Udall’s Cove and…
By Kathianne Boniello
Environmental groups from New York and Connecticut joined forces last week to propose an ambitious agenda for the preservation of the Long Island Sound shoreline that targets four northeastern Queens spots as ripe for conservation.
Udall’s Cove and Ravine in Little Neck, Alley Pond Park in Douglaston, Powell’s Cove in College Point and several Flushing parks, including Flushing Creek and Kissena and Flushing Meadows-Corona Parks, were recommended as possible locations in the proposed Long Island Sound Reserve.
Put forth by the Audubon Societies of New York and Connecticut, Save the Sound Inc., and the Regional Plan Association, the plan for a Long Island Sound Reserve was part of a report released Jan. 30 called “Listen to the Sound 2000: A Citizen’s Agenda.”
The report was based on testimony from more than 200 people and civic groups who spoke at public hearings last summer and focuses on preserving the coastline of the Sound in addition to the water’s quality.
David Miller, executive director of the New York chapter of the National Audubon Society, said the idea for a Long Island Sound Reserve was a chance for different organizations to join together.
“The Listen to the Sound 2000 report and the Reserve concept is a uniting theme that can bring together policymakers, citizen organizations, water-dependent businesses and private land owners,” he said. In 1990 Miller organized the initial “Listen to the Sound” report.
The proposal for a Long Island Sound Reserve could serve as a first step toward government protection of the waters and shoreline shared by Connecticut and New York.
Robert Yaro, a spokesman for the not for profit Regional Planning Association, said Queens taxpayers would benefit from such a reserve.
Sites such as Alley Pond Park near the Cross Island Parkway and portions of Udall’s Cove and Ravine have been “debased” over the years, Yaro said.
“These sites could now be restored,” he said. “They could be accessible to Queens residents.”
Environmentally sensitive projects throughout the state have benefited from funds culled through tax dollars, Yaro said, and a Long Island Sound Reserve would ensure that the money protect that area as well.
“We are bumping up Long Island Sound in priority,” Yaro said. “We want to make sure Long Island Sound gets its share of these funds.”
Reach reporter Kathianne Boniello by e-mail at Timesledgr@aol.com or call 229-0300, Ext. 146.
