting the rest of the state at risk from future storms.