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Highlights
Clean Water, Clean Air, and Green Jobs Bond Act
On November 8th, New Yorkers will have the opportunity to vote on Prop 1: The Clean Water, Clean Air, and Green Jobs Bond Act. If enacted, the Bond Act will allocate $4.2 billion to a variety of critical environmental programs and projects that will protect drinking water and upgrade infrastructure, protect communities from extreme weathers, conserve open space, and fight climate change. We are working around the state to educate the public on the benefits of this important funding and reminding everyone to vote yes on Prop 1. In October, we joined our partners, community stakeholders, and environmentalists for a series of press conferences and rallies in support of the Bond Act. On Long Island, we joined Students for Climate Action, water suppliers, business owners, farmers and more for a great rally on Halloween. In Buffalo, we joined environmental partners and labor leaders for a rally at Canalside. We also hosted a Lunch and Learn on the importance of the Bond Act with The Nature Conservancy and NY League of Conservation Voters. This November, make sure you vote yes on Prop 1!
Investing in Workforce Training and Education for Long Island’s Offshore Wind Future
New York is poised to be a national leader in offshore wind, with five wind farms already selected and a mandate of 9,000MW of offshore wind by 2035. This will not only bring environmental and health benefits to our communities but will also allow us to create thousands of jobs and make NY a hub of offshore wind development. To get ready for this new industry, a National Offshore Wind Training Center will be opening in Brentwood, Long Island. Last month, we stood with our union partners and Governor Kathy Hochul to announce the site of the $10 million National Offshore Wind Training Center and $9 million in grants for workforce training initiatives!
Happenings
Congressional Candidate Climate Change Chats
Long Island is on the front lines of climate change. Our Congressional representatives from Districts 1, 2, 3 and 4 have a crucial role to play in ensuring protections for our coastal communities, local economy, and environment. In October, we joined Students for Climate Action (S4CA) and the Citizens Climate Lobby to talk with several Long Island candidates running for Congress and learn how to plan to address climate change if they are elected. The event features interviews with Jackie Gordon, Andrew Garbarino, Laura Gillen, Robert Zimmerman, and Bridget Fleming, so make sure to check it out.
Developing a Shared Vision for Clean Water in New York
For the sixth year in a row, we convened a diverse group of stakeholders from around the state for our annual Clean Water Roundtable. This group of environmental leaders, water suppliers, wastewater treatment operators, environmental justice organizations, construction contractors, and other stakeholders work together to develop a list of shared priorities for clean water in New York State. Roundtable participants heard from agencies and experts who gave presentations on drinking and wastewater infrastructure needs, emerging contaminants, source water protection, and lead drinking water pipes. Based on the presentation and subsequent discussion, we will be creating a collaborative action plan our diverse group can work together to achieve in 2023, so stay tuned!
Working with Advocates from around the Great Lakes to Advance Restoration
We joined with hundreds of advocates from all the Great Lakes states for the annual Healing Our Waters Great Lakes Conference, held in Milwaukee. We celebrated our recent success of a billion dollar federal investment in the Great Lakes Restoration Initiative, but also planned ahead for 2023, when we will be fighting for additional GLRI funding, investments in upgrading water infrastructure, equitable investments that benefit disadvantaged communities, and more!
How Was Long Island’s Water Quality for Summer 2022?
Want to know more about the health of Long Island's waters this year? We joined Dr. Chris Gobler, The Nature Conservancy, and Friends of the Bay for the release of the summer 2022 water quality map. This summer, we saw an unprecedented number of fish kills and are seeing worse harmful algal blooms in our bays and estuaries due to the combo of nitrogen pollution and climate change. However, there is good news. In places like western LI Sound, we are once again seeing a much smaller dead zone and improved water quality due to upgrades to sewage treatment plants. We have a problem, but we have solutions too—we must reduce nitrogen from sewage and septics to restore our bays, lakes, and harbors. You can learn more about this summer’s water quality impairments and see the map here.
Preserving Plum Island
We have fought for years to preserve Plum Island; an 840 acre, largely undeveloped island in Long Island Sound that serves as a critical habitat for birds and has tremendous ecological value. We are urging the Biden administration to designate Plum Island as a National Monument, ensuring that wildlife is protected, cultural and historical values are maintained, and people are able to enjoy this unique ecosystem for generations to come. If you haven’t yet, send an email to the administration in support of permanently preserving Plum Island.
Protecting Our Coastlines
As part of the Inflation Reduction Act, there will be upcoming opportunities for local municipalities to invest in coastal resiliency, shoreline restoration, and protection of local bays, harbors, and estuaries. We had a great press event last month with U.S. Senator Chuck Schumer, the Town of Hempstead, and Operation SPLASH to highlight the importance of these funding options for Long Island municipalities, particularly as we recognize the 10th anniversary of Superstorm Sandy.
Remembering Superstorm Sandy
On the 10th anniversary of Superstorm Sandy, we joined Suffolk County Executive Steve Bellone and other key stakeholders to tour Smiths Point Marina on Long Island. This area was severely damaged during the storm, along with much of the coastline throughout the south shore. The county has just completed restoring 80 acres of marshland in this critical area, and overall has restored nearly 400 acres of wetlands and natural buffers along south shore Suffolk County. Projects like these, which bolster natural buffers against storms and sea level rise, are necessary to protect coastal homes, combat flooding, and reduce pollution to our local bays and harbors.
Dedication of Crab Meadow Beach
This summer, the Huntington Town Board unanimously accepted a plan 10 years in the making to protect the environmental asset known as the Crab Meadow Watershed. The Crab Meadow Watershed Hydrology Study and Stewardship Plan studied this unique and special area of glacially formed features that drains into Long Island Sound. The Crab Meadow Beach, in addition to be a crucial Long Island Sound Stewardship Area, is beloved by the local community. In October, Crab Meadow Beach was dedicated to former Huntington Town Supervisor Frank Petrone for his commitment to environmental protection. It was a beautiful event – congratulations again to Supervisor Petrone.