Senators Schumer, Gillibrand, Blumenthal & Murphy Urge Senate Appropriations Committee To Boost Federal Funding to Protect Long Island Sound

Press Release

U.S. Senators Charles E. Schumer (D-NY), Kirsten Gillibrand (D-NY), Richard Blumenthal (D-CT) and Chris Murphy (D-CT), today urged Senate leaders of the Subcommittee on Interior, Environment and Related Agencies to fund the Environmental Protection Agency's Long Island Sound program for Fiscal Year 2017. The Senators are requesting $10 million in federal funding for FY17 to facilitate habitat restoration projects, water quality projects and water quality monitoring. The Sound borders New York and Connecticut, with 8 million people living in its watershed and 23 million people living within 50 miles.

"The Long Island Sound is a natural treasure and an economic engine for the whole region that draws families, boaters, tourists and anglers to our shores. That is why we must do everything we can to secure federal funds that will restore and protect the beaches and waters in and around the Long Island Sound for current and future generations," said Senator Schumer.

"The Long Island Sound is a key natural resource that must be protected," said Senator Gillibrand a member of the Senate Environment and Public Works Committee. "It's a vital economic anchor that local businesses rely on every day. I will continue to work hard to ensure that this funding is included in the Fiscal Year 2017 appropriations bill to restore the Sound and promote environmental protection and economic development in the area."

"This measure helps to protect one of our nation's most precious environmental treasures," saidSenator Blumenthal. "Such much-needed funding will help restore, preserve, and enhance the Sound--- ensuring it can continue to play a key role in our state and region's environmental and economic future for generations to come."

"Long Island Sound is a giant job creator for our state. Keeping it clean isn't just the right thing to environmentally, it's the right thing to do for our economy," said Senator Murphy. "This is exactly why I fought to get on the Appropriations Committee -- to make sure Connecticut gets funding we deserve."

The Senators in their joint letter explained this federal funding through the Environmental Protection Agency is critical to the regional economies and the quality of the environment. The Long Island Sound is one of 28 estuaries included in the National Estuary Program, and with more than 23 million people living within 50 miles of the Sound, it is a major contributor of economic development and a source of recreation for residents and visitors alike. According to the Long Island Sound Study, the annual economic value of the sound is approximately $8.9 billion. The Sound is home to more than 120 species of fish, which contribute to our states' vibrant commercial and recreational fishing industries.

In 1985, the EPA, in agreement with the States of New York and Connecticut, created the Long Island Sound Study (LISS), an office under the Environment Protection Agency (EPA) charged with advancing efforts to restore the sound and address low oxygen levels and nitrogen levels that have depleted fish and shellfish populations as well as hurt shoreline wetlands. In 1990, the Long Island Sound Improvement Act passed providing federal dollars to advance Sound cleanup projects, including wastewater treatment improvements. In 2006, identifying the need for increased stakeholder participation and the need to focus on coastal restoration and improved public access and education, Congress passed the Long Island Sound Stewardship Act which provided federal dollars for projects to restore the coastal habitat to help revitalize the wildlife population and coastal wetlands and plant life.