New York Birders,
I know that many of you are concerned with the damage done to the West Pond of Jamaica Bay Wildlife Refuge by Hurricane Sandy, and that you may be wondering what decision-makers at Gateway National Recreation Area are planning to do about the situation. As President of New York City Audubon, which has been actively involved with Gateway regarding planning for the refuge, I thought it advisable to inform the New York area birding community of Gateway's current position and of NYC Audubon's efforts regarding any planned restoration. In October 2012, the storm surge from hurricane Sandy breached the East and West Ponds of the Jamaica Bay Wildlife Refuge, allowing water from the bay to flow freely and turning both ponds into lagoons. While the East Pond was quickly repaired by the Transit Authority as part of its efforts to restore train service to the Rockaways, the West Pond has remained breached. I know many of you are concerned with the damage done to the West Pond and wonder what decision-makers at Gateway National Recreation Area are planning to do about the situation--and what you can do to ensure that their response adequately addresses the needs of birds and birders. Gateway is considering a number of alternatives, including doing nothing and allowing nature to take its course. The Draft General Management Plan for Gateway National Recreation Area calls for “leaving West Pond breached until a study is completed under a more regional effort to reestablish freshwater wetlands.” This study will begin soon, likely early October, pending the hiring of an outside consultant. NYC Audubon has been involved in the ongoing discussions with Gateway’s management about the pond and is in the process of drafting our own recommendations. Our initial proposal to Gateway, presented in June at the Jamaica Bay Task Force Meeting, was intended as a starting point for discussion and to indicate to Gateway that we are very interested in what plan is adopted and that we intend to stay fully involved with the Gateway planners as the process move forward. NYC Audubon recommends that the National Park Service design the restoration of the West and East Ponds to maximize habitat for the species of greatest conservation need in Jamaica Bay, while building long-term resiliency to climate change and sea-level rise as well as improving wildlife protection and opportunities for public viewing. You can see more details about our current vision for the West Pond at www.nycaudubon.org/jamaica-bay-west-pond-restoration. While we are still assembling the research and analysis that will support our proposal and plan, we also welcome input from our members, the birding community at large, and conservation professionals. Our proposal is not written in stone. However, at this point in time, we would be opposed to doing nothing and letting nature "do its thing." We realize that our proposal would change the nature of the West Pond, but believe, again contingent upon the results of our scientific studies, that it is possible to provide more and better habitat for a wider variety of species, particularly ones that have been identified as priority species for the New York area. It is vitally important that the New York birding community make itself heard on this issue, and I would encourage each of you to do so. If you are not a member of NYC Audubon, I would encourage you to become one. First, it would provide you with an organization directly involved in the planning process and second, through our website, our monthly electronic newsletter, The eGret, and our quarterly newsletter, The Urban Audubon, you will have sources you can use to be updated on what is happening. Please visit our website, www.nycaudubon.org/ for more information. Second, you should visit our website at www.nycaudubon.org/gateway-gmp for directions and advice about commenting on the draft General Management plan. We need many more people to object to the chosen alternative, which emphasizes recreation over nature. Third, write to our senators and congressional delegation to insist that dollars allocated for the restoration of the wildlife refuge be spent on the ponds. As president of NYC Audubon, I hope you will share your concerns and thoughts about the future of the Jamaica Bay Wildlife Refuge with me, and I hope that this information will encourage you to take action today. Harry Maas, President, New York City Audubon New York City Get a signature like this. CLICK HERE. -- NYSbirds-L List Info: http://www.NortheastBirding.com/NYSbirdsWELCOME http://www.NortheastBirding.com/NYSbirdsRULES http://www.NortheastBirding.com/NYSbirdsSubscribeConfigurationLeave.htm ARCHIVES: 1) http://www.mail-archive.com/nysbirds-l@cornell.edu/maillist.html 2) http://www.surfbirds.com/birdingmail/Group/NYSBirds-L 3) http://birdingonthe.net/mailinglists/NYSB.html Please submit your observations to eBird: http://ebird.org/content/ebird/ --