Federal officials say they've found the $197,000 necessary to resume work on a stalled $9 million plan to restore Hunting Island State Park's disappearing beaches.

The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers pulled the plug on the federal-state partnership to protect the island's eroding beaches last week after claiming that it ran out of money to finish the project's first phase.

But Monday, corps officials said they had found enough contingency money left over in their $25 million budget for environmental projects to finalize the engineering plan to preserve the East Coast's fastest-eroding beach. The plan could include the use of groins, sand-trapping structures built perpendicular to the beach.

"This is great news," said Phil Gaines, assistant director of the South Carolina Department of Parks, Recreation and Tourism. "This is where we were hoping to be at this point in time."

Last week's announcement that the corps had run out of money for Hunting Island left state officials, who have set aside $4.2 million for the nourishment plan, worried that the project's start date would be set back at least one year.

Corps officials are hoping to match the state's $4.2 million with $5 million from the federal government in the 2005 budget and start work on the island next year.

But Alicia Gregory, spokeswoman for the corps' Charleston office, said it's too early to accurately estimate a start date for Hunting Island construction.

"It all depends on funding," she said. "This is a very critical project for us, and it has high visibility in our district."

Thousands of corps projects throughout the country compete for a portion of the $25 million divvied out annually.

Officials from the corps' Southeastern regional office in Atlanta had originally said $110,000 was needed to complete the Hunting Island project, but Gregory called that a low estimate.

"I've seen several numbers, and frankly, I don't know which one is accurate," said Rob Holland, spokesman for the corps' Atlanta office. "That's the amount someone who has analyzed the situation has determined is necessary."

U.S. Rep. Joe Wilson, R-S.C., who represents Beaufort County in Congress and last week called on the corps to explain where it spent the money expected for the Hunting Island plan, said he was pleased with Monday's resolution.

"(Corps officials) understand the urgency of our interest É in that as there's further damage to the island, it can't be replaced," he said.

Ray Stevens, superintendent of Hunting Island, the state's busiest state park, also said he was relieved to learn that money for the beach nourishment project had been restored, since the park loses 15 feet of sand every year.

"I'm glad to see it and quite relieved," he said Monday. "Now we're back to where we were before all this started."

Erosion has washed away 20 island facilities, including restrooms, showers and cabins over the past seven years.

Three additional restrooms, two serving the park's 200 campsites, are within 30 feet of the high-water mark and are in danger of being washed away.

More than 1.2 million people visited the state park last year, bringing in $2.1 million in revenue for the state Parks Department.