Blame the bureaucrats and the locally elected. But don’t blame the guys down there every couple of days, working to keep what’s there from sinking further into the sea. A reader sent in photos of these fellahs at work this week, as well as some of the same people from December. These city contractors have been there on-and-off since the storm hit, placing sandbags and pushing back water and muck from the parking lot after the storm. What remains of Plumb Beach remains because of the hard work these people put in. And they deserve some thanks, even if it is their job, because Plumb Beach is the way it is because so many are not doing their jobs.
Secretary of Interior Kenneth Salazar called Jamaica Bay “one of the great urban parks of America,” but asked caretakers to think creatively about the parkland’s future.
Salazar made the statements during a July 26 harbor summit, hosted by National Parks Service and the Harbor Conservancy. Regional leaders gathered to discuss how government, nonprofit and industry can work together to achieve the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers’ Hudson-Raritan Estuary Comprehensive Restoration Plan, which includes Jamaica Bay.
“I believe that America is at a time when we can embark and embrace a new agenda for conservation for America,” Salazar told the audince. “And I think that here in New York and New York Harbor we can move forward and create what will be a star relative to the great urban parks of America in the 21st century. I think the assets are here, I think the vision is here I think the New York Harbor Conservancy has done a lot to move us all forward.” Keep reading about Salazar’s statements.
I’ve written before about the controversial method of “hydrofraking” near New York City’s watershed, and the State Legislature has finally put the brakes on business proposals until it’s been thoroughly studied. Absent from the discussion, though, were Sheepshead Bay’s two state senators – Marty Golden and Carl Kruger. Here’s a report from the Bay Ridge Journal, with information drawn from Brooklyn Eagle.
The New York State Senate, in what has been called a historic move, has passed a bill, S8129B, temporarily halting natural gas drilling permits in the state’s watershed until May 15, 2011.
The moratorium is believed to be the first in the country.
The moratorium buys the state time to assess the risks involved in the controversial natural gas drilling technique called “hydrofracking” or “fracking”.
The state assembly is expected to approve its version of the bill, A11443, in September, officially enacting the moratorium.
State Senate Majority Leader John Sampson, a Democrat representing Brownsville, Canarsie and East New York, co-sponsored the bill, joined by Brooklyn Democratic Senators Eric Adams, Velmanette Montgomery, Kevin Parker, Diane Savino and Dan Squadron.
According to a poll taken by Senator Sampson, the majority of New Yorkers favor a ban on hydrofracking.
Democrat Carl Kruger abstained from the vote. Republican Marty Golden was MIA.
Brooklyn Assembly Members Jim Brennan, Alan Maisel and Janele Hyer-Spencer support the Assembly version of the bill.
Orgies are nothing new on Plumb Beach, according to local lore. But, while residents may complain about the anonymous romps, group sex has been going on there for millions of years.
Horseshoe crabs use beaches like those in Jamaica Bay as their mating grounds because their location in a bay or cove protects them from surf. They come ashore in our area in May, during new and full moons and deposit thousands of eggs in the sand at once, before returning to the waters.
In the above video, Don Riepe, director of the Northeast Chapter of the American Littoral Society and the Jamaica Bay guardian, tells Sheepshead Bites about the anatomy of horseshoe crabs and the mating ritual.
Though it may look menacing, the horseshoe crab is harmless to humans. Its claws deliver only a gentle pinch and it’s tail is no stinger, just a means for righting itself when turned over on the beach. Still, it’s a tough little bugger, surviving several periods of mass extinction throughout Earth’s history. Early traces of the horseshoe crab family began popping up during the Paleozoic Era, 540 million years ago.
If you’re looking to escape the city streets for a few hours and relax while learning about the natural wonders so close to home then consider taking a ride on one of the Jamaica Bay cruises. These three-hour cruises depart from Pier 2 at Emmons Avenue and Bedford Avenue. The first is this Saturday, May 29, from 2 p.m. to 5 p.m., and the second cruise will set sail on Sunday, June 27, from 5 p.m. to 8 p.m. Riders will be regaled with a narrated tour of Jamaica Bay while sipping on wine and snacking on fruit and cheese among other refreshments. They will also get the chance to see various types of nesting and migrating bird.
Tickets for the cruise are $45 per person. To reserve a spot on the boat send a check for $45/person to: American Littoral Society, c/o Don Riepe, 28 West 9th Road, Broad Channel, NY 11693. For more information call (718) 318-9344 or e-mail: driepe@nyc.rr.com
What better way is there to spend a weekend afternoon than sailing on the open water and observing untouched beauty of nature?
It’s been a while since we updated you about the gas drilling in an area watershed, which is opposed by Assemblyman William Colton. Locally, drillers sit in limbo. The New York State Department of Environmental Conservation wrapped up its public comment period and is reviewing the testimony to decide whether to allow hydraulic fracturing – the controversial process to extract gas.
But nationally, the technique is being scrutinized for its potentially devastating environmental effects, especially to local water supplies. The Environmental Protection Agency is responding to concerns from the scientific community, and is allocating $1.9 million for the study.
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) announced that it will conduct a comprehensive research study to investigate the potential adverse impact that hydraulic fracturing may have on water quality and public health. Natural gas plays a key role in our nation’s clean energy future and the process known as hydraulic fracturing is one way of accessing that vital resource. There are concerns that hydraulic fracturing may impact ground water and surface water quality in ways that threaten human health and the environment. To address these concerns and strengthen our clean energy future and in response to language inserted into the fiscal year 2010 Appropriations Act, EPA is re-allocating $1.9 million for this comprehensive, peer-reviewed study for FY10 and requesting funding for FY11 in the president’s budget proposal.
So while the state decides on whether or not to permit hydraulic fracturing within spitting distance of our water supply, the federal government is finally considering the dangers it poses. Let’s hope they both come to the conclusion that messing with the drinking water of millions of people is just too risky.
What makes Sheepshead Bay special? It’s just not the number of sushi bars or gourmet delis. Need a hint? Think waterfront.
But is it good for anything other than a nice view from overpriced condos? Some people in Congress think so.
Introduced to Congress in May of 2009, Keep America’s Waterfronts Working (KAWW) Act of 2009 protects coastal area economies by securing indispensable funds for preserving and expanding waterfront access. As an amendment to the Coastal Zone Management Act of 1972, KAWW directs the Secretary of Commerce, acting through the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), to establish a Working Waterfront Grant Program. The program allows states to request grants, through a regionally equitable, competitive funding process, to secure access for persons engaged in commercial fishing, recreational fishing, aquaculture, boatbuilding, or other water-dependent coastal-related business. It would also allow a non-profit group to obtain a grant to buy development rights in order to keep a working boatyard in business, rather than see it sold for residential development.
In short, KAWW will give give fuel to local governments around the nation to rethink their waterfront strategies.
Weiner is requesting money to implement long term solutions to Plumb Beach erosion
United States Congressman Anthony Weiner requested $35,000,000 for waterfront and marina maintenance projects in the Sheepshead Bay and Plumb Beach area, including dredging of the bay and long term erosion defense.
Weiner is asking that the requests be included as part of the 2010 Water Resource Development Act, which federal legislators began piecing together in August. WRDA a is biennial comprehensive water resources law that authorizes studies and projects within the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers mission areas, including navigation, flood damage reduction, hurricane and storm damage reduction, shoreline protection, and environmental restoration.
At the Gravesend/Bensonhurst pol’s request, the Department of Environmental Conservation extended the public comment period from November 30 to December 31, but they have not ruled out drilling in the area. Continue Reading »
Those of you who always wanted to be environmentalists when you grew up, here’s your chance. You won’t even have to leave Brooklyn.
You may already be aware of the phenomena called Colony Collapse Disorder (CCD) that is wiping out bee colonies in North America.
It’s not something that we usually give much thought to, here in Sheepshead Bay, where we’re usually more concerned about our favorite fish. But around the rest of New York, others are interested in bees and not just for their honey. While the disappearing bees phenomena grows, so does the phenomena of concrete jungle beekeeping meeetup groups.
They’re generally called Urban beekeepers, NYC Rooftop beekepers, or Keepers of the Hidden Hives. But, whatever you call them, they are dedicated to doing their part to encourage an ecologically balanced horticultural system and they understand the part that bees play in that delicate system.
The Flatbush Gardener tells us that there is an opportunity for every city dweller to get involved in the effort to understand the plight to help stop the blight of bees. The site lists the call for public awareness and volunteers as follows (some links added):
