DEC To Hold Forum On New Plan For Piermont Marsh

PIERMONT, NY — The state's new revitalization plan for Piermont Marsh now includes a buffer zone, and segmented work on eliminating invasive Phragmites reeds and restoring native plants. Public comments are now being accepted on the recently released Draft Piermont Marsh Reserve Management Plan, DEC Commissioner Basil Seggos announced Wednesday.

The need for intervention at the marsh is immediate, researchers said in the plan's summary section.

"To the dismay of natural resource managers and long-time residents, Piermont Marsh has changed dramatically in recent decades and the diversity of habitats, plants, and animals it once supported is nearly gone. However, the seeds for restoration still remain and action is required to ensure that the diversity of life and services that make the marsh an extraordinary and special place are protected."

The writers said this plan was radically different from the DEC's initial approach, which was extremely controversial in the community.

The project that was initially proposed focused on restoring native plant communities across the entire marsh by eradicating a non-native strain of Phragmites australis, a tall reed that has spread through the marsh over the last several decades. Village leaders and residents expressed a wide range of views, both for and against the project. Beginning in summer 2013, DEC and OPRHP staff met with ten different committees and organizations to listen to ideas and concerns about the initial marsh restoration project. Chief among the concerns were the loss of tall marsh vegetation as a storm buffer for the Village of Piermont, and the potential for health and ecological impacts of herbicides on nearby residents and the marsh. Staff listened closely to the public’s concerns, studied the issues carefully, and have responded with a dramatically different approach – one that is good for the environment, safe for the community, and responsive to public concerns.

A public meeting on the plan will be held at 7 p.m. Feb. 5, at Piermont Village Hall, 478 Piermont Avenue, Piermont, NY. The meeting will provide the public with an opportunity to learn more about the proposed actions and to share comments.

“The Draft Piermont Marsh Reserve Management Plan recognizes the vital role the marsh plays in buffering the village of Piermont from storms, as well as the marsh’s beautiful views, ecological significance, and opportunities for visitors to canoe and kayak,” Seggos said in the announcement. “Governor Andrew Cuomo is committed to encouraging New Yorkers and visitors alike to enjoy and appreciate our state’s outstanding natural resources and the many recreational and environmental benefits they provide and this draft plan advances that commitment.”

The plan will guide management of the Piermont Marsh Reserve for the next decade, including marsh management, habitat restoration, resource stewardship, public access, education programs, and research. It provides a foundation for increased educational programming, greater community participation in stewardship and direction for collaboration among research partners. Although the plan covers the next 10 years, it establishes a monitoring and adaptive, long-term management approach to support marsh resilience and conservation. In addition, the plan provides for the protection of both natural and human communities and the services the marsh provides as a natural wave and debris barrier.

Key elements of the draft plan include:

• A large buffer of more than 200 acres of unmanaged marsh will be retained to provide storm protection for neighboring landowners.

• Habitat restoration focusing on a 10-acre site at the center of the marsh, more than one-half mile from neighboring residential areas, will be treated to reduce the abundance of Phragmites and facilitate the return of native plants. If this project is successful in restoring native communities and meeting other performance benchmarks, two adjoining 15-acre units will be treated (successively) over the next 10 years to restore native ecological communities. The total potential restoration is 40 acres, which represents 15 percent of the marsh.

• Stewardship projects, including eel passage at Ferdon Dam, rare species protection, and nest boxes are planned.

• Access improvements will be explored, including a marsh boardwalk.

• Educational programming will be expanded to include on-land and canoe programs, as well as presentations about marsh restoration and ecology.

• Research and monitoring will focus on marsh ecology, resilience to sea level rise, impacts of restoration, and the marsh’s role in protecting the village of Piermont.

The Piermont Marsh Reserve hugs the base of Tallman Mountain along the west shore of the Tappan Zee, the widest part of the tidal Hudson River, and extends 1.5 miles below Piermont Pier. The site’s 1,030 acres include the Hudson River Estuary’s largest brackish tidal marsh, a broad swath of adjacent shallows, and small areas of upland in the village. The marsh and shallow-water habitats are regionally rare, ecologically significant, and historically home to a host of specially adapted plants and animals.

Access to the interior of Piermont Marsh is limited, though the tidal creeks and shallows can be experienced by canoe or kayak. Residents and visitors can enjoy close views of Piermont Marsh and its adjacent shallows from several land locations in the village of Piermont and Tallman Mountain State Park. The area offers excellent warm water recreational fishing opportunities that vary seasonally and from year to year, with blue crabs and both marine and estuarine fish present. The reserve also offers excellent bird-watching opportunities in and along the marsh and river. Piermont Pier is recognized by Rockland Audubon Society as a local birding hotspot.

The public meeting will be wheelchair accessible. Please submit requests for specific accommodations to hrnerr@dec.ny.gov.

In case of inclement weather, the meeting will be postponed to Feb. 8, 2018 and notice will be given on the website www.hrnerr.org.

DEC will accept comments on the draft plan until March 1, 2018.

The draft plan can be viewed and downloaded here. Paper copies are also available for review at the Dennis P. McHugh Piermont Public Library, 25 Flywheel Park, Piermont, NY and at the DEC Region 3 Office, 21 South Putt Corners Rd, New Paltz, NY. Paper copies may be requested from hrnerr@dec.ny.gov.

Written comments may be mailed to Reserve Manager, NYS DEC, PO Box 315, Staatsburg, NY 12580 or emailed to hrnerr@dec.ny.gov.

PHOTO/ DEC