(Greenwich, Conn.- Sept. 6, 2011) Top…
(Greenwich, Conn.- Sept. 6, 2011) – Top
officials responsible for the health of the Long Island Sound from
the two U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) regions, the New
York Department of Environmental Conservation, and the Connecticut
Department of Energy and Environmental Protection today announced a
blueprint for coordinated actions to be taken through 2013 to
protect and restore Long Island Sound. They were also joined by
Congressman Jim Himes, Connecticut State Senator L. Scott Frantz,
members of the Long Island Sound Study’s Citizens Advisory
Committee (LISS CAC), and Save the Sound.
During the final SoundVision schooner event held
at the Indian Harbor Yacht Club along the Long Island Sound
shoreline in Greenwich, Connecticut, the officials cited recent
progress in the Long Island Sound restoration, and announced the
Long Island Sound Study Action Agenda:
2011-2013. The Action Agenda contains
54 actions organized around four themes: Waters and Watersheds,
Habitats and Wildlife, Communities and People, and Science and
Management. Within these themes priority actions are identified to
improve water quality, restore habitat, conserve the land, maintain
biodiversity, and increase opportunities for human use and
enjoyment of the Sound. The Action
Agenda is consistent with the Citizen
Advisory Committee’s SoundVision Action Plan.
In addition to continuing progress in reducing
nitrogen pollution and mitigating combined sewer and sanitary sewer
overflows, the Action
Agenda commits to research stormwater
practices to control nitrogen, pilot innovative strategies to use
shellfish and seaweed to mitigate nitrogen pollution, and designate
all of Long Island Sound as a “no discharge zone” for
vessel waste. New targets are being set to restore 200 acres of
coastal habitat and to reopen 80 miles of riverine migratory
corridors to fish. And a number of actions target restoration of
eelgrass, a critical habitat for shellfish and juvenile
fish.
"A clean and healthy Long Island Sound is a
fantastic resource for both recreation and a vibrant economy," said
Curt Spalding, regional administrator of EPA's New England office.
"The Action Agenda is a clear road map for coordinated efforts among many
levels of government and concerned communities for us to achieve a
cleaner, healthier Long Island Sound for people to enjoy. This
collaborative effort underscores our commitment to protecting the
Sound."
The Long Island Sound Study (LISS), sponsored by
EPA and the states of Connecticut and New York, is a partnership of
federal, state, and local agencies, universities, national and
local environmental groups, businesses, and community groups whose
mission is to restore and protect this great resource. The LISS
partnership strives to be adaptable, collaborative, effective, and
efficient in the implementation of a Comprehensive Conservation and
Management Plan (CCMP) that was developed in 1994. The plan,
approved by the Governors of Connecticut and New York and the EPA
Administrator, set a goals and targets for improving the health of
Long Island Sound.
Periodically, the LISS has developed agreements
to guide and prioritize implementation of the CCMP – such
agreements were developed in 1996, 2003, and 2006. This
Action Agenda identifies priority actions to implement the 1994 CCMP
from 2011 to 2013, and sets the stage for a more comprehensive
update to the CCMP that is planned for 2014. The actions are
specific and measurable, and will build upon the progress made to
date by setting clear priorities, responsible entities, and
timeframes for the LISS partnership through 2013.
“Partnerships are the key to achieving
environmental results,” said George Pavlou, EPA Region 2
Deputy Administrator. “The actions announced today will guide
how our federal/state partnership works with the private sector and
academic community to protect and restore coastal lands, improve
water quality, and strengthen the science that underpins our
work.”
“Long Island Sound is a unique resource
that must be maintained and restored. As a long time
environmentalist, I believe we must do all that we can in order to
maintain our nation’s natural resources, and that includes
the diverse and beautiful Long Island Sound,” said
Congressman Himes. “The SoundVision Action Plan and
the Action Agenda unveiled today has made preservation of the Sound a
priority, and I look forward to working with our federal and state
partners in the future as we move forward with plans to restore the
health and beauty of this state treasure.”
Daniel C. Esty, Commissioner of the Connecticut
Department of Energy and Environmental Protection (DEEP) said,
“Long Island Sound is one of our most important natural
resources and is critical to our quality of life and economic
well-being. The Action
Agenda helps sharpen and focus
ongoing and new actions that Long Island Sound partners need to
take to address conservation and management priorities. The
successes we’ve achieved in protecting and enhancing the
Sound are a testament to the power of partnerships, and the future
challenges we face will be met by the impressive alliance of
environmental stewards represented here today.”
“SoundVision and the Action Agenda are
investments that support the waters, the wildlife, and the economy
of our home state,” said State Senator Frantz. “Without
these efforts, Long Island Sound and Connecticut would be a very
different place. It is my hope these efforts are furthered so that
the generations to come can enjoy the beautiful views we share
today.”
"A clean and healthy Long Island Sound is vital
to our economy and the environment this precious resource
sustains." said Assistant Commissioner James Tierney of the New
York State Department of Environmental Conservation. "New York
State is pleased to reinvigorate our commitment to work with our
partners to protect and restore Long Island Sound. The
Action Agenda provides a solid framework to improve water quality;
protect and restore habitat and living resources; and foster
continued cooperation between the federal government, New York, and
Connecticut with local governments, interest groups, and the
scientific community."
“We are so pleased that the states will be
agreeing to a two-year Action Agenda that is consistent with the
goals outlined in SoundVision,” said Curt Johnson, program
director of CFE and Connecticut co-chair of the CAC. “This is
the first time in several years that federal and state partners
have come together on the Sound's coast to publicly announce a
shared vision for the preservation and restoration its waters.
Together, we will clean the Sound’s waters and coastline,
saving the last great places around the Sound for our children and
wildlife while creating new jobs and building economic prosperity.
Whether it’s joining together in a volunteer coastal cleanup
or harbor water monitoring program, or working with our elected
officials to continue investing in clean water and habitat
restoration job creating projects, the Action Agenda and
SoundVision Action Plan will help save the Sound and preserve our
local heritage now and for future generations.”
Long Island Sound (LIS) is one of the largest
urban estuaries (a coastal body of water where fresh water draining
from the land mixes with salt water from the ocean) in the United
States. It provides economic and recreational benefits to millions
of people in Connecticut and New York, while also providing natural
habitats to more than 1,200 species of invertebrates, 170 species
of fish, and dozens of species of migratory birds.
For more information about the Long Island Sound
Study and its Action
Agenda, visit www.longislandsoundstudy.net/. For more information about the LISS CAC’s
SoundVision, visit www.lisoundvision.org.
Contacts:
David Deegan, USEPA New England Region, 617-918-1017
John Senn, USEPA Region 2, 212-637-3667
Cyndy Chanaca, CTDEEP, 860-424-4100
Michael Bopp, NYSDEC, 518-402-8000
Rebecca Kaplan, Save the Sound, 201-707-6633