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1,400 acres of tidal wetlands loss in Jamaica Bay since 1924 Marsh deterioration continues at a rate of over 44 acres per
year Nitrogen impact on water quality of the bay
HistoryHistory
Re-create two wetland islands: Rulers Bar and Black Wall
Restore 30+ Acres of Critical Habitat
Reduce cost per acre vs independent contractor
Provide coastal protection for vulnerable communities
Engage Volunteers and Youth groups as stewards
Jamaica Bay Ecowatcher’s and American Littoral Society
NYS DEC ACOE NYC DEP National Park Service NYC DPR Community Volunteers
Began with Sand
Placement by ACOE Fall 2012 Seed Collection
by volunteers Spring/Summer 2013
volunteers and youth group planted on Rulers bar-12 Acres
Black Wall Island seeded –16 Acres
Community Planting Days
Experiment Effort to reduce
cost Entire 16 acres
seeded Transport of
Equipment a Challenge
Initially assessed in April 2014
Second assessment with the Environmental Firm in Late May 2014
No growth noted over the 16 acres
Similar results were reported for Adjacent Yellow Bar Island
Agreement Reached for Environmental Firm to Procure 40,000 plugs to plant in 2014 and 2015
2013 – 88,000 plugs on Rulers Bar
2014 – 54,000 plugs on Ruler’s Bar and Black Wall
2015 – 25,500 Plugs on Black Wall
167,500
Fence MaintenanceFence Maintenance
• Over 3000 volunteers participated
Corporate/Non-Profit Partners NYC Audubon Google HarborLAB Mitsui Sony Georgia TAP Aveda Bloomberg Estee Lauder Green Teens Hour Children Citizen’s Committee for NY NY Cares FDNY Youth NYC Parks Resiliency Corps
Corporate/Non-Profit Partners
Restoration Corps Youth Group
Black Wall Osprey PlatformBlack Wall Osprey Platform Platform placed Summer 2014 First nested pair of Osprey Spring 2015 with 2
young
Seeding does not seem to be a viable option
Distance between plugs during planting can be increased
Cost of Fencing installation and maintenance unnecessary vs benefit
Lessons LearnedLessons Learned
Tremendous cost savings can lead to more restoration efforts in the bay
Habitat and ecology of the sites quickly restored
Restored 30+ Acres of Salt Marsh Community-led Marsh Restoration is a sustainable and
economically-viable model for restoring wetlands Planting of Plugs reduced from $2.25 per plug to $1.00 per plug Provided a “green infrastructure” answer to the problem of
community vulnerability, and engaged community members as stewards
Restored critical wildlife habitat Demonstrated the strength of partnerships between
Governmental Agencies, Communities, Stake holders and Local Non-Profit groups
Provided much need youth employment
OSPREY HUNTING OVER THE NEW ISLANDS