$3.6 Million to Improve New York and Connecticut Water Quality and
Coasts
Habitat Restoration, Nixing Nitrogen and Estrogen’s
Effect on the EcoSystem Among Funded Initiatives
Bronx River, New York – June 5, 2007 –
Along the banks of the Bronx River, the urban heart of the Long Island
Sound, 6 public agencies announced today almost $1.6 million in grant
awards to nonprofit conservation groups, universities and government
agencies to fund 12 water quality and restoration projects in Long
Island Sound and Jamaica Bay. The nearly $1.6 million will be
leveraged by $2.1 million raised by the recipients themselves towards
the projects, providing at total of $3.6 million towards innovative
conservation.
The source of the funds is the Dissolved Oxygen Environmental Benefit
Fund for the Western Long Island Sound and Jamaica Bay designed to
support restoration and water quality projects that reduce pollution,
particularly nitrogen, threatening the health and living resources of
these estuaries. Nitrogen Loading from discharges and polluted
runoff contributes to lower levels of dissolved oxygen in estuary
waters. This condition of low “dissolved” oxygen is
known as hypoxia. Too much nitrogen also leads to problems such as
excessive algae growth that clouds water, blocking sunlight to marine
plants that provide prime habitat for fish and shellfish. Nitrogen
loads into local watersheds affect water quality and the recreational,
ecological and economic value of coasts.
"As a Trustee of the funds, the Connecticut Department of
Environmental Protection is committed to making certain that the money
available is used to restore natural estuarine habitats and improve
water quality” said Brian Thompson, Director of the Office of Long
Island Sound Programs. “By focusing on these issues, the
fund can play an important role in reversing the damage that was caused
to Long Island Sound, its habitat areas and its aquatic life. We
believe the projects selected for funding in this first year will help
accomplish those goals."
The two sources of funds for the 12 projects are from a settlement to
resolve nitrogen limit violations by Water Pollution Control Plants
owned and managed by New York City. These dollars are pooled with
a 1993 settlement to mitigate the impact of fuel storage tanks at John
F. Kennedy International Airport on Jamaica Bay. Trustees for the
DO Fund include the: Connecticut Department of Environmental Protection,
Long Island Soundkeeper, New York City Department of Environmental
Protection, New York New Jersey Baykeeper, New York State Department of
Environmental Conservation, and Port Authority of New York and New
Jersey. The National Fish and Wildlife Foundation manages the DO
Fund for the Trustees.
New York State Attorney General Andrew M. Cuomo said, “Millions
of New Yorkers use the waters of Jamaica Bay and Long Island Sound, and
my office will continue to use all available tools to protect and
restore these waters. Today’s grants will go a long way
toward preserving these valuable resources and ensuring the well-being
of the people who benefit from them.”
“Protecting Jamaica Bay, an important part of the
Hudson/Raritan (New York/New Jersey Harbor) Estuary is the highest
priority for NY/NJ Baykeeper,” said Andrew Willner, Executive
Director. “Seeing the good that can be done through these
restoration and water quality improvement projects, vindicates Baykeeper
and Soundkeeper’s vigilance in protecting these threatened
resources from damage resulting from New York City DEP’s violation
of nitrogen discharge standards,” He continued. “We look
forward to working with the other trustees in investing these
Environmental Benefit Funds to restore Jamaica Bay’s challenged
but thriving ecosystem, and continuing to run Baykeeper’s free
boat sewage pump-out program in Jamaica Bay.”
New York State Department of Environmental Conservation Commissioner
Pete Grannis said, "Long Island Sound and Jamaica Bay are two priority
areas for ecosystem restoration and enhancement in New York State.
While we have made great strides with our partners to improve these
areas, there is still much more to accomplish. The twelve projects
announced today will incrementally improve the habitats and our
knowledge base for these areas and for the future of these
resources."
Five projects involve restoring natural tidal flow and salt
marshes. Restoring natural tidal flow improves flushing and allows
for mixing of fresh and salt water resulting in better overall water
quality. The projects will also rejuvenate 14 plus acres of salt
marsh. Restored salt marsh provides a natural plant buffer to
filter pollution that might otherwise flow into water and provides
critical shoreline habitat for birds and nurseries for fish. The
projects will add 8.7 acres to the largest tidal marsh system in
Westchester County and long-term open more than 5 miles of riverine
corridors for migratory fish passage in Connecticut.
Two projects will deliver tools and strategies to reduce water
pollution from multiple sources including common pharmaceuticals
threatening humans and animals that share coastal water. One project
involves long-term survival of fish, shellfish and crabs by allowing
resource managers to improve management of nitrogen discharges allowed
in open waters. Another project will contribute technical
information into the active public dialogue surrounding sewering by
quantifying pollution discharges from groundwater comparing sewered and
unsewered watersheds. A grantee will develop practical strategies
to engage citizens in community-wide stormwater control through use of
tools such as rain barrels, rain gardens, and porous pavement
types. Two projects will reach out to 3,000 recreational
boaters providing free pumpout services removing 3,000 gallons of sewage
from Jamaica Bay and Long Island Sound.
“Conserving coasts is a high priority for us,” said Terry
Backer, Executive Director, Soundkeeper. “We hope that our
investment in this suite of projects will address the most challenging
of water quality problems and stem the loss of the most threatened of
habitats to reduce those problems and stem those losses in two
significant mid-Atlantic estuaries.”
Anthony E. Shorris, Executive Director, Port Authority of New York
and New Jersey stated “We're proud to support the effort to clean
up Jamaica Bay. As a large corporate stakeholder in that area,
we're waking up to the effect our operations have on its environment,
and we're making a concerted effort to reduce our footprint.
Improving water quality is just the beginning; we're also going to look
at reducing emissions, water use, and solid waste production as part of
a comprehensive program to make our facilities more sustainable for
Jamaica Bay and the rest of the region.”
About the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation
(NFWF)
A nonprofit established by Congress in 1984, the National Fish and
Wildlife Foundation sustains, restores and enhances the Nation's fish,
wildlife, plants and habitats. Through leadership conservation
investments with public and private partners, NFWF is dedicated to
achieving maximum conservation impact by developing and applying best
practices and innovative methods for measurable outcomes. Since
its establishment, NFWF has awarded nearly 8,900 grants to over 3,000
organizations in the United States and abroad and leveraged - with its
partners - more than $374 million in federal funds into more than $1.2
billion for on-the-ground conservation. For more information,
visit www.nfwf.org.
