A plan to replenish 19 miles of sand on storm-damaged Fire Island remains on hold because of a federally protected bird.
A federal judge in Central Islip on Wednesday refused to lift a temporary restraining order halting the project on Fire Island.
Audubon New York says the $207 million project would destroy piping plover nesting areas.
Some elected officials say human lives are in danger if there's a repeat of 2012's Hurricane Sandy and work is not completed to bulk up Fire Island as a barrier protecting heavily populated parts of Long Island.
Others say the project won't prevent flooding.
A lawyer for the Army Corps of Engineers, which is in charge of the project, had no comment.
The parties are due back in court Dec. 16.
Copyright AP - Associated Press