Nearly a dozen communities on Long Island, in the Bronx, and Westchester County are among those benefiting from more than $1 million in resilience planning support grants. The grants have been awarded through the Long Island Sound Resilience Planning Support Program, created by Sea Grant programs in New York (NYSG) and Connecticut (CTSG) with funding from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency via the Long Island Sound Study.
Elizabeth Hornstein, NYSG’s Stony Brook University-based Sustainable and Resilient Communities specialist for Suffolk County, expressed enthusiasm about these initiatives: “We’re thrilled that these communities, including three on Long Island (Laurel Hollow, Oyster Bay, and Lattingtown), are taking these steps to adapt to a changing climate.” She emphasized that "these projects will improve quality of life and local ecosystems for decades to come."
The Village of Lattingtown has received over $37,000 to develop a conservation plan for the marsh complex at Kate Trubee Davison Preserve. Mayor Robert Fagiola stated: “The program will provide us with the environmental tools we need to preserve our village and to protect our residents by restoring our marshland in a responsible manner.”
St. John’s Episcopal Church in Laurel Hollow was granted over $72,000 to hire a contractor for analyzing restoration opportunities at Cold Spring Harbor. Luke Gervase of GEI Consultants noted: “There’s been a little bit of flooding...investigating and looking at what’s going on there to find out what potential issues might be.”
Seatuck Environmental Association received over $71,000 for examining improvements needed for Beaver Brook. Enrico Nardone said: “This is one of those waterways that has great potential...facing some challenges” due to human-made infrastructure.
Rebecca Shuford, NYSG Director at SBU, highlighted the long-term impact: “By equipping communities with actionable plans...we are setting the stage for transformative resilience initiatives.”
A second round of grants is open with up to $1 million available. Interested parties can learn more at lisresilience.org/assistance-programs.
New York Sea Grant is part of Cornell University and SUNY under NOAA's National Sea Grant College Program.