$1.6 Million Award Will Launch Construction at Sunken Meadow Marsh

LONG ISLAND – The Nationwide Audubon Society in New York has been awarded $1,631,254 via the EPA Lengthy Island Sound Partnership Supplemental Grant Program to advance the subsequent stage of the Sunken Meadow salt marsh restoration mission at Sunken Meadow State Park in Kings Park, Lengthy Island. The funding will help building prices and building administration associated with Phase 1 of the mission, with building anticipated to start through the winter of 2027-2028.

The award builds on the momentum generated over the previous 12 months as Audubon and our companions have labored to maneuver the mission from planning and design towards on-the-ground restoration. In the end, the bigger effort seeks to revive roughly 70 to 80 acres of tidal marsh habitat, bettering ecosystem well being, rising resilience to sea stage rise, and creating stronger habitat for birds, fish, and different wildlife.

Section 1 building will concentrate on elevation enhancement, a restoration method that includes putting sediment on parts of the marsh platform to boost the marsh floor. By rising elevation in focused areas, the mission will assist create more healthy marsh habitat that may higher face up to rising sea ranges and extra frequent coastal flooding. The work may even enhance situations for the vegetation and wildlife that depend upon these ecosystems.

The restoration is pushed partially by the wants of the Saltmarsh Sparrow, a species whose dramatic decline has turn into a transparent indicator of the challenges dealing with coastal marshes all through the Northeast. Saltmarsh Sparrows nest just a few inches above the excessive tide line in excessive marsh habitat. As marsh elevations lower and sea ranges rise, nests turn into more and more susceptible to flooding, lowering the species’ potential to efficiently reproduce. Restoring and strengthening marsh habitat is crucial to bettering the long-term outlook for the species.

The Sunken Meadow mission addresses the lingering impacts of many years of severely restricted tidal stream within the creek that was alleviated by a dam failure throughout Hurricane Sandy in 2012. Whereas the restored tidal stream has tremendously improved ecosystem perform of the location, vital challenges stay together with waterlogged soils, low plant species variety, the unfold of invasive widespread reed (Phragmites australis), and the conversion of marsh habitat to mudflat.

The mission’s restoration technique addresses these points via a phased strategy that features elevation enhancement (Section 1), hydrologic enhancements (Section 2), and invasive species administration (Section 3). Collectively, these actions will assist create a extra resilient marsh ecosystem that gives crucial habitat for birds and wildlife whereas serving to buffer close by communities from the impacts of sea stage rise and coastal storms. 

Audubon is working intently with companions together with New York State Parks, Recreation and Historic Preservation, Save the Sound, the New York Pure Heritage Program, and Anchor QEA to advance the mission. The brand new EPA funding marks a significant milestone in turning years of planning into tangible restoration work that may ship lasting advantages for each wildlife and folks.

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About Audubon 
The Nationwide Audubon Society is a number one nonprofit conservation group with 120 years of science-based, community-driven influence, devoted to defending birds and the locations they want, at the moment and tomorrow. Birds are highly effective indicators of our planet’s well being, appearing as sentinels that warn us of environmental change and encourage motion. Audubon works throughout the Western Hemisphere, pushed by the understanding that what is sweet for birds is sweet for the planet. By a collaborative, nonpartisan strategy throughout habitats, borders, and the political spectrum, Audubon drives significant and lasting conservation outcomes. With over 900 workers and greater than 2.5 million supporters, Audubon is a dynamic and ever-growing drive dedicated to making sure a greater planet for each birds and folks for generations to come back. Study extra at www.audubon.org and on Fb and Instagram @audubonsociety.  

Media contact: Sharon Bruce, sharon.bruce@audubon.org