New York State Grants Fund Student Conservation Association to Restore Habitats for Birds, Wildlife

The Nature Conservancy | September 23, 2008

Photo by joiseyshowaa

East Hampton, NY — As part of a comprehensive effort to reduce the number of invasive plant species found in Long Island’s natural areas, The Nature Conservancy, Suffolk County and the Student Conservation Association are working together to eradicate eight invasive plants documented at Cedar Point County Park in East Hampton. The plants include: tree of heaven, garlic mustard, Japanese knotweed, Japanese barberry, oriental bittersweet, autumn olive, Japanese honeysuckle, and black locust.

A non-native, invasive plant is one that has been introduced to a location outside its native or natural range and, once established, causes environmental and economic damage by out-competing and displacing native plants and wildlife and disrupting ecosystem processes. Invasive species are one of the greatest threats to Long Island’s native plants and wildlife and have already caused millions of dollars of damage to our lands and waters. Their overall economic impact in the U.S. is $35 billion per/ year including losses and control costs associated with invasives in agriculture and rangeland.

The estimated yearly damage from invasive species worldwide totals more than $1.4 trillion--five percent of the global economy. 

Invasive plants are the second biggest threat to the natural environment of Long Island, aside from outright habitat loss” said Kathy Schwager, invasive species specialist for The Nature Conservancy on Long Island. “Invasive plants and animals hurt economies, thwart recreational activities like boating and kayaking and even threaten human well-being.”

Cedar Point County Park is one of the jewels of the Suffolk County Department of Parks, Recreation & Conservation. The 607 acre parcel is located in the Town of East Hampton within the Peconic Watershed overlooking Gardiners Bay. The site is comprised of an oak-hickory coastal forest, fresh-water wetlands, salt marsh and more than four miles of shoreline.

“Creating and carrying out an invasive plant management plan for Cedar Point County Park is an important priority for Suffolk County,” said Suffolk County Executive Steve Levy. “Eradicating the invasives here will improve the park’s ecological health and recreational value. Areas currently covered in invasives will revert back to a diverse community, providing more habitat and food options for wildlife. Not only will this benefit the ecological health of the system but the increase in use by birds and other wildlife will also make recreational opportunities like bird watching and hiking more enjoyable.”

“My family and other County residents have visited this beautiful park for years. Ecosystems are a delicate balance, a choreography of plants and animals that all depend upon each other for survival. When an invasive species comes in, it throws that balance off,” said County Legislator Jay Schneiderman. “I am committed to working with the Legislature and the Invasive Species Advisory Board to make sure invasive species stay out of our parks. Even after we clean this site up, invasive plants like Japanese barberry will still devastate the places we love until we get them off the store shelves and get people on the ground to fix these problems as soon as they are found.”

The Student Conservation Association (SCA) Seasonal Crew is a nationwide non-profit providing hands-on conservation work experiences for high school and college age practitioners. The Nature Conservancy hired the SCA with the help of a NYS Environmental Protection Fund grant. Before deployment, the Long Island Invasives SCA Crew received formal training in plant identification and invasives management. The SCA Crew is working alongside the Suffolk County Parks Crew to eradicate the target invasives at Cedar Point County Park.

“It’s wonderful that we have all come together in partnership to eliminate invasive species,” said Marci Bortman, director of conservation programs for The Nature Conservancy on Long Island. “We could not have accomplished this hard work without the dedication of Suffolk County, funding from New York State and the hard work of the Student Conservation Association.”

Awareness of invasive plant species is part of a growing trend. In 2007 both Suffolk and Nassau Counties passed legislation stopping the commercial sale, introduction, and propagation of 63 plant species that are deemed non-native and invasive on Long Island.

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