Text of Senator Charles Schumer's Letter to Conrad C. Lautenbacher, Jr Undersecretary for Oceans and Atmosphere

Dear Admiral Lautenbacher:

I am writing to ask that the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) help restore and revitalize the South Shore Estuary on Long Island by designating it a National Estuarine Research Reserve. I also ask that you appoint a NOAA staff member to serve as a liaison to the Bluepoint Bottomlands Council, which is currently developing a multi-use plan for over 11,500 acres of New York's Great South Bay.

New York's fishing, boating, and tourism industries depend upon a healthy ecosystem to survive, particularly on the South Shore of Long Island. Over 29,000 people generate $856 million a year in revenue in these businesses. Sadly, urbanization and years of misuse have taken their toll. Both shellfish and finfish stocks are depleted. Both groundwater pollution and road run-off are damaging water quality at an alarming rate.

As you know, your agency helps sustain healthy coasts by protecting estuaries - the places where fresh water from rivers mixes with saltwater - through the National Estuarine Research Reserves System (NERRS), I ask that you add the South Shore Estuary to this network.

The South Shore Estuary is an ideal living laboratory that will add great value to the national network. Its 173 square miles of surface water provide outstanding spawning, nursery, and feeding areas for over 150 species of fish, plus a diversity of crabs, shellfish, and sea turtles. Seals, dolphins and whales frequent these waters. They are an essential nursery habitat for the Atlantic Ocean's populations of flounder, sea bass, bluefish, weakfish, Atlantic menhaden and scup, as well as with hard clams, oysters and scallops. Adding the South Shore Estuary to NERRS will both protect this important resource for New York and provide the opportunity for the entire country to benefit from study there.

NERRS already has the wonderful Hudson River Reserve in New York, which spans Rockland, Duchess, and Columbia counties. Florida currently has three NERRS reserves and California has two. New York also deserves the designation of a second reserve.

I also ask that you appoint a NOAA staff member to serve as a liaison to the Bluepoint Bottomlands Council. In December 2002, the Nature Conservancy acquired over 11,500 acres of bay bottom in the Great South Bay - approximately one third of the entire bay. They then assembled the Bluepoint Bottomlands Council, a group of public and private partners to develop a multi-use plan including both clam digging and shellfish sanctuaries. This group is chaired by a representative of the State University of New York at Stony Brook and includes representatives of the state and local governments, the National Park Service, private companies, and baymen. NOAA would be a welcome addition to the Council; your expertise and lessons learned around the country will help ensure that the Bluepoint Project is truly the cutting-edge endeavor we envision.

The South Shore's rich maritime heritage shapes the identity of Long Islanders and the culture of its communities. These waters are a very significant part of the region's economy, and I hope you will make the full resources of the federal government available for their protection and appropriate use. Thank you very much for your attention to this matter.

Sincerely,
Charles E. Schumer
United States Senator