With a goal of 20 ambitious targets over the next 20 years, the Environmental Protection Agency and its conservation partners have released the new Comprehensive Conservation and Management Plan (CCMP) for restoring and protecting Long Island Sound.
Among those goals are a reduced number of beach closures due to sewage pollution; a reduced area of the Sound with unhealthy oxygen levels; improved water clarity; restored coastal wetlands; and increased open space.
"We're so proud to have been, and continue to be, a part of the Long Island Sound Study partnership," said USDA-Natural Resources Conservation Service State Conservationist for Connecticut Thomas L. Morgart. "The new plan builds on the successes of the original CCMP and addresses new environmental challenges."
In addition to being a critical environmental and ecological resource for the region, the Long Island Sound and its watershed is a critical economic driver, providing tens of billions of dollars in estimated annual economic goods and services annually.
"This CCMP update builds on the progress made to date and provides an action plan for 21st century challenges," said EPA New England Regional Administrator Curt Spalding. "This plan outlines action on climate change impacts and pollution management. It is important that the plan makes sustainability and resiliency an integral part of achieving a cleaner, healthier Long Island Sound for people to enjoy."
"Hurricane Sandy changed forever how we think about our coasts and coastal communities," said Judith A. Enck, EPA Region 2 Administrator. "The plan highlights that actions can be taken to adapt to climate change, making Long Island Sound healthier and our communities and economy more resilient."
"People from all over this region enjoy the use and beauty of Long Island Sound and benefit from its resources thanks in part to the dedication of those who took action in 1994 to create and adopt a plan to restore and protect it from the impacts of 300 years of human development," said Robert Klee, Commissioner of the Connecticut Department of Energy and Environmental Protection (DEEP).
Sponsored by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, DEEP, the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation, as well as nonprofit and community groups and businesses, the Long Island Sound Study partnership released the first CCMP 20 years ago. Implementation of that plan has yielded tangible results.
• Under an innovative, bi-state program to reduce nitrogen pollution, there are now 40 million fewer pounds of nitrogen discharged from wastewater treatment facilities to Long Island Sound annually. In the summer 2015, the area of the Sound affected by unhealthy levels of dissolved oxygen was the second smallest recorded in 28 years.
• More than a million gallons of recreational boat sewage are kept out of the water each year by the 'No Discharge Zone' for vessel waste in Long Island Sound, which was established by Connecticut and New York.
• The area of eelgrass beds, an important habitat for fish and shellfish, has increased by 29 percent between 2002 and 2012.
• Restoration of 1,650 acres of habitat, and the reopening of 317 miles of river and stream corridors to fish passage since 1998. Since 2006, Long Island Sound Study partners have protected 2,675 acres of open space and coastal habitat through easements and land acquisitions.
The CCMP was developed through a collaborative process involving federal, state, and local governments, university scientists, and interested representatives of business, environmental, and community groups. The plan was finalized after careful consideration of 250 comments from the public on a draft version released in late 2014. Information on the Comprehensive Conservation and Management Plan (http://www.longislandsoundstudy.net/CCMPinfo), as well as the Long Island Sound Study (http://www.longislandsoundstudy.net/), is available online.
This item was posted by a community contributor. To read more about community contributors, click here.