Resident Petitions to Rebuild Fire Island Dunes Damaged By Sandy

It has been just over a month since Superstorm Sandy wreaked havoc on the shores of Long Island, and one resident is petitioning for immediate help to rebuild the dunes of Fire Island.

Lauren Eckstein Forman, who spends summers in Ocean Beach, is seeking support to expedite restoration of the dunescape on the island as soon as possible.

The petition, titled "Urgent! Protect Fire Island and Long Island -- Rebuild our sand dunes!" has more than 28,000 signatures as of December 6, with supporters across America as well as in South Africa, Portugal and Italy.

Rebuilding the dunes is imperative, according to Forman, not only to protect homes on the barrier island during future storms, but also the entire South Shore of Long Island.

"The dune line protects both communities on the barrier island as well as life and property on Long Island's South Shore," the petition states. "Fire Island's Atlantic beach dune system needs to be rebuilt as soon as possible. This is not simply about protecting communities on Fire Island, this is about defending the Shore Shore of Long Island for the future.

Aerial photos taken days after the Oct. 29 storm revealed massive erosion to Fire Island's shorelines.