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Draft Comprehensive Conservation

and Management Plan Update


Public Meetings
September 2014
Welcoming Remarks in Westbury
Town of North Hempstead’s Supervisor Judi Bosworth
Welcoming Remarks in the Bronx
Adam Green, Executive Director of Rocking the Boat
The Bronx River American Eel Monitoring Project

Environmental Job Skills Spring 2014


In partnership with
the Wildlife Conservation Society
Guest Speaker in New Haven
Dr. James Tait,
SCSU Associate Professor of Science Education and Environmental Studies

Hurricanes and Sea Level Rise


Goal of Meeting
We are seeking input from you on the
Comprehensive Conservation and
Management Plan (CCMP) Update

Bluff Point Coastal


Reserve, Groton, CT
Meeting Agenda
• Why is it so important to protect the Sound?
• How did we get here?
• Successes and Challenges for the Sound
• What does the Plan recommend?
• Review Ecosystem Targets
• Give us feedback on the proposed Ecosystems Targets
• How to provide feedback on the Plan Update
• Questions
Introductions
Elected Officials
Mark Tedesco, Director EPA Long Island Sound Office
Project Team
Participants
Why is it so important to protect and
restore Long Island Sound?
Mark Tedesco – Director Long Island Sound Study
EPA Long Island Sound Office, Stamford Government Center

We need your input


on the Plan Update
Where We Started
1994 CCMP
• Hypoxia
• Toxics
• Pathogens
• Floatable debris
• Land use
• Living resources
and habitat

239 actions in
37 action areas
Watersheds of LIS
Success: Declines in big sources of N
Source Trend Description

WWTPs (CT, NY) 88% of WLA target

Atm. Deposition 26% ↓ TN, 50% ↓ NO3


Agricultural 25-40% ↓ in fertilizer and livestock
Urban storm water 2-3% ↑ in impervious areas
Septic 8% ↑ in basin population (1990-2010)*
Turf Fertilizer ? 1-2% ↑ in turf/grass areas
* 40-200% increase in NO3 in Suffolk County groundwater (1987-2010)
Point Source Nitrogen Trade-Equalized Loads
1995-2013 from 106 NY/CT STPs
65
60
55
50
45
40
Thousands TE lbs/day

35
30
25
20
WLA

15
10
5
0

Target NY CT 13
Maximum Area/Duration of Hypoxia

Pre-TMDL Area Ave. = 208 mi2 Post-TMDL Area Ave. = 176 mi2
Duration = 56.2 Duration = 56.3 Warmest
spring on
record
450 100
88
400 82 90
79
LIS Surface Area = 1,320 mi2

350 73 73 80
68 69
64 66 65
300 61 62 70
58 58
55 55 53 54 60
250 49 51
48

Days
45 50
41 40
200
35 34 35 35 40
150
30
100 20
50 10
0 0
1987 1989 1991 1993 1995 1997 1999 2001 2003 2005 2007 2009 2011 2013

Area of Hypoxia Duration of Hypoxia


Eelgrass area expanding

Historical
eelgrass
distribution by
Town (black
dot)

Increase of 4.5% in Current


eelgrass 2009-2012, eelgrass
29% between 2002- (in orange)
2012

LIS Eelgrass Survey 2006, US Fish & Wildlife Service


Success:
Restoring
Habitat

Restored 1,548
acres of habitat since
1998, 77% of 2000 Opened 300 miles
acres by 2020 goal. of riverine migratory
corridors to
diadromous fish Protected 2,580
since 1998. acres of land
since 2006
Success: Innovation and Integrated Science

First synthesis of National models for science


science in 35 years and management

- Bubble permits, N credit exchange


Summary - Bioextraction
53 authors - Climate change monitoring
6 editors - NEMO program
7 chapters
558 pages
Challenge: Climate Adaptation
Marsh loss
Increased storms

Coastal
Food web resiliency
changes
Challenge: Sustainability

Growth and
development

Transportation

Energy
and water
use
Infrastructure upgrades Challenge: Progress on
Nutrient and Pathogen
Pollution
Lawns

Storm
water

Septic systems
Challenge: Connecting Everyone
to the Sound
Preserving open space Public access
for recreation

Environmental
justice
CCMP Update
Strategic Priorities
Science and Management Protection and Restoration
•Understanding the value of • Enhance N reduction
ecosystem goods and services • tributary states, runoff, turf
•Wetland loss, changing food web, fertilizer, septic systems
increased susceptibility to hypoxia
• Consider embayment
•Report cards on water and conditions: HABs, SAV, shellfish
habitat quality with targets for • Continue to protect and restore
improvement habitat with consideration of climate
•Maintain open water change
monitoring and expand citizen • Support sustainability and climate
science in embayments adaptation
•Broaden the base of support • Build partnerships in EJ
by working in EJ communities communities
CCMP Update Structure
4 4 15 39 106 136

20 measurable ecosystem targets


Four Themes

Clean Waters and Healthy Watersheds


GOAL: Attain water quality objectives by reducing pollutant
and nutrient loads from the land and the waters impacting
Long Island Sound.
Clean Waters and Healthy Watersheds

Ecosystem Targets
• Reduce the area of waters with unhealthy oxygen levels.

• Implement all management actions necessary to attain established


nitrogen reduction targets.

• Improve water clarity to support aquatic grass communities.

• Reduce the area of paved-over land through Smart Growth, Low


Impact Development, and green infrastructure.

• Preserve open space and natural landscapes.


Four Themes

Thriving Habitats and Abundant Wildlife


GOAL: Restore and protect the Sound’s ecological balance
in a healthy, productive, and resilient state for the benefit of
both people and the natural environment.
Thriving Habitats and Abundant Wildlife

Ecosystem Targets
• Reopen 200 miles of river to fish.

• Increase the area of eelgrass habitat by 2,000 acres and the area of
tidal wetlands by 532 acres.

• Restore 3,000 acres of coastal habitat.

• Improve the quality of the seafloor by 20% to support marine life.


Four Themes

Sustainable and Resilient Communities


GOAL: Support vibrant, informed, and engaged communities that use,
appreciate, and help protect Long Island Sound.
Sustainable and Resilient Communities
Ecosystem Targets
• Decrease growing waters prohibited for shellfish harvesting, and increase the
sustainable harvest of shellfish.

• Promote plans for sustainable infrastructure and resilient shorelines.

• Maintain navigable channels in harbors and bays while protecting the environment.

• Reduce the levels of contaminants in finfish.

• Increase the awareness and knowledge of Long Island Sound issues and solutions.

• Reduce by 50% the number of beach-day closures due to poor water quality.

• Decrease the amount of marine debris affecting the shoreline and waters.

• Increase access points and shoreline length accessible to the public by 10%.
Four Themes

Sound Science and Inclusive Management


GOAL: Manage Long Island Sound using sound science
and cross-jurisdictional governance that is inclusive,
adaptive, innovative, and accountable.
Sound Science and Inclusive Management

Desired Outcomes
• Increase the scientific understanding of Long Island Sound to
support management through strengthened research, monitoring,
assessment, mapping, and modeling.

• Implement actions through coordinated strategies by all levels of


government and diverse stakeholders.

• Adapt and improve implementation through the application of new


information and knowledge.
Provide direct feedback on Ecosystem Targets

Three themes with targets are in the handout.


We are interested in: which targets resonate most strongly;
do the targets seem too vague, too ambitious, too specific.

Discussion at meeting and Feedback through the web.


Clean Waters and Healthy Watersheds

Thriving Habitats and Abundant Wildlife

Sustainable and Resilient Communities

Sound Science and Inclusive Management (no targets)


Where you can find the Draft Plan update
for review

Long Island Sound Study


Website
www.longislandsoundstudy.net

Presentation will
be posted soon
Questions about the Plan Update?
For assistance contact:
In Connecticut In New York

Mark Parker Cassie Bauer


CT DEEP NY DEC

Judy Preston Amy Mandelbaum


CT Sea Grant NY Sea Grant
THANK YOU!

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