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LISS
Futures Fund Projects
Long Island Sound Futures Fund 2005 Grant Awards
Grants in the State of New York l
Grants in the State
of Connecticut l
Both States
Organization: City Parks
Foundation
Project: Long Island City/Astoria Waterfront Catalyst Project
Long Island Sound Futures Fund Grant: $35,000
Matching Funds: $170,000
The City Parks Foundation will conduct educational workshops and
80 public outreach programs as well as engage in restoration and
recreation activities at seven waterfront parks to raise
awareness about the Long Island City waterfront. Local knowledge
and skills will be increased about natural resources, native
flora, restoration, and preservation. Habitat restoration
activities will occur for tidal wetlands existing along a
largely developed coastline. Through the proposed restoration
projects, the project will enhance these natural areas to create
habitat that attracts great egrets, great blue herons, snowy
egrets, black crowned night herons, cormorants, and glossy ibis.
Project partners will include New York Department of Parks and
Recreation’s Natural Resources Group, Long Island City Community
Boathouse, Socrates Sculpture Park, Astoria Residents Reclaiming
Our World, Goodwill Industries of New York and New Jersey, Long
Island City High School, and The Greater Astoria Historical
Society.
Funding is
provided by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and New
York Environmental Trust.
Organization: Coalition to Save Hempstead Harbor
Project: Citizens Water-Monitoring Program
Long Island Sound Futures Fund Grant: $30,000
Matching Funds: $65,400
The Coalition to Save Hempstead Harbor will enhance and expand
its Citizen Water Monitoring Program for Hempstead Harbor. A
Quality Assurance Project Plan will be prepared to improve the
quality of data collected by the Coalition increasing its
potential use by public and private partners.. The data will be
used in a comprehensive water monitoring report for the 2005
season. Three volunteer training sessions will be held and
monitoring will take place on a weekly basis through November
2005.. Project partners include the Town of Oyster Bay, Nassau
County, Hempstead Harbor Committee, the Marine Sciences
Department of the University of Connecticut and the Nassau
County Marine Police.
Funding provided by the
U.S. Environmental Protection Agency.
Organization: Cornell
Cooperative Extension of Suffolk County
Project: Sound Experiences- From Ship to Shore
Long Island Sound Futures Fund Grant: $30,000
Matching Funds: $18,930
The Cornell Cooperative Extension of Suffolk County, in
partnership with the Waterfront Center, will promote a
greater understanding of the Long Island Sound by
educating 30 groups of students from schools in
low-income communities in Suffolk and Nassau County. |
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Up to 750 children will be reached
through fully funded Long Island Sound field and
learning experiences. Topics to be covered through these
learning experiences include: water quality issues, the
interrelationship between the health of the Sound and
the condition of the local watershed, and stewardship of
the Sound.
Funding is provided by the U.S. Environmental Protection
Agency. |
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Organization: Cornell Cooperative Extension of Suffolk County
Project: Long Island Sound Eelgrass Restoration Project
Long Island Sound Futures Fund Grant: $60,000
Matching Funds: $24,400
The Cornell Cooperative Extension of Suffolk County will create
a 2-acre eelgrass meadow located at St. Thomas Point, 3.5 miles
west of Mulford Point, the only other eelgrass meadow on the
north shore of Long Island. Test plantings of 1,000 shoots each
will be conducted at two additional sites, one east and one west
of St. Thomas point. The project will develop restoration
methods uniquely suited to the open water-high energy nature of
Long Island Sound. Project partners will include the Board of
Trustees for the Town of Southold and a group of experienced
volunteer divers.
Funding is provided by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric
Administration.
Organization: Edith G. Read Natural Park and Wildlife Sanctuary
Project: Mitigation of Playland Parking Lot Stormwater Effluent
Long Island Sound Futures Fund Grant: $36,400
Matching Funds: $17,900
The Edith G. Read Natural Park and Wildlife Sanctuary will
improve water quality in an 80.2-acre tidal wetland located next
to an amusement park by limiting the amount of contaminants that
enter the lake from run-off from the Playland parking lot. Storm
drain inserts will be installed which remove a variety of
contaminants including heavy metals and oils. The inserts will
be maintained for one year and water samples will be tested
before an after installation. Additionally, signage will be put
up to educate the public on the greening efforts being done at
Playland Amusement Park. Project partners will include
Westchester County Department of Parks, Recreation and
Conservation and the Friends of Read Wildlife Sanctuary, Inc.
Funding provided by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency.
Organization: Friends of Flax Pond
Project: Habitat Monitoring in Flax Pond
Long Island Sound Futures Fund Grant: $25,000
Matching Funds: $34,095
The Friends of Flax Pond will conduct 5 habitat monitoring
studies in Flax Pond, a series of 4 scientific lectures to the
local public to disseminate the results of these studies and
stimulate community interest and involvement in the preservation
of Flax Pond. The lecture series will reach 150 local residents
and 15 to 20 high school students and community residents will
be recruited to participate in the habitat monitoring studies.
All habitat and species monitoring data recorded will be used to
foster the development of a community supported stewardship plan
for Flax Pond in the future. Project partners will include Stony
Brook Environmental Conservancy, Stony Brook University, and New
York State Department of Environmental Conservation.
Funding provided by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service.
Organization: Peconic Land Trust
Project: Great Pond Wetland Preservation and Restoration
Long Island Sound Futures Fund Grant: $40,000
Matching Funds: $204,043
The Peconic Land Trust will work to preserve 11.72 acres of
globally rare marine freshwater wetland as open space adjacent
to County owned Peconic Dunes County Park by developing a
stewardship management plan and a program to control invasive
species. Preserving this habitat will serve to protect rare
native plant and animal species including: Iris prismatica,
native cranberry, pitch pine carpets, carnivorous sundew, box
and snapping turtles, red fox, ospreys, bob-whites, pheasants,
and Eastern screech owls. The project will promote habitat
knowledge among approximately 360 Camp Sea Wolf environmental
students (10-15 years old) plus the 740 regular campers who
annually attend Peconic Dunes Camp. Project partners will
include The Kenney’s Beach Civic Association, the Town of
Southold Land Preservation Program, SUNY-Stony Brook, and
Cornell University.
Funding provided by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service.
Organization: Regional Plan Association
Project: Long Island Sound Stewardship Initiative Nissequogue
River Watershed Project
Great Pond Wetland Preservation and Restoration
Long Island Sound Futures Fund Grant: $40,000
Matching Funds: $75,000
As the first year of a two-year project, the Regional Plan
Association (RPA) will convene and work with a Stakeholder
Committee to compile natural resources data, and identify issues
and opportunities in the Nissequogue River watershed. |
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This
project will ultimately result in a comprehensive analysis of
opportunities and challenges to protecting and stewarding the
natural and recreational resources of one of Long Islands most
important watersheds. Project partners include the New York
State Department of Environmental Control and the New York State
Parks and Recreation.
Funding is provided by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. |
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Organization: Riverhead Foundation for Marine Research and
Preservation
Project: Educating the Public to make a Difference
Long Island Sound Futures Fund Grant: $20,000
Matching Funds: $19,520
The Riverhead Foundation for Marine Research and Preservation
will develop a voluntary citizen based marine mammal and sea
turtle monitoring program to coordinate survey efforts with
ongoing aerial, shop, and land based projects. Weekly lectures
open to people of all ages and backgrounds will be conducted to
educate communities around the Long Island Sound about the
marine ecology of the area. Hands-on activities, interactive
tours of the hospital facility, and animal identification
exercises will reinforce the information given at the lectures.
The Riverhead Foundation continues to work with researchers from
the Maritime Aquarium at Norwalk and Project Oceanology who all
participate in the Valentine’s Day seal count, surveying seal
haul out sites in the Long Island Sound including areas in
Fisher’s Bay, New Haven, and Sheffield Island.. Combining
efforts of volunteer based surveys and professional stranding
and research organizations will enhance the quality of research
conducted and data obtained from surveys of the Long Island
Sound.
Funding is provided by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency.
Organization: Town of Mamaroneck
Project: Demonstrate & Educate concerning the advantages of
using native plants & pervious paths
Long Island Sound Futures Fund Grant: $20,000
Matching Funds: $20,540
The Town of Mamaroneck will create a demonstration planting of
native species to encourage use of native species in homeowners’
gardens, especially near bodies of water. Signs will be
installed along with each species planted to give information on
species, best planting locations, soil requirements, blooming
season and color. Planting native species will discourage use of
herbicides, pesticides, and fertilizers which add to non-point
pollutants reaching the Long Island Sound. Additionally, an
existing pathway will be redesigned using recycled material and
gravel and add 480 linear feet of pathway to the new native
plants area. Project partners will include Sheldrake
Environmental Center and the Westchester County Department of
Planning.
Funding is provided by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency.
Organization: Town of North Hempstead
Project: Hempstead Harbor Cove Wetland Restoration
Long Island Sound Futures Fund Grant: $75,000
Matching Funds: $125,000
The Town of North Hempstead will restore approximately 4 acres
of tidal wetland within Hempstead Harbor Cove by stabilizing
shoreline, removing debris, fill, and invasive plants, and
planting native wetland species. The project is located near a
former industrial area and enhances the biological value and
visual appeal of the site near a shoreline nature trail. This
project expands on a successful community-based wetland
restoration completed in 2003. National Oceanic and Atmospheric
Administration, US Fish and Wildlife Service, and New York
Department of Environmental Conservation are providing technical
assistance to the Town of Hempstead. Numerous community
organizations and volunteers will assist with the
implementation.
Funding is provided by U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service.
Organization: Village of Larchmont
Project: Flint Park Waterfront Environmental Area
Long Island Sound Futures Fund Grant: $25,000
Matching Funds: $438,800
The Village of Larchmont will open the publicly-owned waterfront
of Flint Park, portions of which closest to the Long Island
Sound are presently inaccessible to the public, to create a
recreational and educational area. Approximately 700 linear feet
of waterfront will be open. Additionally, a new pervious walking
trail linked to the Town of Mamaroneck’s Hommock’s Conservation
area, interpretive signage, and a bird watching platform will be
installed at the Park. Project partners will include the Village
Board, representatives of the Village Beautification,
Environmental, Parks and Trees, Recreation, and Traffic
Committees, the League of Women Voters, three active youth
sports leagues, the local environmental center, Flint Park
Conservancy, and New York State Office of Parks.
Funding is provided by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency.
Organization: Ward Melville Heritage Organization
Project: Sound Practices for West Meadow
Long Island Sound Futures Fund Grant: $15,000
Matching Funds: $11,245
The Ward Melville Heritage Organization will provide public
access to and education about Stony Brook Harbor and the
surrounding wetlands along West Meadow Beach and West Meadow
Creek. Through boat cruises, restoration activities, onsite
classes and distance learning technology, people of all ages and
across Long Island will learn about the importance and fragility
of the wetlands ecosystem. Up to 4,800 adults and children will
be reached annually through this project including the Ward
Melville Youth Corps, a group of 30 youth volunteers who plant
native vegetation in eroding areas of this special salt marsh
ecosystem. Project partners will include the Marine Sciences
Research Center at Stony Brook University., and the New York
State Department of Environmental Conservation.
Funding provided by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service.
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Grants in the
State of Connecticut
Organization: Connecticut Department of Environmental
Protection, Bureau of Natural Resources, Wildlife Division
Project: Barn Island Wildlife Management Area Marsh Overlook
Long Island Sound Futures Fund Grant: $28,200
Matching Funds: $14,400
The Connecticut Department of Environmental Protection,
Bureau of Natural Resources, Wildlife Division will
design, install, and maintain a one-half acre exhibit of
native plants common to the Connecticut coastal area at
the Barn Island Wildlife Management Area. |
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Barn Island is one of the state’s
premier wildlife management areas because it hosts a mosaic of
habitat that supports imperiled species. ADA compliant pathways
leading to the exhibit will increase access to the facility. Educational
signage will be installed to describing the importance of using
native plants and individual markers will identify featured
species. Project partners will include Connecticut Department of
Environmental Protection- Long Island Sound Fund, Connecticut
College Arboretum and Denison-Pequotsepos Nature Center.
Funding provided by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. |
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Organization: Branford Land Trust
Project: Branford Fishway
Long Island Sound Futures Fund Grant: $60,000
Matching Funds: $120,100
The Branford Land Trust, Inc. will restore anadromous fish
passage by constructing a fishway over a dam at the Supply Ponds
on the Queach Brook. The project represents an innovative
partnership between a town, a land trust and a Rotary Club to
build a fishway to support migration of alewife, blueback
herring and brown trout, and to provide a research opportunity
for a nearby university to observe the ecology of these sea-fish
in inland waters. The fishway will open 75-86 acres of lake
habitat, 9 acres of riparian swamps, and 4-5 miles of
free-flowing streams to anadromous fish runs. Additionally, the
fishway will accommodate an electronic fish counter. Project
partners include the Branford Rotary Club, the Town of Branford,
Yale University, Connecticut Department of Environmental
Protection- Inland Fisheries Division and Long Island Sound
Fund, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration
Restoration Center, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, and the
USDA-Natural Resources Conservation Service.
Funding is provided by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and
the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration.
Organization: Eastern Connecticut Resource Conservation &
Development
Project: Land Use Leadership Alliance for Connecticut Land Use
Decision Makers
Long Island Sound Futures Fund Grant: $40,000
Matching Funds: $71,000
The Eastern Connecticut Resource Conservation & Development will
implement 4-day community-based land use leadership training
workshops in the Connecticut River Valley, reaching up to 70
public officials from 13 towns, in the spring of 2006. The
program will provide information, training, and technical
assistance about land use law and natural resources protection
to strengthen community planning. It will promote an informed
and educated constituency involved in community decisions
affecting the ecological health of the Long Island Sound and its
living marine resources and build partnerships at multiple
levels. Project partners will include Tidewater Institute,
MetroHartford Alliance, Capitol Region Council of Governments,
Pace University Land Use Law Center, and the USDA- Natural
Resources Conservation Service.
Funding is provided by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency
and the USDA- Natural Resources Conservation Service.
Organization: City of Norwalk
Project: Stormwater Control Demonstration Project
Long Island Sound Futures Fund Grant: $35,000
Matching Funds: $50,000
The City of Norwalk, CT will implement 6 storm water Best
Management Practices (BMPs), as identified in an earlier study,
in order to reduce the amount of sediment and pollutants
reaching Norwalk Harbor. After the BMPs are installed and
implemented throughout the two watersheds, the water quality
will be monitored for several rainfall events and the results
will then be used to develop a City-wide plan for storm water
management. The City will provide the results of the pilot study
to any interested town or community, local and state
environmental organizations, and interested citizens, etc.
through presentations, and on the City's web site. Project
partners include the Norwalk River Watershed Initiative, the
Long Island Soundkeeper, the Maritime Aquarium of Norwalk, Total
Norwalk Seaport Association, and several active neighborhood
associations.
Funding is provided by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency.
Organization: Friends of the Hockanum River Linear Park of
Vernon, Inc.
Project: State of the Watershed Assessment for the Tankerhoosen
River Watershed
Long Island Sound Futures Fund Grant: $25,000
Matching Funds: $14,000
The Friends of the Hockanum River Linear Park of Vernon, Inc.
will collect and evaluate chemical and biological water quality
monitoring data at up to 8 key locations within the Tankerhoosen
River Watershed. Current baseline water quality conditions will
be established, water quality impacts from potential point and
non-point pollution sources will be identified, and a water
quality database for the watershed to guide environmental
decision-making and measure the progress toward meeting water
quality goals in the watershed will begin to be developed. A
Quality Assurance Project Plan will be developed to ensure that
sampling, sample analysis and the resulting data will be of
sufficient quality for use by public and private agencies.
Project partners will include Vernon Conservation Commission and
the Hockanum River Watershed Association.
Funding provided by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency.
Organization: Friends of Sherwood Island State Park, Inc.
Project: Habitats: Nature's Classroom
Long Island Sound Futures Fund Grant: $20,000
Matching Funds: $20,000
The Friends of Sherwood Island State Park, Inc. will conduct an
educational program, Habitats: Nature's Classroom, to describe
and demonstrate the existing habitats and inhabitants of
Sherwood Island and the Long Island Sound. A permanent display
will be created that will address awareness, understanding and
conservation of species and habitats present on Sherwood Island
and in the surrounding Sound. More than 500,000 residents and
day-trippers from other Connecticut Counties and nearby
communities in New York visit the Park. Project partners include
CT Department of Environmental Protection.
Funding provided by the U.S.
Environmental Protection Agency.
Organization: Interdistrict Committee for Project Oceanology
Project: Science Education in Action Linking Students and the
Sound (SEALSS)
Long Island Sound Futures Fund Grant: $35,000
Matching Funds: $65,700
The Interdistrict Committee for Project Oceanology will immerse
middle and high school students in a 2 day harbor seal research
monitoring educational program. Students will observe behavior
and collect data on a wild population of harbor seals in Eastern
Long Island Sound. The project will involve 840 students and
their teachers from schools in Connecticut and New York. The
data collected will be entered into a database for access and
use by regional harbor seal researchers. Project partners
include the University of Connecticut and the Maritime Aquarium
at Norwalk.
Funding is provided by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency
and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration.
Organization: Lyme Land Conservation Trust, Inc.
Project: Moulson Pond Fishway Repairs
Long Island Sound Futures Fund Grant: $45,500
Matching Funds: $12,500
The Lyme Land Conservation Trust, Inc will construct a fishway
restoring upstream access to a river blocked since colonial
times. The project will establish a vital spawning area for
blueback herring and trout, as well as improving conditions for
commercial and recreational game fishing. The completed project
will maintain the restoration of migratory fish to the entire
Eightmile River Watershed, which is currently under study for
designation under the Federal Wild and Scenic Program. Project
partners will include Connecticut Department of Environmental
Protection, Connecticut River Watershed Council local
landowners, and a committed cadre of volunteer monitors.
Funding provided by the Funding provided by the U.S. Fish and
Wildlife Service and National Oceanic and Atmospheric
Administration.
Organization: Old Saybrook Land Trust
Project: Ingham Hill Pond Improvements and Fishway
Long Island Sound Futures Fund Grant: $75,000
Matching Funds: $56,354
The Old Saybrook Land Trust will repair the Ingham Hill Pond Dam
and install a fishway pass unit. The project will provide a path
for migrating Atlantic salmon, alewife, blueback herring and
brown trout in a watershed which is currently being considered
for designation as a Federal Wild and Scenic River.
Additionally, Lake Rockview will be open to recreational fishing
and an outdoor education program will be established through the
Old Saybrook Parks and Recreation Department. Project partners
will include the Connecticut Department of Environmental
Protection- Long Island Sound Fund, the National Oceanic and
Atmospheric Administration, and the USDA-Natural Resources
Conservation Service
Funding is provided by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and
the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration.
Organization: Sacred Heart University
Project: Project Limulus: Ecology & Conservation of the
American Horseshoe Crab
Long Island Sound Futures Fund Grant: $30,000
Matching Funds: $13,050
The Sacred Heart University will conduct research on and
educate the public about the economic and ecological
importance of horseshoe crabs in the Long Island Sound. |
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The public will be
educated through direct involvement, educational
displays, scientific papers, presentations, and a
website. Training sessions will be provided for
community members to participate in the research, with
at least 50 teachers from several school districts and
their K-12 students participating to learn to measure,
tag, and record data for the project. Project partners
include the Connecticut Department of Environmental
Protection-Long Island Sound Fund, the Maritime
Aquarium, and the Connecticut Audubon Coastal Center.
Funding is provided by the U.S. Environmental Protection
Agency and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric
Administration. |
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Organization: Saugatuck Watershed Partnership
Project: The Connecticut Nature Conservancy
Long Island Sound Futures Fund Grant: $25,000
Matching Funds: $11,000
The Connecticut Nature Conservancy will create a watershed
partnership and Watershed Action Plan to foster protection and
enhancement of biodiversity within the Saugatuck River
Watershed. Three workshops will be organized for representatives
from each of the eleven towns within the watershed including
environmental experts, natural resources agencies and
stakeholder groups to develop the Watershed Action Plan. Prior
to the completion of the action plan, a watershed coordinator
will be hired by the watershed partnership with responsibilities
for the plan. Potential project partners will include Southwest
Conservation District, the Connecticut Department of
Environmental Protection, Trout Unlimited, National Audubon,
RiverWatch, USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service and the
watershed towns.
Funding provided by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency.
Organization: Solar Youth, Inc.
Project: Citywide Steward Program
Long Island Sound Futures Fund Grant: $20,000
Matching Funds: $15,500
Solar Youth will conduct the fifth year of the Citywide
Steward Program -- a 5-week environmental education and
youth development summer program that provides positive,
educational opportunities to children who live in the
low-income communities of New Haven. Up to 30 youth ages
9-14 will participate in the program using “Watersheds,”
this year’s program theme, as the foundation of all
exploration, community service, and public education. |
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At least three high school students will be trained
and hired as interns and at least 200 additional people will be
indirectly reached through the youth-led community service
action and public education projects related to the local and
Long Island watersheds. Project partners will include the New
Haven Department of Parks and Recreation, Schooner, Inc.,
Peabody Museum, and Southern Connecticut State University.
Funding is provided by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. |
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Organization: Sound School Regional Vocational Aquaculture
Center
Project: New Haven Harbor Watershed Environmental Monitoring
Program
Long Island Sound Futures Fund Grant: $25,000
Matching Funds: $121,944
The Sound School Regional Vocational Aquaculture Center will
provide direct educational experiences for high school students
through hands-on marine research focused on water quality
monitoring of pollutants and sediments, and determining changes
to the ecology of New Haven Harbor and the central Long Island
Sound in concert with researchers to provide critical
information to municipal leaders engaged in development of new
watershed management plans. The students will prepare Benthic
Community and Sediment Sector Studies which are conducted to
observe the impacts of development on benthic communities such
as fish and aquatic vegetation living in or migrating through
the Harbor. The students will prepare Shoreline Transect Studies
which is a tool used to track the impact of water quality on
ecosystems specifically sites in the rocky and sandy inter-tidal
zones. Project partners will include the Sound School,
Connecticut Department of Environmental Protection, New Haven
Land Trust, and New Haven University.
Funding is provided by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency.
Organization: Town of Greenwich
Project: Mianus River Pond Fish Way Access Walk
Long Island Sound Futures Fund Grant: $40,000
Matching Funds: $25,000
The Town of Greenwich will install an observation walkway to a
local fishway providing safe, direct access to the facility for
town staff, volunteers, students, and the general public to
observe the winter to spring migration of thousands of alewife,
blueback herring, gizzard shard, and American eel. Project
partners include Mianus River Watershed Council, Connecticut
Department of Environmental Conservation, Fish Restoration
Project, and the Mianus Chapter of Trout Unlimited.
Funding provided by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric
Administration.
Both States CT and New York
Organization: National Audubon Society, New York and CT Audubon
Project: Model for LIS Stewardship Initiative Implementation:
Important Bird Areas
Long Island Sound Futures Fund Grant: $40,000
Matching Funds: $76,319
The National Audubon Society will use Important Bird Areas in
New York and Connecticut (e.g. Marshlands Conservancy, Pelham
Bay Park, Oyster Bay, Orient Point and Plum Island, and Great
Gull Island) as "test areas" to implement and evaluate
communication and cooperation on stewardship planning and
action. These sites provide geographic diversity as well as the
opportunity to engage a variety of municipal, state, private,
and Federal stewards. While the initial Stewardship Initiative
sites have not been approved, there is an opportunity to
facilitate cooperation in selected resource areas, learn from
these situations and use the information to enhance stewardship
for the sites later formally designated.
Funding is provided by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency
and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service.
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