A $10 million federal grant that was awarded to help pay for the reconstruction of the East Chop bluff in Oak Bluffs may be in jeopardy, town officials said this week.  

Oak Bluffs assistant town administrator Wendy Brough told the select board Tuesday that the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) grant, awarded to the town in 2022, may be rescinded, similar to the $90 million in federal grants the Trump Administration cancelled in Massachusetts communities earlier this month.

“I’ve been reaching out to our local, state, federal, representative and senators office to see how they can help,” she said. “They’ve been receptive, and if they get any news, they’ll share it with us.” 

The town currently has close to $17 million secured for the project, including the $10 million. The project is expected to cost about $33 million. 

The bluff has been eroding for years and East Chop Drive was closed in 2018. — Jeanna Shepard

In case the grant is pulled, town officials are exploring other funding avenues to bridge in the financial gap for the project.

The town has been working with the state’s Federal Funds and Infrastructure Office (FFIO). FFIO is a state agency under Gov. Maura Healey that tracks possible federal funding avenues for projects.

The project has been years in the making. The 2,400 feet of coastline of the bluff has been eroding for years, with much of East Chop Drive having been closed to motor vehicles since 2018. 

Plans for the project were greenlit by the Martha’s Vineyard Commission earlier this year, with money approved by town voters aiding the $10 million to fund the first phase of the project. The project was scheduled to begin this coming fall and construction was expected to last about 15 months. 

The FEMA grant would also cover all the infrastructural changes needed for the reconstruction of the bluffs, which include a temporary pier. The grant is from FEMA’s Building Resilient Infrastructure and Communities (BRIC) program. The program supports local governments and Tribal Nations to reduce their hazard risk, according to their website. 

A $75,000 grant to the town of Gosnold to help protect Cuttyhunk’s water supply was cancelled in previous rounds of cuts. 

No details on the bluff grant have been finalized yet, Ms. Brough said.  

“Everybody’s just waiting to see where the new administration is going to head,” she said.