Plum Island Preservation Act Passes in the House
July 26, 2017
There was good news from Washington yesterday in the campaign to protect Plum Island.
The House of Representative passed the Plum Island Preservation Act, which prevents the sale of the 840-acre island to the highest bidder and directs the government to create a comprehensive plan for the island that focuses on conservation.
Except for a small portion closest to Orient Point, most of the island has been left undisturbed for years and now constitutes a large, rare, and diverse coastal island wildlife habitat. Designated an Important Bird Area by Audubon, it is an essential part of the Long Island Sound ecosystem.
CTMirror.org included the Connecticut Audubon Society and our executive director, Patrick Comins, in its coverage. Here’s an excerpt.
“They are not making many more coastal habitats like this,” said Patrick Comins, executive director of the Connecticut Audubon Society.
Comins said the island is home to hundreds of species of birds and wildlife and a resting place for migrating flocks.
“They rest, forage, and fatten up for the rest of their journey,” Comins said.
We send our thanks to U.S. Rep. Lee Zeldin of Long Island for being the lead sponsor, and to its Connecticut co-sponsors, Representatives Joe Courtney, Rosa DeLauro, and Elizabeth Esty.
We look forward to supporting Connecticut’s U.S. Senators, Richard Blumenthal and Chris Murphy, as they work with their New York colleagues to pass the bill in the Senate.
Here’s what we’ve written about the island previously:
For Connecticut’s Sake, Preserve Plum Island, N.Y.
Preserve Plum Island But Don’t Forget to Manage and Restore Its Habitat
