www.longislandsoundstudy.net April/May 2009 e-newsletter of the Long Island Sound Study (LISS)
LISS News l Around the Sound l More WQ News LISS News:
Long Island Sound Study Funding
A federal appropriations bill signed into law by President Obama in March includes $3 million for Long Island Sound. Combined with an additional $600,000 from the National Estuary Program, the Long Island Sound Study has $3.6 million to spend for the fiscal year beginning October 1, 2009. The money will be used for projects that include a Sound-wide water quality monitoring program, restoring habitats, and the Futures Fund, which distributes grants to dozens of environmental groups working on restoring and protecting the Sound. The LISS Management Committee will be making its final recommendations for the budget at its quarterly meeting on April 16 at the University of Connecticut’s Stamford Campus. For information about attending the meeting call the EPA Long Island Sound Office at 203-977-1541.
19th Annual Long Island Sound Citizens Summit
The 19th annual Long Island Sound Citizens Summit “Investing in Clean Water: for Sound health, jobs, and the economy” held March 6 was a big success. With more than 150 people registered, the conference, held at the Bridgeport Holiday Inn, was at capacity. Senator Christopher Dodd attended both a noon press conference and gave a talk at 1:15. The summit was covered by local media, including the Hartford Courant.
Citizens Summit keynote speaker Terry Backer, a CT state representative and executive director of Soundkeeper
Preston is CT's new Sound Outreach Coordinator
 | | Judy Preston, of Old Saybrook, Connecticut, is Connecticut Sea Grant’s new Long Island Sound Outreach Coordinator. As such, she will conduct an outreach program that serves the LISS's objectives of fostering public involvement, support, and affinity for the restoration and protection of Long Island Sound and its watershed. Preston is the founder and executive director of the Tidewater Institute, a community-based non-profit conservation organization in the Connecticut River estuary region. She has also worked for The Nature Conservancy’s Connecticut Chapter, as a geologist for the American Stratigraphic Company (Denver, CO), and as adjunct faculty | | for Three Rivers Community College in Norwich. She is the founder and first president of the Old Saybrook Land Trust, and has served on LISS's Citizens Advisory Committee. |
Research Grants Awarded
On March 9, the Sea Grant programs of Connecticut and New York awarded nearly $820,000 in Long Island Sound Study research grants to five projects that will look into some of the most serious threats to the ecological health of Long Island Sound, a water body designated by the EPA as an Estuary of National Significance. This research addresses the historical problem of the Sound, low oxygen conditions, as well as emerging issues of red tide and the effects of climate change on the Sound’s ecosystem. Research results from the two-year projects are expected to provide valuable information to resource managers throughout the Long Island Sound watershed. Visit LISS research for information about the projects as well as past-funded projects. |
| | Around the Sound LISS helps to keep pharmaceuticals out of Long Island Sound
LISS is teaming up with NY Sea Grant, Stony Brook University, Stony Brook Medical Center, Suffolk County Legislator Lynne Nowick, Suffolk County Health Department, Suffolk County Police Department Narcotics Unit, and Triumvirate Environmental Inc. to hold a one-time event to collect unwanted medicines from Suffolk County residents. The event will be held on Saturday, April 18 from 10am to 3pm at the Setauket Firehouse on Nicolls Rd in Setauket. Staff will be collecting expired and unwanted prescriptions and over-the-counter medications, including controlled and non-controlled substances and encourages all participants to bring all medicines in their original containers. For more information, call Larissa Graham at 631-632-9216 or visit www.longislandsoundstudy.net.
Celebrate Earth Day on April 22nd
LISS, and its partner agencies, the New York and Connecticut Sea Grants, will be attending Earth Day celebrations in New York at Stony Brook University, Indian Island County Park, Adelphi University, Brookhaven National Laboratory, and Heckscher State Park and in Connecticut at Mitchell College in New London and UConn’s Avery Point campus. Many earth day events can be found at earth day , CT DEP earth day and earthdayny Web sites.
Volunteers needed to assist with horseshoe crab surveys
Volunteers are needed to collect data and tag horseshoe crabs along the coasts of Long Island Sound. Students of all ages (from K-12) and people of all abilities and interests are welcome to participate. Sampling will take place in May and June, and all materials and training are provided. For more information, visit www.projectlimulus.org or call Jennifer Mattei at 203-365-7577 (CT residents) or Larissa Graham at 631-632-9216 (NY residents).
SoundWaters Business Series Features Water Efficiency Expert
Will this region experience water shortages? Although water quality has focused our attention, we need to also begin talking about water quantity, both in terms of usage as well as building design. Mary Ann Dickinson, founder and Executive Director of the Alliance for Water Efficiency, a Chicago-based non-profit organization dedicated to promoting the efficient and sustainable use of water in the United States and Canada, will discuss this topic at the SoundWaters Business and Environment Lecture Series on April 17 at Cove Island Park, 10:30 am to noon. The event is free, but space is limited. Please RSVP:
soundbusiness@soundwaters.org or call 203-406-3335.
Greenwich Audubon Hosts Migratory Bird Day Celebration
On Saturday, May 9 celebrate International Migratory Bird Day at Greenwich Audubon. Enjoy Audubon's traditional early morning birding and breakfast followed by a special lecture on conservation biology and Connecticut. Later in the day, meet world renowned author and natural history illustrator David Sibley. For more information about the schedule, and to register, call Jeff Cordulack at 203-869-5272, x221 or x239. Breakfast is $8 per person. |
| | More WQ News Video Contest to Educate the Public about Water Quality
The EPA’s Office of Wetlands, Oceans and Watersheds (OWOW) is sponsoring a video contest to engage the public on water quality issues and to inspire stewardship for the nation’s waters. OWOW is soliciting short videos to help educate the public about water pollution and simple steps that individuals and communities can take to improve and protect water quality. The contest will run until April 22 (Earth Day). Two winners will be chosen for 1) a short, 30 or 60 second video that is useable as a public service announcement, and 2) a longer 1 to 3 minute video. Each winner will receive a $2,500 cash award and their videos will be featured on EPA’s Web site. For more information on the video contest please go to video contest.
EPA Releases “Watershed Central” Web Site and a "Watershed Wiki”
EPA recently posted a new Web site called "Watershed Central" to help watershed organizations and others find key information they need to implement watershed management projects. The primary purpose of the new Watershed Central Web site is to make it easy for organizations to find the information that they need to help protect and restore their water resources. Watershed Central helps users find environmental data, watershed models, nearby local organizations, guidance documents and other information depending on the task at hand. EPA’s new site is located at: http://www.epa.gov/watershedcentral.
EPA and NOAA Respond to Recovery and Reinvestment Act
Projects to improve water quality and coastal habitats are included in the federal stimulus legislation, the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009, signed into law by President Obama in February. At EPA, The Clean Water State Revolving Fund program, in place since 1987, will receive $4 billion. The Drinking Water State Revolving Fund program, in place since 1997, will receive $2 billion. For more information visit eparecovery. Also through the Recovery Act, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration was entrusted to award up to up to $170 million in funds for habitat restoration in coastal areas. Until the April 6 deadline, NOAA was seeking applications for a variety of habitat restoration projects - including wetlands restoration, dam removals, shellfish restoration, and coral reef restoration. These habitats support valuable fisheries and protected resources, improve the quality of our water, provide recreational opportunities for the public’s use and enjoyment, and buffer our coastal communities from the impacts of storms and sea level rise. For more information visit: noaarecovery.
Register for the 20th Annual Nonpoint Source Pollution Conference
NEIWPCC, a partner agency of the Long Island Sound Study, will be holdings its 20th annual Nonpoint Source Pollution (NPS) conference at the Eastland Park Hotel in Portland, ME from May 18-20. Since 1990, NEIWPCC, the New England Interstate Water Pollution Control Commission, in partnership with its member states, has been coordinating the conference, the premier forum in the NY/New England region for sharing information and improving communication on NPS pollution issues and projects.. For those of you who have not already registered, the Early Bird Registration deadline is May 1, 2009 Visit the conference Web site for more information and on-line registration.
NOAA-TNC Partnership RFP, Funding opportunity
The Nature Conservancy and NOAA are requesting proposals for its
Community-based Restoration Program. The program typically provides funds for projects in the range of $25,000 to $85,000 that will result in tangible and measurable restoration of living marine resources and involve significant community engagement and support that are tied to the restoration activities. Projects that restore or enhance estuarine, marine and anadromous species and their habitats throughout the US states and territories are eligible to compete for grants. Preference will be given to projects at priority sites identified through Marine Ecoregional Assessments, and other TNC priority setting approaches at the state and territory level. Proposals are due by April 24, 2009. For a summary of the partnership and the kind of projects funded previously, please refer to the TNC Community Based restoration Web page. | | | Please note: This email message is being sent to subscribers of the Long Island Sound Study E-Newsletter. PLEASE DO NOT REPORT THIS MESSAGE AS SPAM. Unsubscribe or update your subscription at http://www.longislandsoundstudy.net/cgi-bin/list.htm |
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Long Island Sound Study EPA Long Island Sound Office
888 Washington Boulevard
Stamford, CT 06904-2152 Phone: (203) 977-1541 Fax: (203) 977-1546
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