Dune Grasses

The Town of Ocean City is excited to announce the availability of bundles of beachgrass plugs for a pickup date of February 7, 2026. These plugs are specifically for planting and further establishment of secondary dune areas located along oceanfront properties within the Town of Ocean City limits. There will be no cost to those who apply; however, the applicant will be required to provide the volunteer labor to install the plugs, which is a simple process, but tends to be labor intensive. Planting will need to occur within the same day to a few days after the February pick up date.

Funding for this project comes from Atlantic Coastal Bays Critical Area fee in lieu funds which are collected by the Town during the permitting stage when required mitigation is not able to be entirely located on site. This past year, there was an increase to the fee in lieu rate in an attempt to encourage all required mitigation to be met on site; however, when that is not possible, the fee in lieu funds collected are utilized to provide environmental enhancements throughout Town.

The secondary dune environment is a vital natural resource which has many important roles, including, but not limited to, providing erosion control, increasing wildlife habitat, and enhancing storm surge protection. In turn, a healthy secondary dune helps create a more resilient community and ecosystem.

Please contact the Environmental Programs Division at (410) 289-8825 or at [email protected] to learn more about this planting opportunity.