Nominate A Habitat

Beaches, dunes, eelgrass beds, riverine migratory corridors. What are they? They're all habitats in the Long Island Sound region; sites that nurture all sorts of living things, from microscopic animals to economically important fish and crustaceans.

Here are some other types of habitats: Wetlands -- tidal and freshwater -- island and coastal forests, bluffs and reefs, grasslands.

Like the Sound itself, many of its habitats aren't as healthy as they once were -- ecologists refer to them as degraded -- perhaps because of chemical contamination. And some habitats have been lost altogether through development or mosquito control. In fact, one-third of all tidal wetlands in the Sound have been lost since the 1700s.

But there's a new and notable program, recently launched by a partnership of a dozen agencies, headed up by the EPA Long Island Sound Office, that aims to restore these habitats; specifically, 2000 acres and 100 river miles over the next ten years. One possibility: planting grasses or re-establishing marshland, so vital to filtering runoff and reducing nitrogen in the water.

Exactly which sites will be restored? Maybe one you choose. And that's the best part of this project. The public is invited to nominate habitats it thinks need rescuing by calling the EPA's Long Island Sound office in Stamford at 203-977-1541. So far, 450 sites have been proposed for restoration in Connecticut and New York.

Every nomination will be considered and classified according to ecological criteria. If it makes the short list, the project's design would then be developed and funding sources identified. Compared to other highly technical projects like sewage treatment plant upgrades, we think this Long Island Sound clean-up project sounds very user-friendly, and we're pleased to see a strong public reaction so far.