ARTIFICIAL REEFORM:
DONALD CRESITELLO'S NEW LIFE WITH THE ARMY CORPS OF ENGINEERS

By Mike Fish; All Photos: Chris Fuller

 

Donald “Crusty” Cresitello often visits Brave New World Surf Shop in Point Pleasant Beach, NJ. Hell, he’s been going there since he was a kid. But something is a little different now. These days, he receives occasional stink eyes and odd comments like: “Hey, here’s the guy who’s trying to ruin our waves.” An avid waverider, surf photographer, former ESM Assistant Photo Editor, and accomplished scholar with a degree in Coastal Engineering from Florida Institute of Technology, Donald usually just looks at the accuser with a straight face, puts an index finger to his mouth, and replies, “Shhhh. Don’t tell anyone.”


Truth is, the Manasquan-based Cresitello isn’t trying to ruin the waves. But his new job as Project Planner with the Army Corps of Engineers puts him in prime position to cop scrutiny from the local waveriding community. As a result of past beach renourishment projects and other coastal alterations performed by the Army Corps, breaks that were once the pride of certain beach towns became their pity—and vice versa. This is a dice roll that most hungry riders aren’t willing to risk—especially ravenous East Coasters—but also one that most surfers truthfully don’t know enough about to argue constructively. ESM caught up with Crusty to discuss the ACOE’s true role in beach engineering, his return home to the Northeast, and his expectations for the future of coastal progress.

 

-- Fuller
ESM: Let's get the most important question out first: do you miss us?
DC: More than I expected... [laughs] I don't think there was one day working at ESM that I didn't want to be there.
 
ESM: You must be the ultimate masochist being a surf photographer, devoted full-time student, and now a member of the rat race in the bustling Big Apple--all of which severely cut into surf time. Talk about how you stay balanced in your pursuits.
DC: Basically, I don't stop moving until I go to sleep at night around 11:00 pm. It's a balancing act. I wake up at 4:00 am, and usually make it out of work by 4:00 pm. In the summer, I'd get home while there was still a little daylight left, and hop in the water--or go shoot photos. I've actually missed more sessions now in the winter, which is tough.
 
ESM: Tell us about your new job and describe your duties.
DC: I'm a Project Planner with the Army Corps of Engineers in New York City. I work mostly on coastal jobs--on the Atlantic and Long Island Sound. I'm also working on the coastal engineering side of it as much as I can. My job is primarily to prepare project reports, because everything we do is reviewed by every agency in the U.S. Government.
 
ESM: Was it a hard adjustment--trading warm-water surf sessions and ESM Girl photoshoots for snowed-over city blocks and crowded subway commutes?
DC: Wait, who said I'm done with ESM Girl photoshoots?! The transition wasn't that bad, because I'm originally from Jersey. As for the commute, it's about an hour-and-a-half total--as long as there's no traffic. But if there's as much as a sprinkle of rain in the air, it can take three hours each way.
 
ESM: What do you love most about living in New Jersey?
DC: The surf. The waves are so good that you can surf a knee-high day here and feel like you're surfing great waves--compared to a chest-high day in Florida. You can quote me on that.
 
ESM: What are some of the projects you're currently working on with the ACOE?
DC: I'm working on a few storm damage reduction projects along the northern New Jersey shoreline and the north shore of Long Island. And as far as shore protection, I'll be taking on the Long Beach project, which is the controversial one with surfers. That project stretches from Long Beach all the way to Jones Inlet.
 
ESM: Any ideas or thoughts on how the Long Beach project might negatively or positively impact the local surf/ ocean-minded communities there?
DC: I've experienced beach renourishment projects living in both New Jersey and Florida. I felt the projects improved the waves. Initially, there may have been a slightly negative effect, before the sandbars properly formed. But after a few nor'easters, the sand shifted around to form offshore bars. Without enough sand in the system, they can't form--and without offshore bars, the surf doesn't break well. The main thing is to have adequate sand in the system. And that's what the nourishment projects work to correct. We're trying to extend the beach, without changing the existing profile.
 

-- Fuller
ESM: Why do you think the Army Corps of Engineers has a bad rap with many surfers? Do you think it's warranted, or are the accusers somewhat ignorant to the full scope of the projects?
DC: Here's one thing everybody has to understand about the Army Corps: we don't make our own decisions. We're governed by legislature from Congress. We may want to do something, but the authority above us ultimately decides by what's been written by Congress. I'd say the Army Corps takes a lot of blame that's not necessarily their fault. We can't do projects without the support of local, state, and federal governments. And in that respect, we're restricted in our funding. People say it takes years and years for the Army Corps to complete a project. That's because it takes years and years to get our money appropriated. Funding is tight. We're also limited, because we can't create projects just for recreation. Recreational benefits can be an added bonus, but not the primary purpose.
 
ESM: In general, do surfers voice their opinions about the nourishment projects in productive ways?
DC: Surfers are too wide a variety of people to generalize. What I can say is that we get nasty e-mails from surfers that just contain curse words, and nothing else. That's not productive. Also, if a bunch of surfers show up to a meeting with a belligerent attitude, what type of impression will that make on the Corps' Chief of Planning? That certainly affects how their argument is regarded. But if you have four or five guys who can engage in a civilized discussion, then they can make a difference. If the public doesn't like a project, they need to voice their opinions with the town government and the state--and do so in a civilized manner. They need to bring things up with their state representatives--and change how the politicians view things--and gradually get them to truly understand their concerns. And if surfers really want to change something, they should get involved with organizations like the Surfrider Foundation.
 
ESM: Do you know other avid surfers like yourself who are in the Army Corps?
DC: We're a rare breed here--probably four or five in the whole office.
 
ESM: Do you think that rare breed has a chance, over time, to affect positive change--or at least get the powers-that-be to think outside the box and find alternative solutions or compromises?
DC: I definitely think so. If there wasn't someone like me in the office, then they wouldn't be reading about artificial reefs right now. Drawing interest in that is going to be a battle, because of the recreational aspect--but in many places, it can be justified.
 
ESM: Is the field of coastal engineering changing?
DC: It was different 30 years ago. Engineers moved sand around on the beach, but they didn't understand the wave processes like they do today. You need to know how the waves and ocean work to do it correctly. The Army Corps has been known to destroy surf breaks, but we're trying to work on past mistakes. We've had a bad rep with environmentalists--but the truth is we have a whole ecosystem restoration program that is included in every one of our projects now. We're required to by law. So things have changed, and continue to. And I definitely see willingness to accommodate surfing by the Corps more now than ever.
 
ESM: If the surf genie could grant you one wish, what would you like to introduce into the Army Corps of Engineers' way of thinking and doing things?
DC: I would definitely beg them to strongly consider artificial surf reefs. The cost isn't much--three or four million dollars--especially when you consider the cost of a beach replenishment project is approximately $100 million dollars. Keep in mind, the reef project might need to be combined with an initial beach renourishment project, but the two combined could be very effective in a number of ways. There's ecological benefits, as they provide added opportunity for habitat and growth. And they're completely submerged, so it's not an eye sore on the beach.
 
ESM: Since you came back to Manasquan as an Army Corps employee, are you getting dropped in on more at the peak?
DC: Not really. People sometimes make jokes, but that's not a big deal. Actually, I'll probably get more flack next summer when they're nourishing in Manasquan and Point Pleasant South. Sam Hammer will definitely be on my case.
 
ESM: What's your ultimate goal with the Army Corps?
DC: I'd like to see them continue to accommodate surfing more. I look forward to working more with waves and coastal structures. My long-term goal with the Corps is to incorporate the new artificial reef technology into their projects.
 
ESM: One last thing, since leaving Florida do you now wear tight black clothes and gel your hair Spago-style like the rest of the high-profile folks in Manhattan?
DC: No. I continue to shave my head. Wait, now that I think about it, I have started wearing more black. But I'm not dressing like Tony Soprano... yet.

Interview
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