www.longislandsoundstudy.net December/January 2008 e-newsletter of the Long Island Sound Study (LISS)
LISS Briefs l Sound News l Web Links LISS Briefs:
Save the Date: Long Island Sound Citizens Summit
“Investing in Clean Water” will be the subject of the 19th annual Long Island Sound Citizens Summit, which will be held March 6 at the Bridgeport Holiday Inn. Panelists will discuss the need to repair and modernize aging infrastructure—including sewage treatment plants and storm sewers—to provide for the long term benefits of healthier communities and a healthier Sound, as well as to provide for jobs and a stimulus to the local economy. Attendees will get an overview of the proposed projects that have been identified as essential in Connecticut and New York, as well as hear discussions on innovative “green infrastructure” such as green roofs to retain stormwater to help complement traditional public works projects. Information on the Summit, including an agenda and registration form, will be appearing soon on the Web sites of the Long Island Sound Study and the Connecticut Fund for the Environment. Save the Sound, a program of the Connecticut Fund for the Environment, is organizing the Summit.
Futures Fund ‘09 Grant Program Seeks Proposals
Applications for proposals for Long Island Sound projects are being requested for the 2009 Long Island Sound Futures Fund grant program. About $1 million in grants will be available (pending availability of federal funds). Since the fund was initiated in 2005, more than $3.5 million in grants have been awarded to 105 projects in communities surrounding the Sound. Funded projects have included opening up river miles for fish passage, restoring critical wetlands, providing start-up money for watershed groups to manage programs to improve water quality, and providing children with unique opportunities to discover and learn about the Sound. The program, initiated by LISS, is managed by the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation (NFWF). Visit the NFWF Futures Fund page to get information on how to apply, and LISS’s Web site for examples of previously funded projects.The Big Apple and Beyond: Challenges and Successes of Habitat Restoration in the Long Island Sound Watershed 
Restoring oyster beds in the Bronx River as part of the "Fish and Shellfish Habitat Creation and Seeding Project." From left to right: Chris Squire (Bronx River Alliance-Conservation Crew Member), Janine Harris (NYC Department of Parks & Recreation's Natural Resources Group-Project Associate), Josue Garcia (Rocking the Boat-On the Water Job Skills Apprentice), and Frances Knickmeyer (Bronx River Alliance-Conservation Crew Member). Photo courtesy of NYC Parks & Recreation. Members from the LISS Habitat Restoration Initiative Work Group recently published an article in Ecological Restoration that focused on the challenges of habitat restoration in the Sound’s watershed, particularly due to its dense population and diverse habitat types. It described examples of restoration projects along the Bronx River. The article attributes the many successes to strong partnerships that allow habitat restoration sites to be prioritized and adequate funding to be secured. The article citation is: Young, H., L. Graham, and V. Ruzicka. 2007. “The Big Apple and Beyond: Challenges and Successes of Habitat Restoration in the Long Island Sound Watershed”. Ecological Restoration 26(3):182-184. Remote Sensing Journal
A team of Connecticut researchers, including Dr. Martha Gilmore of Wesleyan University, recently published an article in Remote Sensing of Environment on how satellite imagery can be used to identify salt marshes. To view an abstract of the article, “Integrating multi-temporal spectral and structural information to map wetland vegetation in a lower Connecticut River tidal marsh,” or purchase the article, visit the November issue of Remote Sensing. The research project was funded through the LISS research grant program. |
| Sound News  Back to topNissequogue Action Plan Announced
On Nov. 24 at Sunken Meadow Park, school children, elected officials, citizens, non-profit leaders, and government resource managers were on hand to celebrate the completion of the Nissequogue River Stewardship Action Plan, a series of 100 actions intended to ensure the management and protection of the Nissequogue River watershed. The plan was drafted with the help of several local, state, and federal partners, and was managed by the Regional Plan Association with funding assistance through the Long Island Sound Futures Fund. To view the report, visit RPA’s Nissequogue Watershed web page. 
Heather Young (l) and Larissa Graham (r) of LISS show attendees at the Nissequogue River celebration how to use seine nets to monitor for abundance of small fish.New No Discharge Zones on Long Island’s North Shore
On October 16th the final determination to designate Hempstead Harbor and the Oyster Bay/Cold Spring Harbor Complex as no discharge zones went through the Environmental Protection Agency. In a no discharge zone, it is illegal for vessels with on-board heads to dump their sewage, whether treated or untreated, into the surrounding waters. Instead, boaters will have to use pump-out stations or hail a pump-out boat to empty their onboard holding tanks while in these waters. These latest designations are part of a larger move to get the entire New York side of Long Island Sound designated as a no discharge zone. Connecticut received no discharge status for their portion of Long Island Sound in 2006 and 2007. For more information on no discharge zones, visit the EPA’s Ocean Regulatory Programs Web page. |
| Web Links
EPA Issues Guide to Help Reduce Wastewater Nutrients
The Office of Water has released a guide that will help municipal and utility owners and operators, engineers, local decision makers, and state permit writers and regulators plan cost-effective nutrient removal projects for municipal wastewater treatment facilities. Excess nutrients are a leading cause of water body impairment and can cause the growth of excessive algae and aquatic vegetation in receiving waters, leading to decreased oxygen levels. Excess ammonia nitrogen is toxic to fish and other aquatic species. Additionally the discharge of nitrates in wastewater can result in groundwater contamination. Visit EPA’s Municipal Technologies Web page for more information on the Municipal Nutrient Removal Technologies Reference Document.
Science Advisory Board
The EPA Science Advisory Board (SAB) Integrated Nitrogen Committee has completed an external review draft report concerning reactive nitrogen. It is available at the SAB Web page. The SAB is an independent, external board that provides scientific review of environmental management issues. The SAB assessed the degree of integration among current EPA research programs to determine the extent of linkage among the effects that reactive nitrogen causes in the environment and to explore the implications of these linkages for nitrogen research and risk management. The study aims to make recommendations for a more integrated research program on reactive nitrogen and to identify opportunities of integrated research for nitrogen management. Paul Stacey, director of the Connecticut Department of Environmental Protection Planning and Standards Division and LISS Management Committee member, served on the committee. | | | 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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