Letter to the Hon. Thomas Vilsack, Department of Agriculture and General Todd Semonite, Army Corps of Engineers - Come to Agreement on Land Rights

Letter

Dear Secretary Vilsack and Lieutenant General Todd T. Semonite:

We write to urge the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) and United States Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) to quickly find resolution to the ongoing disagreement over each of your agencies conservation easement needs at the two New Creek Bluebelt sites on Staten Island in New York City, NY. It is our understanding that both agencies want to use the land as vital flood control in the event of future storm events. It is imperative that both the USDA and USACE work with the City of New York to find creative solutions to advance the environmentally friendly Bluebelt program, which has played a critical role in the community's recovery post Superstorm Sandy. Additionally, it is our belief that USDA and USACE have the obligation to find a solution to complete the Bluebelt project in order to meet the objectives set out by the Administration's Memorandum for Executive Departments and Agencies on Incorporating Ecosystem Services into Federal Decision Making.

As you know, the City of New York was awarded $32 million dollars of the USDA Emergency Watershed Protection (EWP) program funding as part of the Superstorm Sandy Supplemental. This money was intended to go towards green infrastructure projects in the Superstorm Sandy impacted region to improve community resiliency. The Bluebelt program on Staten Island has served as a model program for how green infrastructure can be used to provide needed storm water drainage while also providing community and environmental benefits. USDA has played an important role in the Bluebelt program, having funded previous projects.

We understand that unique challenges occur anytime two federal agencies are working on neighboring infrastructure projects, such as the New Creek Bluebelt project and the South Shore of Staten Island Coastal Storm Risk Management project. We urge your agencies to quickly move to settle the ongoing issue over competing conservations easements at the New Creek Bluebelt sites. It is our strong belief that an agreement must be reached that will clearly define each of your agencies jurisdictions in the area and create certainty that each agency's investment works in tandem together to achieve mutual goals. It is critical that USDA is provided assurance from the USACE that its easement rights on Staten Island will be honored.

Again we urge your agencies to work with the City of New York to advance the New Creek Bluebelt project. It is our belief that this project can serve nationally as a model for how USDA and the USACE can work together to build more resilient communities through green infrastructure. We thank you for your attention to this most important project to the community of Staten Island, which has suffered so much in the wake of Superstorm Sandy.

Source