Press Releases
$598,000 TO SAVE JAMAICA BAY SALT MARSHES "TO ADDRESS STAGGERING ENVIRONMENTAL PROBLEM" WEINER SAYS
Queens, NY - Rep. Anthony Weiner (D-Queens & Brooklyn) announced today that Gateway National Park will receive a $598,000 grant from the Natural Resources Protection Program (NRPP) to save salt marshes in Jamaica Bay. The funding is in addition to $150,000 secured by the New York Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC). These monies will be used to implement research and corrective measures first suggested by a Blue Ribbon Panel of scientists convened by Rep. Weiner in April of last year.
In November of 2000, the DEC released a study showing that Jamaica Bay’s wetlands are disappearing at an alarming rate. According to the DEC, 800 acres of wetlands have been lost in Jamaica Bay in the last 18 years, 300 since 1994. The wetlands, which are home to a number of rare animals, birds and plants, may erode completely by 2020.
In April of 2001, a Blue Ribbon Panel of world class scientists convened by Rep. Weiner in response to this environmental crisis outlined a series of research and restoration goals designed to save the salt marshes. Today, Weiner announced the NRPP grant, which will be used to implement the panel's recommendations, including:
Implementation of new salt marsh restoration measures.
Long-term analysis of changes in Jamaica Bay’s sediment layer.
Field mapping of the salt marshes to identify areas of pronounced erosion.
Public education and technical workshops to monitor the health of the salt marshes over time, develop ongoing efforts to staunch further erosion, and keep the public informed.
"The Jamaica Bay wetlands and salt marshes are some of New York City’s most beautiful and important environmental resources, and they must be saved," said Rep. Weiner. "Today marks a critical step forward in that process, and an important move to address a staggering environmental problem. I look forward to continuing to work with Commissioner Crotty to ensure that Jamaica Bay remains one New York’s natural treasures."
The Jamaica Bay wetlands and salt marshes are home to many species of bird, including snowy egrets, Canadian geese, and warblers, as well as breeding fish, and rare flora and fauna.
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Congressman Anthony D. Weiner
