Nearly a dozen communities on Long Island, in the Bronx and Westchester County are just a portion of those benefiting from a first wave of more than $1 million in resilience planning support grants.
In total, 15 projects — 10 in NY and five in CT — have been awarded through the Long Island Sound Resilience Planning Support Program, which was created by Sea Grant programs in New York (NYSG) and Connecticut (CTSG) and funded by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency through the Long Island Sound Study (LISS).
“We’re thrilled that these communities, including three on Long Island (Laurel Hollow, Oyster Bay, and Lattingtown), are taking these steps to adapt to a changing climate,” said Elizabeth Hornstein, NYSG’s Stony Brook University (SBU)-based Sustainable and Resilient Communities (SRC) specialist for Suffolk County. “These projects will improve quality of life and local ecosystems for decades to come and we couldn’t be more excited to help see these through.” Additional NY projects are located in the Bronx and throughout Westchester County.
The Village of Lattingtown, NY has received over $37,000 in planning support to develop a conservation and restoration plan for the marsh complex in the Village-owned Kate Trubee Davison Preserve located south of the western portion of Frost Creek. “The program will provide us with the environmental tools we need to preserve our village and to protect our residents by restoring our marshland in a responsible manner, ensuring both storm preparedness and coastal resiliency,” said Robert Fagiola, Mayor of the Village of Lattingtown.
St. John’s Episcopal Church in Laurel Hollow will use the over $72,000 it has received to hire a contractor to develop a plan for the marsh and 14-acre pond at the base of Cold Spring Harbor, which is adjacent to the church. The analysis will look at the property, opportunities for restoration of the shorelines and pond, and conditions of an existing 850-foot-long dam.
“There’s been a little bit of flooding, and over time, some of those constructed areas, they just deteriorate on their own,” said Luke Gervase, a project ecologist for GEI Consultants, a North American engineering and technical firm.
The project will focus on “investigating and looking at what’s going on there to find out what potential issues might be, and things we might want to focus on for conservation and restoration moving forward,” he said.
Seatuck Environmental Association’s Enrico Nardone, executive director, said the group has received over $71,000 to “take a big-picture, conceptual-level look at what kind of improvements can be made” in protecting Beaver Brook — a coastal stream that flows through Mill Neck and Locust Valley.
“This is one of those waterways that has great potential for recreational value but also wildlife value and ecological value,” said Nardone. “But like most waterways, it is facing some challenges.” The waterway is experiencing issues because of human-made infrastructure like dams and sea-level rise triggered by climate change.
“The outcomes of this program will go far beyond the immediate planning efforts,” said NYSG Director Rebecca Shuford, also based at SBU. “By equipping communities with actionable plans and innovative project concepts, we are setting the stage for transformative resilience initiatives that address climate vulnerabilities while promoting long-term sustainability. New York Sea Grant is proud to contribute to this partnership and support communities in their efforts to safeguard their environments and economies.”
A second round of these grants is currently open, with up to $1 million available. Interested communities can learn more at lisresilience.org/assistance-programs.
For more, see Over $1M Awarded to Support Climate Resilience Planning in 15 Long Island Sound Communities.
New York Sea Grant, a cooperative program of Cornell University and the State University of New York, is one of 34 university-based programs under the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s National Sea Grant College Program.
— Rose Weldon and Paul C. Focazio, NYSG
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