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.
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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.
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A Marcellus shale well in Northwest PA - Photo courtesy of LJSTEINCO via Flickr
A controversial plan to allow drilling for natural gas near a major watershed may put city dwellers at risk, says Assemblyman William Colton.
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):
The Great Pollinator Project, a joint effort of the Greenbelt Native Plant Center and the Center for Biodiversity and Conservation, is recruiting volunteers for 2009 to record and report observations of native bee species in New York City. They are conducting orientations over the next week from 6-8pm at the following locations:
Brooklyn: Monday, June 8th at Brooklyn Botanic Garden, 1000 Washington Avenue
Staten Island: Tuesday, June 9th at Greenbelt Nature Center, 700 Rockland Avenue
Bronx: Tuesday, June 9th at Van Cortlandt House Museum, Van Cortlandt Park
Queens: Wednesday, June 10th at Alley Pond Environmental Center (APEC) 228-06 Northern Blvd.
Manhattan: Tuesday, June 16th at Central Park, North Meadow Recreation Center (Off of 97th St. Transverse Road)
You can RSVP online , by emailing beewatchers [at] gmail [dot] com or by calling 718-370-9044.
So, let’s get bee-zy and watch the bay bees — before digital animations are the only ones we have left.
