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Home , Floyd Bennett Field, Great Kills Park, Jacob Riis Park, Swinburne Island

GATEWAY RECREATION NATIONAL AREA ® A Resource Assessment

may 2007 ®

Center for State of the Parks

More than a century ago, Congress established Yellowstone as the CONTENTS world’s first national park. That single act was the beginning of a remarkable and ongoing effort to protect this nation’s natural, historical, and cultural heritage. Today, Americans are learning that national park designation REPORT SUMMARY 1 alone cannot provide full resource protection. Many parks are compromised by development of adjacent lands, air and water pollu- tion, invasive plants and animals, and rapid increases in motorized THE ASSESSMENT 3 recreation. Park officials often lack adequate information on the status of and trends in conditions of critical resources. NATURAL RESOURCES 15 The National Parks Conservation Association initiated the State of the Parks® program in 2000 to assess the condition of natural and Haven for People and cultural resources in the parks, and determine how well equipped the Wildlife Amidst a Legacy is to protect the parks—its stewardship capac- of Ecological Change ity. The goal is to provide information that will help policy-makers, the public, and the National Park Service improve conditions in CULTURAL RESOURCES 24 national parks, celebrate successes as models for other parks, and Funds, Staff, and Research ensure a lasting legacy for future generations. For more information about the methodology and research used Needed to Preserve Historic in preparing this report and to learn more about the Center for State Resources of the Parks®, visit www.npca.org/stateoftheparks or contact: NPCA, Center for State of the Parks®, P.O. Box 737, Fort Collins, CO 80522; STEWARDSHIP CAPACITY 31 Phone: 970.493.2545; E-mail: [email protected].

Since 1919, the National Parks Conservation Association has been APPENDIX: METHODOLOGY 36 the leading voice of the American people in protecting and enhanc- ing our National Park System. NPCA, its members, and partners work together to protect the park system and preserve our nation’s natural, historical, and cultural heritage for generations to come.

* More than 325,000 members * 9 regional offices * 35,000 activists

A special note of appreciation goes to those whose generous grants and donations made this report possible: Dr. Dorothy Canter, Con Edison of , Ben and Ruth Hammett, the Efroymson Fund of the Central Indiana Community Foundation, G. Unger Vetlesen Foundation, John Ben Snow Memorial Trust, MSST Foundation,

Tiffany & Co., and anonymous donors. COVER PHOTO BY DON RIEPE Hatteras National Seashore, orWright Brothers parks suchasYellowstone, Yosemite, Cape riences withremoteorbetter known national Many Americansassociatethesekindsofexpe- with family, andsurfalong a sandybeach. vintage aircraft;orbuildasandcastle, picnic delicate orchid;watch volunteers restore on itsway toCentralAmerica;examinearare, glimpse ofamigratinghawk soaringoverhead Touch thebricksofaCivilWar-era fort;catcha REPORT SUMMARY waters offering anarray ofrecreational, protects morethan26,000 acres oflandand in NewYork Cityandnorthern NewJersey, national parks. Recreation Area,oneofournation’s 390 populous urbanareaatGateway National more—are possiblewithinournation’s most surprise isthatalloftheseopportunities—and National Memorial.Whatmay comeasa Gateway ,located seasonal migrations. visit theparkduring flies, whichliveinor of birds andbutter- more than400species Gateway playshostto

ALEX BRASH Report Summary 1

samples of America’s coastal defenses from the Revolutionary War through the . Gateway National Recreation Area was created in 1972 to preserve and protect recre- NATIONAL PARK SERVICE ational, natural, and cultural resources and to provide a national park experience for the region's urban residents. Indeed, the Congressional Report issued at the park’s author- ization notes that “this will be the first Federal recreation area in the heart of an urban complex, and it will bring the national parks 2 program closer to the people than ever before.” Unfortunately, when the park was created, many of the natural and cultural resources had been affected by previous uses and by develop- ment of the surrounding area. Salt marshes

eport Summary had long been filled, had been R repeatedly dredged, and the maritime and deciduous forests had been covered in pave- ment. Buildings evoking facets of history stood in disrepair, their integrity threatened by decades of neglect. Gateway, along with the entire National Park System, has for more than a decade suffered from chronic under funding. The gap between need and actual budgets has, over the years, affected the staff’s ability to restore historic buildings and maintain education programs. Though much work is still needed to help Many of Gateway’s cultural, and natural values. More than 330 Gateway realize its full potential, the natural, historic structures species of birds and 71 species of butterflies live cultural, and recreational values of the park are evoke aspects of our within the park or stop-over at Gateway during undeniable. To have 26,000 acres of federally nation’s aviation history. Views from the their arduous seasonal migrations along the protected lands and waters in the heart of one of control tower at Floyd Atlantic coast. The park protects endangered our nation’s most densely populated areas is Bennett Field encom- birds such as the piping plover and least tern, remarkable. The park’s location and many pass the crisscrossing and works to restore declining habitats such as varied resources has made it a favorite among a runways of New York’s maritime forests and salt marsh. host of conservation and special-interest groups first municipal airport. Gateway is also a living museum full of that want to protect it for the future. Efforts by history that can be seen, touched, and fully the Park Service, partner organizations, and experienced by visitors. Gateway’s buildings, community groups to restore areas in , landscapes, and archaeological sites illuminate , and in and important aspects of the region’s social, Monmouth County in northern New Jersey maritime, aviation, and architectural history. contribute to the goal of offering an outstand- For example, among the hundreds of buildings ing national park experience for regional resi- and structures within the park are some great dents and visitors. THE GATEWAY ASSESSMENT DON RIEPE

3 ecreation Area y National R a Gatew

Recognizing Gateway National Recreation ments. Researchers then analyzed all of the The Jamaica Bay Area’s importance within the New York City collected data using the Center for State of the Wildlife Refuge is a favorite place to metropolitan area and the National Park System Parks’ established, peer-reviewed methodolo- reconnect with as a whole, NPCA’s Center for State of the Parks gies, which include a set of more than 200 ques- nature, and is one of endeavored to determine the current conditions tions and discrete metrics, in order to arrive at the East Coast’s of the park’s natural and cultural resources. numerical scores for natural and cultural prime birdwatching Center for State of the Parks researchers inter- resource conditions (see Appendix). The follow- venues. viewed park staff, examined resource conditions ing report describes Gateway’s diverse natural on the ground, consulted Park Service experts, and cultural resources, summarizes current and reviewed available publications and docu- conditions of those resources, describes some of At Jacob , much work has been done to restore the exterior of the historic bathhouse. NATIONAL PARK SERVICE

4 ecreation Area y National R a the ways resource managers are working to cultural resources scored 46 out of a possible improve resource conditions, and touches on 100, indicating “poor” conditions. As with Gatew some of the varied educational and recreational natural resources, many factors have long been opportunities available to park visitors. at work to the detriment of the park’s cultural resources. Many buildings were not considered RATINGS to be historic when Gateway was established, Using NPCA’s Center for State of the Parks were abandoned from previous uses, and so comprehensive methodology, current overall were left to languish. Prior to 1972, cultural conditions of Gateway’s known natural landscapes in general were not widely recog- resources scored 53 out of 100, which is a “poor” nized for their importance, so no effort had rating. Historic military uses and land develop- been directed toward their maintenance and ment prior to Gateway’s establishment as a park preservation before Gateway was established. and the ongoing urbanization and landscape While the park has made efforts to improve the modification surrounding it have resulted in the care of its cultural resources, critical baseline loss of significant natural habitats and native information on some cultural resources is species, as well as changes in hydrology, lacking. In addition, just 30 percent of the park’s nutrient cycles, and sediment transport within museum collections are cataloged, and curator- its watersheds and estuarine waters. In addition, ial staff are unable to finish cataloging the regional pollution affects the park’s air and collections without additional support. The cost waters, and invasive, non-native species have of caring for hundreds of structures forces park replaced native ones in many areas. Park staff managers to make difficult maintenance deci- continue to target some of these pressing sions. Some structures have deteriorated beyond concerns through habitat restoration and protec- the point of restoration, and others continue to tion projects. deteriorate as a result of under-funded mainte- Overall conditions of the park’s known nance needs. RESOURCE MANAGEMENT HIGHLIGHTS

• A pilot restoration project on two acres of ing a respite from the usual hustle and salt marsh at Big Egg Marsh in Jamaica bustle of the city. These grassy landfills Bay has shown some initial success, and is will also be higher in elevation than being monitored closely by park staff. surrounding areas and will thus provide Partner groups, including the Army Corps the public with previously unavailable of Engineers, the NY/NJ Authority, vistas of Jamaica Bay and its environs. and the Environmental Protection • A new visitor center at the Jamaica Bay Agency’s Harbor Estuary Program, have Wildlife Refuge employs Leadership in made this project possible by providing 5 Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) funding. Knowledge gained through this standards put forth by the U.S. Green project will help guide the Park Service Building Council. Geothermal sources and other federal and state agencies in provide heat, automatic window shades nearby projects such as the effort to control the amount of sunlight entering restore 40 to 60 acres of salt marsh at ecreation Area the building, special reflectors amplify Elder's Point. sunlight to reduce the need for electric • In the 1980s and 1990s, the New York City lights, and flooring and cabinets are y National R

Audubon Society, in partnership with the made from quick-growing, sustainably a Park Service, initiated a program to farmed bamboo.

create desirable habitat for grassland Gatew • In 2004, after many years of negotiations, birds on 140 acres in the center of Floyd the Park Service entered into a 60-year Bennett Field. In attempting to replicate lease with Partners, LLC, for the grassy ecotype of the Hempstead the rehabilitation and adaptive use of 35 Plains—60,000 acres of prairie that once historic buildings at Fort Hancock. The new visitor covered much of —hard work Through another partnership, the Sandy center at the Jamaica and collaboration led to initial success. Hook Foundation and the New Jersey Bay Wildlife Refuge More recently, however, vegetation was built using state- Lighthouse Keepers Society helped reha- management has faltered, and the of-the art, environ- bilitate the historic Sandy Hook light- targeted grassland birds (upland sand- mentally conscious house keeper’s quarters. technology. pipers, horned larks, and various spar- rows) no longer nest in the fields.

• The New York City Department of Environmental Protection is reclaiming the Pennsylvania Avenue and Fountain NATIONAL PARK SERVICE Avenue landfills and converting them into upland habitat also modeled after the , with the notion of creating a habitat complementary to that found at Field. These formerly off-limits landfills will eventually provide open space for taking a walk, reading a book, birding, or simply enjoy- Note: When interpreting the scores for natural resource conditions, recognize that critical information upon which the ratings are based is not always available. This limits data interpretation to some extent. For Gateway National Recreation Area, 83 percent of the informa- tion requirements associated with the methods were met.

RESOURCE CATEGORY CURRENT

NATURAL RESOURCES

Overall conditions 53 POOR 6 Ecosystems Measures 43 Ecosystem Extent and Function 39 Species Composition and Condition 51 Environmental and Biotic Measures 60 Biotic Impacts and Stressors 53 Air 67 ecreation Area Water 60 Soils 60

RATINGS SCALE y National R

a CRITICAL POOR FAIR GOOD EXCELLENT

Gatew CULTURAL RESOURCES

Overall conditions 46 POOR History 52 Archaeology 30 Cultural Landscapes 51 Historic Structures 42 Museum Collection and Archives 66 Ethnography 37

RATINGS SCALE CRITICAL POOR FAIR GOOD EXCELLENT

The findings in this report represent a snapshot of the park in 2007, and do not necessarily reflect past or current park management. Many factors that affect resource conditions are a result of both human and natural influences over long periods of time, in many cases pre-dating the park’s creation. The intent of the Center for State of the Parks is to document the present status of park resources and provide some recommen- dations for actions that could be taken to protect them in the future. GATEWAY NATIONAL RECREATION AREA AT A GLANCE

• Gateway National Recreation Area was created in 1972 as one of the first urban ALEX BRASH national parks. It was meant to “preserve and protect for the use and enjoyment of present and future generations an area possessing outstanding natural and recre- ational features.” Particularly notable was the intent of Congress to provide recre- ational opportunities for urban residents 7 who might not have the chance to visit other national parks.

• The Jamaica Bay Wildlife Refuge within Gateway National Recreation Area is the only national wildlife refuge under the ecreation Area management and protection of the National Park Service (others are

managed by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife y National R a Service). Because of the wide diversity of

bird species that live within or migrate Gatew through the refuge, the National Society and the American Bird Conservancy designated Jamaica Bay as an Important Bird Area. • The park provides diverse recreational Gateway harbors • Gateway National Recreation Area harbors opportunities to engage people of all peregrine falcons, a remnants of diverse habitats that are species once federally ages and interests. History enthusiasts locally, regionally, and nationally important, listed as endangered. and scholars can explore some of the including maritime forest and shrub Although the species park’s historic structures, which embody was delisted in 1999, communities, salt marshes, a swamp white aspects of our nation’s coastal defenses it is still listed as oak forest, colonial shorebird colonies, and over the last several centuries. Serious endangered in New heron rookeries. JoCo Marsh in Jamaica York State. and amateur athletes can kayak or wind- Bay supports the only laughing gull colony surf through Jamaica Bay, around Sandy in the state of New York. Hook, or off Great Kills. Birders and natu- • Gateway National Recreation Area is ralists can observe hundreds of resident home to more buildings and structures and migratory species. Families can enjoy than all parks in the Park Service’s time together hiking, swimming, and Northeast Region combined. Nearly 400 picnicking; and schools can take advan- buildings are included on the park’s list tage of the natural and cultural history of classified structures. Most of these programs offered by the Park Service or structures illustrate significant stories in other organizations such as the New York our nation’s history, but many are in City Audubon Society or the Linnaean poor condition. Society of New York. KEY POINTS

• Gateway National Recreation Area was • A number of Gateway’s planning and created in 1972, long after the surround- management documents are outdated or ing area had become one of the most missing, and existing plans do not always populous in the nation. Not surprisingly, relate to one another. For example, the much of the land within the park had been park’s general management plan was significantly developed or disturbed for completed in 1979, there are no resource various projects. Large extents of Jamaica management plans for cultural resources, Bay’s barrier peninsula and marshes were existing plans do not adequately address 8 filled for fortifications and associated natural resource concerns, and interpre- complexes, while its northern edge, once tive plans are outdated. Most importantly, a massive city dump, is now a landfill. the park needs an updated general management plan and a resource stew- • Jamaica Bay’s once shallow waters, as ardship plan to guide natural and cultural well as those of Raritan Bay, have been resource management. ecreation Area repeatedly dredged for channels and port facilities. Jetties, groins, and offshore • Staffing and funding shortfalls affect all channels along Sandy Hook and the aspects of the park’s operations, and Rockaways have affected underwater create situations where park managers y National R a communities and diminished natural must allocate money and staff time processes that deposit sand on the area’s strategically, recognizing that all needs Gatew beaches and sediments on wetlands. cannot be met with current funding levels. Park managers must make difficult • Roads and paved surfaces crisscross each decisions when resource protection of Gateway’s units, and with the excep- competes with other park needs such as tion of the salt marshes, there are no adequately staffing beaches with life- remaining areas that support undisturbed guards. Sometimes funding shortfalls and natural vegetation. Over time, these restrictions on the use of existing funds disturbances within the park and translate to vacant staff positions and surrounding region have disrupted and unmet resource protection needs. diminished natural hydrological and biogeochemical cycles. • Gateway has a rich array of archaeologi- cal resources. The Park Service has built • Gateway’s resource managers and park upon the foundation of knowledge gath- administrators face incredible challenges ered by state archaeologists and assorted addressing the maintenance and amateurs at the turn of the 20th century. management needs of more than 400 Archaeological surveys have been done buildings and structures in various states at various locations throughout the park, of repair. Maintenance costs and staff but additional work is still needed to time associated with managing these provide complete baseline information buildings are staggering. Park staff have for the park as a whole. Known sites need been working on a management strategy to be more fully evaluated using modern that will help staff to prioritize needs as standards; this is particularly important at well as measure progress toward meeting sites threatened by coastal erosion. management goals. HISTORIC MAP COURTESY OF JOHN CLOUD, NOAA Gateway has more than 400 buildings

ALEX BRASH and structures; many of them have decayed beyond repair. Others continue to detorio- rate as the Park Service struggles, with limited funds, to develop and imple- ment a management strategy. 9 ecreation Area y National R a

PARK CREATION—NATIONAL PARK Bay estuary, Sandy Hook’s holly forest) and Gatew EXPERIENCE BROUGHT TO MILLIONS cultural resources (historic , OF URBANITES the Sandy Hook Lighthouse), Gateway really The concept of taking national parks to the offered something perhaps even more signifi- people was new and controversial in 1972, the cant: political relevance. year that Gateway National Recreation Area was From park planners to elected officials, established. Gateway’s creation firmly placed visionaries in the latter half of the 20th century the National Park Service at the nexus of understood the need to connect the changing demands about urban recreational needs, the demographics (economic as well as cultural) of ‘race for space,’ and the sanctity of its historical our nation with national parks and their mission. Gateway and other urban national mission. Gateway was created and supported in parks pit the historical Park Service mission that order to provide that portal. Indeed, the very the parks ought to be limited to the preservation name “Gateway” was supposed to inspire its of historic and natural resources against a role as a park that was not only the portal to the modern view that parks can play a major role Big Apple, but also a portal for millions to the connecting with people. It also aired the ques- National Park System. tion about how long the public benefits from In a historical context, Gateway’s creation the National Park System can persist if they are dates back to the era, a time not equitably available to all Americans. during the mid-20th century when this urban As Gateway was one of the first urban recre- planner designed projects that shaped much of ation areas, and one that would require a lot of New York City. But federal interest was probably support, it was at the heart of this controversy. first aroused in 1958, when Congress created While it is true the park contains some fine the Outdoor Recreation Resources Review examples of both natural resources (Jamaica Committee to advise the legislative branch on

the condition of America’s urban spaces. Over distant parks, while also preserving regional the following years, non-profit organizations features of great importance. and governmental panels advised Congress and Through the creation of Gateway, many the Kennedy Administration on the growing complementary needs were to be addressed: crisis in urban open space. open space would be preserved within a major Books such as Rachel Carson’s Silent Spring metropolitan area, recreational opportunities (1962) and Stewart Udall’s Quiet Crisis (1963) would be provided to millions of urban resi- helped fuel increased environmental aware- dents, and special natural and cultural resources ness, which was dubbed “The New would be protected. It is clear that establishing Environmentalism.” Udall, who was the U.S. a park within a major metropolitan area created Secretary of the Interior at that time, noted that a variety of challenges that must be addressed 10 the was the richest nation on before the park can fulfill its goals and achieve earth, but Americans lived in an environment its mission. It is also clear that additional of “vanishing beauty, and…shrinking open funding is needed to adequately protect the space.” Udall embraced the notion of expand- park’s natural resources and maintain and ing the traditional concept of America’s manage its cultural ones.

ecreation Area national parks, and was an ardent supporter of federal efforts to bring the national park expe- JAMAICA BAY, SANDY HOOK, AND rience to urban dwellers. This concept of STATEN ISLAND—THREE DIVERSE preserving land on those shrinking spaces UNITS ENCOMPASS A VARIETY OF y National R a adjacent to America’s urban centers gained RESOURCES momentum throughout the mid-1960s as one Gateway National Recreation Area includes Gatew way to escape the increasingly frenetic urban 26,658 acres of uplands, wetlands, and marine way of life. estuary distributed among three units: Jamaica On the heels of urban unrest and cries for Bay (New York), Staten Island (New York), and social justice, a “Parks to the People” move- Sandy Hook (New Jersey). These units each ment grew in the nation’s cities, and when it contain natural resources that are important to crossed with the environmental movement preserve, as well as cultural resources that speak already afoot, it culminated in the creation of to different aspects of our national heritage. Gateway National Recreation Area, Golden Each unit maintains its own management and Gate National Recreation Area in San resource staff that is composed of members who Francisco, Cuyahoga National Recreation Area represent different fields of expertise. These resi- near , Chattahoochee River dent experts, though stationed at specific units, National Recreation Area near Atlanta, and share their knowledge throughout Gateway. Help Santa Monica Mountains National Recreation is also available from Park Service regional staff, Area outside of . A “National university sources, and specialized centers such as Recreation Area” was a new designation that the Olmsted Center for Landscape Preservation, expanded on the role that many local and though costs are often involved. Overall park state parks played in providing recreational management is housed at historic Fort opportunities, while also including mandates Wadsworth on Staten Island. In an unusual to preserve and protect natural and cultural arrangement, Gateway shares some of the land it resources. Many hoped that Gateway would manages with two other federal agencies, the U.S. provide a national park experience for Coast Guard and U.S. Army Reserve, and has millions of people who lacked the means or allowed the City of New York to use portions of opportunity to travel to more remote and Floyd Bennett Field for municipal needs such as GATEWAY NATIONAL RECREATION AREA NATIONAL PARK SERVICE

11 ecreation Area y National R a Gatew

driver training and helicopter maintenance. The spit between the bay and the . U.S. Park Police and Park Service law enforce- The shore and islands within Jamaica Bay are ment rangers provide park protection. highly dynamic as a result of fluctuating tides, erosion, longshore currents, and other coastal Jamaica Bay factors. More stable uplands within the Jamaica The Jamaica Bay Unit includes nearly all the salt Bay Unit include Floyd Bennett Field, Fort marshes, islands, and bay bottom of Jamaica Tilden, Park, and Rockaway Point. Bay, as well as portions of the western end of the Overall, this unit of Gateway includes 6,192 Rockaway Peninsula, a largely developed sandy acres of upland, 1,000 acres of salt marshes, and During summer During World War II, the site became an impor- months, free concerts tant where manufacturers sent sponsored by newly built warplanes before they were community organiza- tions draw people to deployed. After the war ended, Floyd Bennett NATIONAL PARK SERVICE Gateway. Field continued to be active, serving in the defense of the New York City area until 1971. Across the Gil Hodges Bridge on , still within the Jamaica Bay Unit, are the Historic District and Historic District. Fort Tilden contains several concrete batteries that were part of an 12 extensive network of fortifications that stood ready to defend the New York City area from 11,350 acres of bay and ocean bottom. sea and air attack; today many of these struc- The open water, benthic areas, intertidal flats, tures stand unoccupied. The Fort Tilden marsh islands, and upland areas of Jamaica Bay chapel, however, plays host to a children's

ecreation Area are designated as the Jamaica Bay Wildlife performing arts center. Various park partners Refuge, the only wildlife refuge managed by the manage large expanses of recreation fields for National Park Service. The refuge provides criti- soccer, cricket, and , and visitors have cal habitat for a variety of birds and marine life, access to the beach and picnic areas. y National R a and the wetlands within help filter pollutants Jacob Riis Park—named for the late-20th and protect against storm surges. Surrounded by century journalist, who was a voice for the Gatew a sea of concrete, asphalt, and glass, the green urban poor and an advocate for healthful recre- spaces of Jamaica Bay beckon to birds and ation—features miles of beautiful beach that butterflies migrating along the Atlantic Flyway. potentially could be further improved with the According to a report by the New York City type of sand renourishment that the U.S. Army Department of Environmental Protection, more Corps of Engineers has provided to adjacent than one-fifth of all North American bird species beaches operated by the City of New York. The commonly visit Gateway during migrations. centerpiece of the beach is a historic bathhouse The green spaces of the Jamaica Bay Wildlife that is a masterpiece of architecture. Refuge are also a sanctuary for city dwellers Constructed under Robert Moses during the seeking opportunities to reconnect with New Deal, the park was designed to give New nature. Benches stationed along the refuge’s York City's growing immigrant population a West Pond Trail invite visitors to sit and relax place to escape tenement life and reconnect with a good book or train their binoculars on with shoreline natural beauty and recreation. the many waterfowl that visit the refuge’s two Jacob Riis Park partly fulfills these goals for freshwater ponds. Unknown to many, the today’s visitors. On brisk winter mornings, refuge is considered one of the East Coast’s joggers can run along the beach where best birdwatching venues. from the Atlantic Ocean crash into the sand. The Jamaica Bay Unit is also the home of They may be joined by determined anglers many significant historic resources such as the hoping to catch striped bass or bluefish. On hot Floyd Bennett Field Historic District, which summer days, thousands of beach-goers stake includes New York City’s first municipal airport. out their plots of sand for afternoons of Here many civilian aviation records of the sunbathing, swimming, and picnicking. Neither "Golden Age of Aviation" were set and broken. Jacob Riis Park nor Floyd Bennett Field are directly connected to the city’s public trans- and Admiral Richard Byrd. portation system, however, which means that An unusual double hangar, built in access to these park sites is challenging for 1920, is one of the most important historic urban residents who lack personal vehicles. buildings remaining at Miller Field as it reflects a unique period in early aviation history. In Staten Island another corner of the site, a mature woodland The Staten Island Unit includes about 1,100 features rare swamp white oak, cherry, poplar, acres on three tracts located along the eastern and even American beech trees, which attract shore of Staten Island, as well as two islands, migratory birds, a host of resident nesting birds, Hoffman and Swinburne, south of the butterflies, and other insects. Most of the rest of Verrazano Narrows Bridge in the Lower Bay. The Miller Field is composed of soccer and unit’s three principal land tracts are Fort fields that provide recreational opportunities 13 Wadsworth, Miller Field, and . for local users. As in all the units of Gateway, well before the Much of Great Kills Park was once salt park was created, most of the salt marshes were marsh, but ongoing landfill operations backfilled and drained, the forests and maritime increased the elevation and promoted growth of shrub communities were cleared, and the land- an upland vegetation community. This part of ecreation Area scape was graded. Much of this work was done Gateway includes abundant fresh water and a to support military uses. The land currently wooded canopy—rare within the park—which occupied by was used for mili- makes it good habitat for migratory and resi- y National R tary purposes from the 1600s until 1994, first dent birds, insects, small mammals, reptiles, a by the Dutch, then the English, and then by the and amphibians. Named an Important Gatew American government. When the fort closed, it is densely vegetated and Bird Area by the National Audubon had the distinction of being the longest-run U.S. harbors a heron colony as well as roosting Society and military installation in constant operation. Fort sites for other waterbirds. , American Bird Tompkins and Battery Weed, granite forts built the smaller of the two islands, is home to a Conservancy, by the federal government around the time of large colony of double-crested cormorants Jamaica Bay Wildlife the Civil War, still stand as icons of the history (Phalacrocorax auritus) during the summer. In Refuge offers the potential to view of our national defense. Although military uses winter, it also provides a rare wildlife-viewing more than one-fifth altered much of the natural landscape at Fort opportunity: From the boardwalk along of all North American Wadsworth, there are still some forested and Father Capodanno Boulevard and with the aid bird species. other natural areas that attract wildlife and offer opportunities for small-scale restoration, which

could be accomplished through partnerships DON RIEPE with local naturalists, nearby residents, and school groups. Construction at Miller Field Historic District began in the 19th century with a mansion built by the ferry and railroad baron Cornelius Vanderbilt. The mansion was torn down to make way for a airfield that gained recognition for providing aerial coastal defense for the New York City region. It was the home of the 27th Division Air Corps of the National Guard, and played host to aviation giants of binoculars or spotting scopes, wildlife and additional funds from the Sandy Hook enthusiasts can watch seals sunning them- Foundation and New Jersey Lighthouse Society selves on the island’s rocky shoreline. The enabled the park to refurbish the lighthouse, animals are also sometimes seen hunting or install exhibits, and help interpret the structure. swimming near the Staten Island shores. Life-saving stations are also parts of Sandy Hook’s historic landscape; the unit’s Spermaceti Sandy Hook Cove Life Saving Station is listed on the National Sandy Hook, a major portion of which was once Register of Historic Places. Archaeological sites a New Jersey state park, encompasses about within the Sandy Hook Unit represent colonial, 2,044 acres and includes six miles of beach. This maritime, Revolutionary War, and park unit is a barrier peninsula; in recent history, as well as history related to late-18th 14 geologic history, it has changed back and forth century British Loyalist and free African- between an island and a peninsula as storms and American communities. ocean currents moved sand. Atlantic barrier Sandy Hook is home to nearly intact military island formations such as Sandy Hook are gener- landscapes that include Fort Hancock and the ated and constantly reshaped by coastal geomor- Sandy Hook Proving Ground Historic District,

ecreation Area phologic processes that move sand with ocean the first U.S. Army proving ground where new currents. Sandbars initially rise above the waves weapons and equipment were tested. These and then become dunes; the dunes are covered landscapes form the nucleus of a fort that in vegetation and eventually form stable islands evolved through two centuries, defending the y National R a or peninsulas. As a point of reference for this New York and New Jersey coasts from the early- dynamic, the historic Sandy Hook Lighthouse 19th century through 1974. The U.S. Army first Gatew was completed in 1764, and at that time it was fortified the Sandy Hook peninsula during the about 500 feet from the tip of the peninsula; War of 1812, and the fort and its associated today, the lighthouse is 1.5 miles (about 7,920 military resources are designated as a national Miles of sandy beach feet) from the end of the peninsula. historic landmark. The fort continued to evolve at Jacob Riis Park provide opportunities Built by the British, the Sandy Hook by adding anti-aircraft defenses and a NIKE air to reconnect with Lighthouse guided ships to for defense system in the 1950s. nature and relax with centuries, and it remains an active navigation aid The historic uses of Sandy Hook as a military family, though the today. It is the oldest lighthouse in constant base shaped the unit’s history and resources, beach is not easily operation in the United States and is a national and ensured its preservation from further devel- reached through the region’s mass transit historic landmark, the highest level of signifi- opment. Since the army abandoned the area system. cance for our nation’s historic sites. Volunteers and the Park Service took ownership, some areas have been reclaimed by native species and vegetation communities. Sandy Hook now includes a wide range of ecological communi- ties such as sandy beaches, shallow bay commu- nities, extensive tidal marshes, grass-covered NATIONAL PARK SERVICE dunes, shrub-covered back-dunes, freshwater woodlands, and a maritime forest dominated by American holly. Current issues within this unit, as in many other beachfront parks, include trampled dunes, habitat fragmentation from crisscrossing roads and trails, and the invasion of numerous non-native species. DON RIEPE

15 ecreation Area y National R a Gatew

NATURAL RESOURCES—HAVEN FOR Center for State of the Parks assessment rated Gateway’s salt PEOPLE AND WILDLIFE AMIDST A the current overall condition of natural marshes face a variety of threats, including LEGACY OF ECOLOGICAL CHANGE resources at Gateway National Recreation Area a development, pollu- “poor” score of 53 out of 100. Existing condi- tion, and rising sea The ongoing legacy of being a national park in tions are the product of historic uses before the levels. A collaborative the context of the most densely populated park was created, as well as human activities regional effort is urban area in the United States includes that continue to affect park resources. under way to make the bay “swimmable profound effects on the condition and function- In the face of these challenges, Gateway’s and fishable” by ality of each of the terrestrial, freshwater, estuar- protected lands and waters remain valuable 2010, but it lacks suffi- ine, bay, ocean, and aquatic-terrestrial systems resources for wildlife and plants and provide cient federal, state, within Gateway. Natural habitats have been opportunities to urban dwellers for education, and city funding. dramatically altered in some areas, water inputs recreation, and renewal. At Gateway, the Park and sediment transport have been affected by Service has an opportunity and obligation to the hardening of the surrounding landscape, restore, preserve, and protect a variety of natural and non-native species are widespread. NPCA’s resources for today and for the future. In 1785, the city became America’s first national capital, and by 1820, it was the nation’s largest DON RIEPE city. It has historically been and continues to be the major East Coast entry point for immigrants to the United States. New York’s impressive growth, which has been a hallmark of the city and has contributed to a renaissance in culture and economic bene- fits to this nation, has come at the expense of incredible natural resources characteristic of the region and sufficient recreational opportunities 16 for its residents. By the end of the 20th century, when Gateway was created, nearly all of the New York metropolitan area had been dramati- cally transformed, if not in fact completely re- landscaped. Most of the areas within the park

ecreation Area had also been affected by previous uses and surrounding development, but because much of the land had been held by the government for military purposes, it was saved from the exten- y National R a sive development that occurred around it. The creation of Gateway National Recreation Area Gatew was an exciting opportunity to recapture some of what was lost, restore natural features, and provide park resources for present and future generations. In order to accomplish these goals, it is important to understand some of the Airport construction, GATEWAY TO A NATION—SETTLEMENT human actions that have shaped Gateway’s which began in 1942, OF NEW YORK CITY resources and made them what they are today. destroyed 4,500 acres The New York City metropolitan region has a As previously mentioned, well before the of salt marsh. Today, Gateway borders the long and diverse history of increased settlement, park was created, most of the salt marshes were airport and must development, and modernization, which can be drained and backfilled, the forests and maritime contend with toxic partly attributed to the region’s natural shrub communities were cleared, and the land- runoff, noise, and resources that included productive forests, clean scape was graded. Much of this work was done effects on nearby seabird colonies and rivers and streams, and estuarine waters that to support colonists’ farms and later for 19th- other wildlife. teemed with food. and 20th century military uses. Today’s Gateway National Recreation Area Additionally, in the early 1900s, there were includes the tribal homelands of the Lenape plans to make Jamaica Bay a port for interna- people, also called the Delaware people by tional trade, and so a deep-water channel was European colonists who moved to the region. dredged to provide access for larger ships. As Starting in the 17th century, the Dutch settled part of this plan, Canarsie Pier, a component of the area, followed by the English, and then the Jamaica Bay Unit, was originally came an influx of people from all over the constructed as a freight terminal. The channels world, which eventually gave New York City the and deep pits created a trap on the north side distinction of being the nation’s “melting pot.” of the bay that prevented sediments from reaching and replenishing bay islands, dramat- HABITAT RESTORATION MADE POSSIBLE ically decreased the shallow-water benthic area THROUGH PARTNERSHIPS in the bay, and affected many of the biotic interactions and species populations that previ- ously occurred there. Gateway's location and many varied resources have made it a Construction of a major international airport favorite among a host of conservation and special-interest groups commenced along the shores of Jamaica Bay in that want to protect it for the future. Efforts by the Park Service, 1942, which included backfilling the marshes partner organizations, and park enthusiasts to restore and along the northern shore. Construction of New enhance park resources such as Jamaica Bay, Fort Hancock, and York International Airport, which was soon Crooke's Point contribute to the goal of offering an outstanding renamed Idlewild Airport and then again national park experience for regional residents and visitors. renamed John F. Kennedy International Airport, At Jamaica Bay, Gateway staff, partners, and volunteers have 17 resulted in the loss of about 4,500 acres of completed a pilot project aimed at restoring two acres of salt marshland. Since then, the airport’s operations marsh at Big Egg Marsh, an effort to reverse the loss of salt marsh have disrupted a nearby seabird colony, polluted because of human disturbance and environmental changes. In adjacent marshes with highly toxic runoff, and 2003, thin layers of sediment were applied to the marsh surface today dominates the park with intense noise using a pressurized spray nozzle. Following this treatment, about ecreation Area pollution. Federal Aviation Administration and 20,000 plugs of Spartina grass were planted by park staff, volun- Department of Agriculture officials have also teers, and staff associated with a number of local, state, and repeatedly sought to influence and direct park federal environmental agencies. Staff are monitoring the restora- y National R planning and restoration designs. tion, which promises to be a long-term success. Partly because of a In spite of all these alterations to natural this pilot project, the Park Service is now engaged with the U. S. Gatew ecosystems, the 26,000 acres of lands and waters Army Corps of Engineers in a vastly greater effort—the restora- within Gateway National Recreation Area possess tion of 40 to 60 acres of salt marsh at Elder's Point significant ecological potential, particularly Some other habitat restoration and enhancement efforts are within the surrounding context of intense urban relatively simple and inexpensive, but the benefits to wildlife are development. Peregrine falcons (Falco peregrinus) substantial. For example, volunteers helped install tall poles with can often be seen nesting on the various bridges platforms at Crooke's Point. Osprey now use these platforms to around the park, and a close look in an unkempt build nests and raise their young. thicket will reveal the delicate blooms of rare orchids. While the poor overall condition of the natural resources within Gateway is a very real Student Conservation Association interns help monitor the success of and troubling problem, the park presents a rare restoration efforts at Big Egg Marsh. opportunity not available in other large urban areas: Many unique resources are still present, others might easily be restored, and all would be readily available to a large urban population that

would not ordinarily have the opportunity to NATIONAL PARK SERVICE experience and enjoy them.

NATIVE SPECIES—PARK PROVIDES IMPORTANT HABITATS Gateway National Recreation Area includes an array of Atlantic maritime habitats that are locally, regionally, and nationally important. The most seaward are the ocean front beaches and then to a classic maritime forest. While stretching along Sandy Hook and on Rockaway there is no significant tract of maritime forest from Riis Beach to Breezy Point. These quartz left around Jamaica Bay, Sandy Hook still has a sand beaches are some of the park’s greatest dense American holly (Ilex opaca) forest, recreational assets; in addition, they provide comparable only to the Sunken Forest at Fire nesting habitat for federally listed, endangered Island National Seashore. piping plovers (Charadreus melodus), threatened In some areas even further from the sea, least terns (Sterna antillarum), oystercatchers there are remnants of upland deciduous forests, (Haematopus palliates), and black skimmers such as the white oak (Quercus alba) stand in the (Rynchops niger), and are key migratory way- northwest corner of Miller Field. Such remnant stations for red knots (Calidris canutus) and stands exemplify the natural communities 18 dozens of other shorebirds. In fact, about one- present prior to the settlement and develop- third of New Jersey’s piping plovers nest at ment of the area. Sandy Hook. On the inland side of the ocean beaches, The backside of each beach is defined by the both along the western side of Sandy Hook as dunes, which build up as prevailing southwest- well as throughout all of Jamaica Bay, are expan-

ecreation Area erly breezes blow drying sands up the beaches. sive tracts of salt marshes. These marshes are Behind the dunes, in the lee from the salt-laden primarily composed of grasses (Spartina alter- air, is a series of distinct plant communities. naflora and S. patens) that were harvested as These communities are composed of about 269 fodder by early settlers, and now serve as essen- y National R a native vascular plant species, including 12 rare tial foraging grounds and nurseries for the ones. The first is the swale community, which region’s fin- and shellfish. Gatew includes beach plum (Prunus maritima), Several species of rare plants reside in the salt bayberry (Myrica pennsylvanica), rose (Rosa marshes (Aster tenuifolius, Cusduta pentagona, rugosa), and pitch pine (Pinus rigida). As the Solidago sempervirens, S. rigida, Quercus phellos, prevailing salt spray diminishes, the swale Cyperus schweinitzii). The sandy hillocks and community gives way to a shrub community, shores among the marshes are critical nesting

Horseshoe crabs lay eggs along the shores of Jamaica DON RIEPE Bay and Sandy Hook.

sapidus), horseshoe crabs (Limulus polyphemus), blue mussels (Mytilus edulis), hard clams DON RIEPE (Mercenaria mercenaria), and surf clams (Donax varibilis). Hudson Bay, which flows next to Fort Wadsworth, is the second largest producer of striped bass on the East Coast. In late spring, horseshoe crabs come ashore by the thousands all along Jamaica Bay and at Sandy Hook to lay their eggs—an impressive sight. In addition, the horseshoe crab eggs are an important food source for a variety of migratory birds such as the red knot, a candidate for federal listing 19 under the Endangered Species Act. According to the Jamaica Bay Ecological Research and Restoration Team (JBBERT), Jamaica Bay alone "supports 49 species of

finfish, numerous shellfish and invertebrates, ecreation Area and a thriving eel population." Indeed, it is this extraordinary estuarine richness that brought Egrets and herons forage and nest within early settlers to what is now Gateway. y National R Gateway’s salt marshes and other areas within a the New York Harbor. Conservation efforts have COASTAL GEOMORPHOLOGY AND been under way since the 1970s to protect Gatew WATERSHED PROCESSES—ALTERED BY these species collectively known as the “Harbor Herons.” HARDENED LANDSCAPES AND SHORELINE STABILIZATION habitat for the protected diamondback terrapin Marine processes such as tides, coastal currents, (Malaclemys terrapin), a turtle decimated in the storm surges, and associated shoreline dynam- 19th century because it was considered a deli- ics are some of the most significant drivers of cacy. The salt marshes and several of the islands geomorphological processes (relating to the within Gateway also provide crucial foraging characteristics, origin, and development of and nesting habitat for several species of egrets landforms) at Gateway. In addition, rainfall on and herons. Known collectively as the “Harbor the adjacent upland urban landscape flows in Herons,” there has been an extensive conserva- the park’s estuarine waters of Raritan Bay, Lower tion effort since the mid-1970s to monitor and New York Harbor, and Jamaica Bay. Together, protect the herons and egrets that nest in the these forces determine the conditions of the New York Harbor area. park’s waters and influence terrestrial patterns Finally, the park also includes all the waters involving nutrient flows, vegetation, and within one-quarter mile from its shores, as well community dynamics. as the waters and submerged lands within During the past 1,000 years, increasing settle- Jamaica Bay. In the park’s waters reside winter ment and urban development of the lands that flounder (Pseudopleuronectes americanus), surround Gateway have reshaped regional summer flounder (Paralichthys dentatus), blue- patterns of water movement, with continuing fish (Pomatomus saltatrix), weakfish (Cynoscion effects on park resources. For example, the regalis), striped bass (Morone saxatilis), and natural watersheds that began as brooks, invertebrates such as blue crabs (Callinectes merged into streams, and ultimately fed Jamaica

Bay or Raritan Bay, were largely covered and and destroy salt marshes along the eastern filled to accommodate agricultural uses and seaboard of North America. Preserving and subsequent urbanization. Freshwater flows, enhancing salt marshes has become even more originally merely diverted, were disrupted as the critical, especially since it has become clear that region was paved and stormwater shunted aside even protected areas like Gateway are vulnera- into sewer systems. Indirect results include ble. Across Gateway—particularly in Jamaica subsiding ground water and increased lateral Bay and along Sandy Hook—there are large leaching of pollution. swaths of salt marshes facing a variety of threats. On the ocean side, Gateway grapples with Salt marshes typically lose sand through many of the same issues found at other parks erosion, which is offset by accretion as new sedi- composed of barrier islands. Sustained long- ments are transported into the estuary and 20 shore currents and storms that reshape shore- deposited on the marshes during storm events lines have been met with massive stabilization and associated high tides. Salt marshes thus efforts. Humans have built jetties, groins, and shift within an estuary and thrive through , and have even undertaken huge dredg- constant regeneration and rejuvenation. In ing projects to protect beaches and current Gateway and elsewhere along the coasts,

ecreation Area shoreline configurations. Jetties and groins however, this cycle has been significantly extend perpendicularly to beaches in order to changed. Urbanization on adjacent lands has trap moving sand, while seawalls and backfill- essentially eliminated the normal process of ing directly add to beachfronts in order to stabi- sediment and nutrient runoff from the uplands, y National R a lize the shoreline. Efforts to control nature a key element necessary to sustain marsh and conflict with a shoreline that naturally shifts. island systems. Dredging to deepen bay waters Gatew for marine navigation has removed even more SALT MARSH—DYNAMIC COMMUNITY sediments from the estuarine system, and has IN PERIL strengthened coastal currents, increased Functional salt marshes, although historically erosion, and created new sediment traps where widespread along the East Coast, are becom- suspended particles settle before ever reaching ing rarer as shoreline development and hydro- the islands that depend on them. logic manipulation continue. According to While the salt marshes have been disappear- analysis by the New York State Department of ing for a long time, the rising sea levels associ- Environmental Conservation, Jamaica Bay salt ated with global warming give new cause for marsh was lost at a rate of about 26 acres per alarm. Normally, when sediments are available year between 1924 and 1974. Analysis of and deposited on the surfaces of salt marshes, losses between 1994 and 1999 are even more the marshes are able to accrete at rates that keep alarming: 220 acres of Jamaica Bay salt marsh pace with rising sea levels. At Gateway, several were lost at a rate of 44 acres per year. major factors are combining to dramatically Protecting and preserving salt marshes in the affect this process. First, with sediment input face of ongoing development, human distur- curtailed and dredge pits ‘swallowing’ what is bance, stormwater run-off, dredging, rising sea left, the salt marshes cannot accrete fast enough levels, and a host of other issues is a key to keep pace with rising waters. Second, upslope concern for Gateway staff and other regional migration is not an option, as the surrounding land managers. edges of the bay have been hardened by urban Development and shoreline hardening for development. Finally, floating debris and the purposes of stabilization, along with associ- stormwaters polluted with chemicals are scarring ated hydrologic alterations, continue to degrade the salt marshes and slowly poisoning them. The threats and issues affecting salt marshes transcend park boundaries and National Park DON RIEPE Service jurisdiction, just as the salt marshes that are affected occur both within Gateway and in the larger surrounding region. There are several campaigns and programs under way to study salt marsh decline, propose solutions, and restore key areas. Buffer the Bay, a campaign initiated in 1987 by the Trust for Public Land and the New York City Audubon Society, detailed all the available land on the littoral edge surrounding Jamaica Bay and built a 21 campaign to procure and protect more than 13 important tracts. Since the study was prepared, New York City’s Parks & Recreation and Environmental Protection Departments and

New York State’s Department of Environmental ecreation Area Conservation have successfully protected and set aside major portions of 12 of the 13 identi- environmental restoration study. The Hudson- JoCo Marsh in the fied tracts; just one large section on Thurston Raritan Estuary Ecosystem Restoration Study Jamaica Bay Unit y National R

supports the state’s a Basin is being withheld by New York City for (HRE Study) is co-sponsored by USACE and the only laughing gull development. Port Authority of New York and New Jersey. The colony, but external Gatew In 1988, just after the Buffer the Bay goal of the study is to develop a long-term threats such as devel- campaign was initiated, the Environmental comprehensive restoration plan of environmen- opment, pollution, Protection Agency designated the New tal improvements that would help restore the and rising sea levels put salt marsh habitat York/New Jersey harbor estuary an "Estuary of ecological value and richness of this nationally at risk. National Significance." In response, the New important resource, or as HEP says, make it York/New Jersey Harbor Estuary Program (HEP) “swimmable and fishable.” Most important for was launched as part of the National Estuary Gateway, as part of the HRE study, a preliminary Program authorized by the EPA. HEP is a large assessment of restoration opportunities was collaborative partnership of federal, state, and assembled for Jamaica Bay that identified eight local agencies, scientists, and various civic and sites owned by the National Park Service, City of environmental advocates. HEP’s goal is to New York, and the State of New York. Although develop a plan to protect and restore the efforts to ecologically restore these sites have estuary. Meeting regularly during the year, HEP been widely lauded by civic groups, public directs funds at key projects, serves as a forum agencies, and environmental advocates, they for discussing ongoing issues, and otherwise have stalled because Congress has not appropri- acts as a clearinghouse on environmental ated the funds authorized for this work. matters affecting the harbor. HEP’s work appears to have led the way for a WATER QUALITY—HISTORIC AND new effort, and in 1999, following authoriza- CONTEMPORARY POLLUTION AFFECT tion to move ahead with a $1 billion dredging PARK WATERS project for deepening New York Harbor, The waters of the New York/New Jersey Harbor Congress directed the U.S. Army Corps of have a long history of contamination. Heavy Engineers (USACE) to conduct an estuary-wide metals were dumped into the water until regu-

lation began in the mid-1960s. Recent sediment Hook passes through large suburban, urban, cores have revealed that chromium, cadmium, and industrialized landscapes, its mixing with iron, nickel, and lead persist in benthic sedi- the oceanic waters helps regulate pH and salin- ments, and some of these contaminants are still ity, and dilutes contaminants. With greater being deposited. In the late 1990s, surveys of and flushing of these waters, bacterial herring gull eggs at Jamaica Bay revealed the counts at the Staten Island and Sandy Hook bioaccumulation of selenium, lead, cadmium, Units are only occasionally above limits during mercury, chromium, and manganese. Analysis the summer (bathing and monitoring seasons), shows that sewage effluents were carrying the and fecal coliform levels have decreased in the largest quantities of nickel, zinc, copper, and Lower Bay since the 1970s. While the most cadmium; atmospheric fallout was the main dramatic declines occurred from the 1970s to 22 source of lead; and that leaching from landfills the early 1990s, levels have remained about the is a smaller source of metals. same since then. In 2003, the bathing beach at The estuarine waters surrounding Gateway Great Kills had no elevated fecal bacteria counts, and the waters of Raritan Bay, Lower New York but incidents of elevated counts were reported Harbor, and Jamaica Bay are still inundated at nearby Fort Wadsworth, New Dorp (Miller

ecreation Area with treated and untreated sewage, industrial Field), and Oakwood Beach. waste, toxic substances that leach out from land- fills, and runoff from numerous commercial AIR QUALITY—PREVAILING WINDS sites, including regional port facilities, John F. MITIGATE SOME POLLUTION y National R a Kennedy International Airport, and thousands Air quality is a concern throughout the United of other non-point sources. In the past three States, and national parks are not immune to Gatew decades, however, there has been a significant pollution that drifts in from local and regional improvement in water quality in the region, sources. Motor vehicle emissions and pollution largely because municipal and industrial from coal-fired power plants both contribute to discharges have been abated, with available reduced visibility, acid deposition, and danger- dissolved oxygen increasing and fecal coliform ous ground level ozone, which are problems at counts decreasing. Unfortunately, Jamaica Bay many parks in the northeastern United States. has been the slowest to improve, and still suffers At Gateway, major pollution sources are deeply from the effects of that pollution. located across the upwind regions to the west. Wastewater effluent and stormwater runoff Local sources include port facilities, the from street sewers are still major sources of NewYork/New Jersey Harbor’s shipping traffic, pollution entering the bay. Sewage effluent, and the great amount of vehicular traffic in the which contains treatment by-products such as region, which is among the worst in the nation. chlorine and non-treated contaminants such as Gateway’s seaside location supplies the park heavy metals, flows into Jamaica Bay at a rate of with coastal breezes that help clear out pollu- 240 to 340 million gallons each day, and the tion, but brisk ocean breezes do not completely ongoing effects are demonstrated, in part, by the eliminate concerns. Overall, particulate, visibil- increasing turbidity of the bay, a trend unique in ity, and ozone indices show air quality varies the harbor. from good to impaired across timeframes Fortunately, at the south end of Gateway, the ranging from days to seasons. According to the oceanic waters offshore of the Staten Island and Park Service Air Resources Division and National Sandy Hook Units are mixed with waters from Atmospheric Deposition Program, Gateway and the Hudson and Raritan Rivers. While the the rest of the New York-New Jersey metropoli- runoff draining into Raritan Bay around Sandy tan region receive greater than average levels of wet deposition of chloride ions, nitrates, and berry (A. prunifolia), and buckthorn (Rhamnus sulfates, as well as levels greater than the frangula) were planted to supplement wildlife national average for particulates that reduce visi- habitat, especially for migratory birds, but bility and cause respiratory problems. Some of according to scientists, many of these species are the particulates in the air include lead, reaching levels that disrupt community struc- cadmium, zinc, copper, nickel, vanadium, and ture and function. antimony at levels that are 200 to 20,000 times Rehabilitating or maintaining historic land- their natural abundance. Depending, in part, on scapes is most important in some areas, but weather patterns that influence particulate ensuring the preservation and enhancement of movement, varying levels of these contaminants critical natural habitat is paramount in others. The grasslands at are deposited across parklands and waters. Sometimes these two management goals can be Floyd Bennett Field pursued simultaneously, as in the grassland once provided nesting 23 habitat to birds such NON-NATIVE SPECIES—CONTROL effort at Floyd Bennett Field, which is designed as upland sandpipers, EFFORTS NEEDED TO PROTECT to provide habitat for grassland birds and meadowlarks, and NATIVE SPECIES approximate the historic landscape. grasshopper sparrows. Non-native species are common throughout

Gateway. Between 36 and 94 percent of the ecreation Area species at Gateway are non-native, depending on location. The most critical species to address are new arrivals and those that threaten impor- y National R NATIONAL PARK SERVICE tant communities, habitats, and rare or a protected species. For example, endangered and Gatew protected species such as piping plover, diamond-back terrapin, and two species of rare daisies depend on coastal environments, making protection of these areas against non- native invaders a priority. The park is develop- ing a management plan to address non-native, invasive plants and has been working with the Northeast Region’s Exotic Plant Management Team to control and, in some cases, eradicate them. Some non-native species in the park became established as a result of disturbance from historic activities that disrupted native communities, others were planted as landscape decoration, and some such as Asiatic sand sedge (Carex kobomugi) arrived by accident. This species was used as a packing material on ships and likely washed ashore from wrecks. Much of the Staten Island Unit is land- scaped, and vast lawn areas consist of non- native species such as bluegrass (Poa pratensis). Some species such as Russian olive (Elaeagnus angustifolia), autumn olive (E. umbellate), red chokeberry (Aronia arbutifolia), purple choke- NATIONAL PARK SERVICE

24 ecreation Area y National R a Gatew

Under the shadow of CULTURAL RESOURCES—FUNDS, cultural resource conditions, which indicates the the Verrazano STAFF, AND RESEARCH NEEDED TO park’s cultural resources are in “poor” condition. Narrows Bridge, PRESERVE HISTORICAL RESOURCES The scores for cultural resources are based on Weed once guarded the entrance results of indicator questions that reflect the to New York Harbor: Gateway includes prehistoric and historic archae- National Park Service’s own Cultural Resource It is an impressive ological resources, varied cultural landscapes, Management Guideline and other federal poli- reminder of Gateway’s museum collections, and ethnographic connec- cies related to cultural and historic resources. military history, which spans three centuries. tions with regional ethnic and religious commu- nities. Gateway is also home to an array of struc- HISTORY— HISTORICAL BACKGROUND tures, many of which illustrate aspects of our STUDY NEEDED nation’s military and social history. Staffing and Gateway National Recreation Area is a large park funding challenges make it difficult to complete spread over disconnected units throughout one needed plans, fully research all resources, and of the largest and most complex urban environ- preserve the park’s extensive cultural resources. ments in the United States. The recreation area Gateway scored 46 out of 100 for overall was established in 1972 to preserve some of the

last open space around New York City’s harbor, ARCHAEOLOGY—RESEARCH, VISITOR provide recreational opportunities, and bring EDUCATION, AND LAW ENFORCEMENT the national park experience to urban America. NEEDED As part of the National Park System, Gateway is Gateway’s archaeological resources have the also charged with “preservation of significant potential to teach us much about our American historic resources and important natural areas.” heritage. The park is full of sites related to colo- Gateway is home to a large collection of nial history, the Revolutionary War and War of American history, and the park itself has an 1812, maritime history, and 18th- and 19th interesting history, but the park does not have a century community and social history. Land staff historian to conduct valuable research. A adjacent to the Sandy Hook Lighthouse may historical review and study of the park would have once been home to Revolutionary War-era 25 provide managers with needed context, impor- Loyalists and free African-American communi- tant for understanding previous management ties; Gateway’s Fort Hancock, Fort Tompkins, decisions. This type of study would explore and Fort Wadsworth protected America’s coasts larger issues such as the historical dimensions of during times of war; and Hoffman and today’s complex management challenges and Swinburne Islands off the coast of Staten Island successes; the historical relationship among the were used during the late-19th century to the ecreation Area various local, state, and federal agencies involved 1930s to immigrants at Gateway; and the park’s original goals and thought to have contagious diseases. how well they have been met. Equally as impor- In spite of this wealth of archaeological y National R a tant, such a study could examine the relation- resources, fewer than ten archaeological sites ships among cultural resource stewardship, were listed in the Park Service’s Archaeological Gatew natural resource management, and the park’s Sites Management Information System (ASMIS) original recreation-focused mission. This would as of 2005, though about 100 were added in help the park move forward with a comprehen- 2006 as the lists from Sandy Hook were sive vision for Gateway’s future. updated, and the park will continue to add As a first step, a historic resource study more. Just one site is listed in the National focusing on Gateway’s importance to national Register of Historic Places. defense during the Cold War will likely receive There is a great potential for additional funding soon; an effort is also needed to archaeological work at Gateway, which could record the thoughts and experiences of veter- contribute to the historic and prehistoric record ans and civilians who worked at Floyd Bennett of the region, but gaining additional knowledge Field and Fort Hancock. These oral histories, has been difficult, in part, because the park has which must be gathered before the opportu- not had an archaeologist on staff since 2003. nity is lost, would help enrich interpretation at Archaeological surveys have been completed for the airfield and fort. Floyd Bennett Field, Fort Tilden, Riis Park, Military and aviation history are the domi- Miller Field, and Battery Weed, but some critical nant historical themes in most of Gateway. baseline information is still lacking, and no Historic studies of Jacob Riis Park and the Sandy park unit has a finalized archaeological Hook Lighthouse would help expand the park’s overview and assessment. Sandy Hook received messages. New research at Hoffman and an initial archaeological overview and assess- Swinburne Islands and locations around ment, but it has not been finalized, while a draft Jamaica Bay would enhance a multi-disciplinary overview and assessment of Fort Wadsworth approach to cultural resource stewardship and may not meet current Park Service standards. support future archaeological projects. A full documentation of the park’s archaeo- The buff brick build- ings along Officers Row once housed the families of military officers stationed at NATIONAL PARK SERVICE Fort Hancock on Sandy Hook. The exteriors of the build- ings still look much as they did when they were built at the turn of the 20th century. 26 ecreation Area y National R a Gatew

logical resources is needed, especially as coastal and remove items. Metal detectors are also occa- erosion and rising sea levels threaten to wash sionally observed in the park, though they are away some sites. Cove House, built in 1849 as mostly used on public beaches to find recently one of the first life-saving stations in the United lost items. Some park visitors may not know States, contained the surfboat and rescue equip- that these kinds of activities are illegal, which ment that early volunteers needed to save those underscores the importance of educating visi- trapped on ships that had run aground on tors about Gateway’s cultural resources and how offshore sandbars. Park staff sandbagged the to treat them. Park staff understand this need house in the past to stave off erosion, but this and strive to reach as many visitors as possible, solution was temporary, and the house is in but a limited number of rangers makes it imminent danger of being lost. Other shoreline impossible to engage users in all areas. archaeological sites that could provide insight into how area residents used the bay’s abundant HISTORIC STRUCTURES—HUNDREDS natural resources may also exist; the park would OF STRUCTURES PRESENT be in a better position to explore this potential MANAGEMENT CHALLENGES with the return of a staff archaeologist. Gateway National Recreation Area is home to Looting and illegal access also threaten more structures than all other parks in the archaeological sites. Amateur ‘archaeologists’ Northeast Region combined. Nearly 400 build- have long plagued American Indian sites in the ings are on the park’s list of classified structures, region, and while the exact numbers are not and many of these structures bring the park’s known, scuba divers visit shipwrecks and other history to life. The conditions of these structures submerged resources within park boundaries range from good to poor. Fort Hancock, a former military community composed of a fied structures. As is common with abandoned collection of buff brick buildings, externally still defense bases and airports, most of the build- looks much as it did when it was built at the ings and structures were not being maintained turn of the 20th century. Particularly impressive or repaired before the Park Service inherited are the 18 similarly styled homes along Officers them. Over the years since their acquisition, Row, where officers lived with their families. small holes in roofs became bigger holes, and Mostly empty, the buildings’ exteriors are rela- decades of rain and snow then ruined walls and tively well preserved, though windows are floors below. covered with plywood. The control tower at Floyd Bennett Field gives visitors a bird’s eye view of runways that stretch across the airfield, where famous avia- 27 tors such as once set speed and distance records. An overlook at Fort Wadsworth frames an expansive view of the Civil War-era fortification, Battery Weed, with

gray granite walls looming against the backdrop ecreation Area of . In addition to these historic structures, the park also houses many former storage and y National R utility buildings. Many of these were listed in a poor condition on the park’s 2005 list of classi- Gatew NATIONAL PARK SERVICE

Hundreds of struc- tures throughout Gateway, such as the Officers Club at Fort Hancock, are in serious need of major repair or in some cases removal. With insufficient funds for preservation and interpretation, the park plans to lease some structures, though not all will be saved through this alternative.

In a climate of limited funds and competing extent, park partner organizations seek grant priorities, resource managers and administra- funds on behalf of the park. tors face incredible challenges managing park On Sandy Hook, the Park Service has entered structures that have been deemed historically into a lease with Sandy Hook Partners, LLC, for significant. At Floyd Bennett Field, a single the rehabilitation and adaptive use of 35 historic historic hangar costs thousands of dollars each structures within the Fort Hancock and Sandy month simply to heat. In the absence of Hook Proving Ground Historic District. The adequate funds, many structures will continue Park Service also has leases and use agreements to deteriorate. Federal law mandates the Park with the National Oceanic & Atmospheric Service to identify, manage, and protect historic Administration (NOAA), American Littoral properties that are under its jurisdiction, yet Society, New Jersey Audubon Society, Rutgers 28 chronic under-funding has not only prevented University, and other academic institutions. At the Park Service from maintaining or restoring Floyd Bennett Field, one huge hanger is leased to all these structures, but also prevented park the non-profit Historic Aircraft Restoration staff from being able to perform basic research Project (HARP). As has occurred at Golden Gate and evaluations to determine their historical National Recreation Area, as well as other state

ecreation Area context and structural conditions. Park and municipal parks across the nation, leasing managers are in a difficult position because programs will undoubtedly expand in the future understanding the significance and relation- to ensure the preservation of historic structures ships among all of the park’s resources— in the face of limited federal funds and compet- y National R a including the various structures and their rele- ing priorities. vance to Gateway as a whole—is important in Gatew guiding management decisions. CULTURAL LANDSCAPES—LIMITED Recently, through the park asset manage- RESEARCH UNDER WAY ment plan (PAMP) process, Gateway staff have Cultural landscapes tell the stories of how begun to evaluate the importance of various humans have shaped and been shaped by their structures within the park both with respect to surroundings. The lands within Gateway have their needs as well as with respect to the Park long histories of human use. While the park Service’s mission. The PAMP process will help has no cultural landscapes listed in the park managers focus limited fiscal resources on National Park Service Cultural Landscape the park’s most important cultural and natural Inventory—the official list of recognized resources, and help managers decide which cultural landscapes—park staff manage nine as structures need to be preserved and which cultural landscapes: Battery Weed, Breezy ought to be removed. Point, Floyd Bennett Field, Fort Hancock, Fort Finding ways to provide for the long-term Tilden, Fort Wadsworth, Great Kills, Jacob Riis preservation of those structures that have been Park, and Miller Field. determined to be most significant to the park is When Gateway was authorized, Congress one of the most challenging questions facing particularly directed the Park Service in the Gateway’s managers. The park must compete for Sandy Hook and Staten Island Units to “inven- discretionary funds with all other parks in the tory and evaluate all sites and structures having system through an annual call for project present and potential historical, cultural, or proposals. In addition, the Park Service has architectural significance and shall provide for certain authorities to leverage outside funds for appropriate programs for preservation, restora- this purpose, such as the Concessions Franchise tion, interpretation, and utilization of them.” Fee and leasing programs. And, to a limited Thus, the cultural landscape of Fort Hancock NATIONAL PARK SERVICE

29 ecreation Area y National R a Gatew

and the associated proving grounds within the Battery Weed. Cultural landscape reports are A cultural landscape Sandy Hook Unit have received the most study. under way at Floyd Bennett Field and Fort Tilden. report is under way at historic Floyd Work has included a historic landscape assess- Bennett Field. It will MUSEUM COLLECTION AND ment (1994), landscape preservation mainte- guide treatment and nance plan (1997), cultural landscape reports ARCHIVES—COASTAL ENVIRONMENT use of the landscape, (1999), and a cultural landscape treatment plan PRESENTS STORAGE CHALLENGES and will help inform (due for completion). The Fort Hancock Gateway is home to a large collection composed interpretation. Rehabilitation Guidelines (1999) offer direction of archaeological and historical artifacts such as for managing and maintaining the Fort military uniforms, architectural drawings, and Hancock landscape, and, in 2006, the park thousands of historic photographs. This collec- completed a cultural landscape treatment plan tion, which includes more than 143,000 items, for the fort. is predominantly stored and exhibited at Fort At the Jamaica Bay Unit, a cultural landscape Wadsworth and Sandy Hook, with some storage report for Jacob Riis Park was completed in 1989, at Floyd Bennett Field. but a 2002 draft landscape treatment plan has The park’s Checklist for Preservation and not yet been finalized. At Fort Wadsworth, the Protection for Museum Collections is up-to-date, park requested funds for a cultural landscape and the collection is well secured, but storage report, but funds were provided only to address facilities are antiquated. Gateway’s coastal envi- ronment and location at sea level pose a variety locations throughout the park. Reorganizing of challenges, and flooding is always a possibility. the collection would ensure easier access to Through funding from the Park Service, items and would facilitate an administrative Gateway plans to improve some collection history. At this time, only researchers who storage facilities. At Sandy Hook, the park have made appointments with the curator plans to rehabilitate the Fort Hancock Barracks can view the collection. and Hall into a consolidated administra- tion and visitor facility, with work beginning ETHNOGRAPHY (PEOPLES AND during 2007. The park needs to prioritize the CULTURES)—SOME PROJECTS collections so that the most important and COMPLETE, WHILE OTHERS NEEDED vulnerable items are stored at the new facility. Many different groups of people have long 30 Collections at Fort Wadsworth and Floyd used the lands within Gateway. The park’s Bennett Field remain at risk, and funds are 1995 ethnographic needs assessment identifies needed for temperature and humidity controls a diverse list of tribal and traditionally associ- for these areas. ated groups that includes the Delaware Nation Gateway’s curator is responsible for caring and the Stockbridge Muncie Delaware

ecreation Area for the park’s growing collections, but current community, as well as diverse ethnic commu- funding and staffing levels will make future nities (African American, Korean, Caribbean, management difficult. Seventy percent of the and more) and religious groups (Christian, park’s museum objects have not been cata- Buddhist, and others). y National R a loged, and this figure will increase as the park The assessment also identifies four ethno- Gateway’s museum continues to acquire new items. A museum graphic projects needed for the Jamaica Bay Gatew collection includes technician would be a valuable addition to Unit: a rapid ethnographic assessment proce- many artifacts related to the area’s military Gateway, as would a park archivist. The dure for Jacob Riis Park, an ethnographic history. collection and archives are stored at various overview and assessment for Floyd Bennett Field, a traditional use study of non-sport fish- ermen and fishing practices, and a traditional use study of religious practices. The park completed the rapid ethnographic assessment for Jacob Riis Park as well as an ethnostudy of

NATIONAL PARK SERVICE the Gateway Gardens at Miller Field and Floyd Bennett Field, and funds are promised for an ethnographic overview and assessment and a cultural affiliation study for Jamaica Bay. Although ethnographic projects within Jamaica Bay have been funded, no known ethnographic work has been proposed or undertaken for the Sandy Hook and Staten Island units. NATIONAL PARK SERVICE

31 ecreation Area y National R a Gatew

STEWARDSHIP CAPACITY park programs, must compete for increasingly A ranger teaches visi- scarce funds. Attrition among permanent staff is tors about park resources at Sandy FUNDING AND STAFFING—COMPETITION a serious problem because permanent positions Hook. Gateway FOR SCARCE DOLLARS can be paid for only with base funds. needs additional Gateway has an annual base budget of about Two additional and fairly unique aspects of funds for interpreta- $21 million. Although this may seem like a staffing affect Gateway. It is a challenge to tion, outreach, and great deal of money, it is inadequate to properly communicate the Park Service’s mission to a resource protection. manage the park. This budget has not increased very diverse visitor population of different for several years despite rising utility costs and ethnicities and socio-economic backgrounds mandated salary increases. In fact, fixed costs with a limited staff; and since September 11, and salaries account for about 95 percent of the 2001, Gateway’s law enforcement rangers have budget, leaving only 5 percent for discretionary shifted their efforts to other national park sites spending. As a result, cultural and natural within New York City. resource management activities, like all other Gateway is the first national park experience

PROJECT HARP KEEPS HISTORY ALIVE for many visitors, not surprising given New York City’s role as the nation’s melting pot. Hangar B at Floyd Bennett Field has a humble exterior that gives This means that many visitors do not immedi- little hint of the treasures found within it. Visitors who venture ately understand the significance of their inside are rewarded with a motley assortment of vintage aircraft surroundings and may not be familiar with the that represent the gamut of our nation’s aviation history. There is rules and regulations and expected behavioral constant activity as volunteers from the Historic Aircraft norms of the National Park System. Thus, a Restoration Project (HARP) undertake the painstaking work of significantly larger budget allocation for signs, restoring a significant collection of aircraft. With help from fami- publications, educational outreach, and lies and friends, a dedicated group of volunteers (whose publicity campaigns would help the park members average about 75 years of age), work on such restored further fulfill its role as a “gateway” to the 32 aircraft as a C-47 Gooney Bird, C-45 Expediter, Grumman Goose, National Park System. Education coupled with and HH-3 Pelican Coast Guard helicopter. Currently the group is enforcement of resource protection laws is engaged in building an all-wood replica of the Winnie Mae, the needed to ensure Gateway’s unique natural plane that aviator flew around the and historical attributes are preserved and world in eight days, starting and finishing at Floyd Bennett Field. protected for future generations.

ecreation Area Visitors are welcome to watch the progress. Work slows during Although Gateway’s law enforcement rangers the winter, as temperatures in the unheated hangar drop uncom- patrol parts of the park, since September 11, fortably low. At any time during the year, however, these dedi- 2001, they have concentrated their efforts cated volunteers are always willing to set aside their power tools around , , and Ellis y National R a to tell visitors about each plane. Island. In addition, the officers now spend a Hangar B is tucked a bit out of the way for casual Floyd Bennett greater portion of their time on crowd control Gatew Field visitors, but it is well worth finding. And, if the park is able to and other general duties. Overall, the estimate find support to restore a better positioned hanger, the aircraft will of the annual burden of increased Homeland eventually be moved to a more prominent location. Security duties placed on the Park Service system-wide are $40 million, and Gateway bears a large portion of this. Dedicated volunteers from the Historic Aircraft Restoration Project work to restore a variety of planes kept in Hangar B at Floyd Bennett Field. PLANNING—SEVERAL MANAGEMENT Visitors can watch the progress and learn about the park’s aviation history. PLANS NEEDED Gateway is a complex park that was estab- lished to provide recreational opportunities as well as to preserve and protect natural and cultural resources. To most effectively meet

NATIONAL PARK SERVICE these various goals, the park needs one overall general management plan (GMP), and should also have in place a variety of management plans for its individual units to guide daily and long-term activities. Gateway’s existing GMP is outdated (1979), and general management plans for each of the park’s three units do not adequately address natural resource management needs and concerns. Specific natural resource plans are lacking, there is no resource management plan

Education programs at Jamaica Bay’s Ecology Village give area schoolchildren opportunities to expe- NATIONAL PARK SERVICE rience park resources and learn how their lives are tied to ecological processes.

33 ecreation Area y National R a Gatew

that includes cultural resources, and some base- pants about the many facets of the park’s line cultural resources information has not been natural and cultural history. collected. Additional plans and studies such as a Gateway’s location in the midst of millions resource stewardship plan to guide natural and of urban residents and countless schools and cultural resource management and an updated colleges places the park in the enviable position general management plan that provides a of being able to reach a great number of chil- unified vision are needed to direct park staff in dren and adults. The true ability to reach the their efforts to provide the best protection for public is limited, however, as Gateway has just park resources. 15 permanent interpretive rangers who are responsible for creating and presenting RESOURCE EDUCATION—RANGERS programs in Gateway, and access to the park via AND PARTNERS PROVIDE AN ARRAY OF public transportation is limited. In spite of these OPPORTUNITIES challenges, the park offers educational Take a walk with a park ranger to see migrating programs that range from a couple of hours to seals at Sandy Hook Bay; celebrate Black History those that extend through the course of a year. Month with a presentation about the Tuskegee Staff aim to teach students about ocean dynam- Airmen of World War II; learn nature photogra- ics, biological community functions, and how phy techniques from a professional photogra- their lives and activities at home relate to the pher at Jamaica Bay; and explore Fort larger surrounding ecosystems. Wadsworth by night with a ranger-led lantern In 2006, 3,640 students participated in envi- tour. These are just a small sample of the inter- ronmental education programs at Floyd Bennett pretive programs at Gateway that teach partici- Field’s Ecology Village Program. At Sandy Hook, PARK PARTNERS AND VOLUNTEERS ENHANCE LEARNING OPPORTUNITIES

contribute twice; not only do they provide programs, they roll their revenue over into leasing historic buildings in the park. This makes their activities more accessible to visi- NATIONAL PARK SERVICE tors, and it helps fund upkeep of buildings. In addition to non-profit groups, volun- teers and students are also critical to the success of Gateway’s interpretive programs. 34 Student Conservation Association (SCA) interns do a lot of work at Sandy Hook, which has just three staff interpreters to organize public programs. At Jamaica Bay, volunteers and partner organizations lead

ecreation Area about 90 percent of the interpretive tours. Some of the historic buildings that are open to the public are also staffed by volunteers, SCA interns, and various partner groups. y National R a Further, undergraduate and graduate students from Rutgers University, Columbia Gatew University, New York University, Fordham University, and Queens College undertake field work and research projects that contribute to the fundamental base of information about Gateway. Professors and Volunteers and addi- Gateway is fortunate to have a host of students from these institutions and others tional funds from the partner organizations and volunteers that have long led core research programs Sandy Hook supplement the park’s limited program examining ecological, historical, and socio- Foundation and New Jersey Lighthouse offerings and help provide additional logical issues. Society enabled the educational opportunities for visitors. Some Gateway’s location provides ready park to refurbish the programs are free, while others are provided opportunities for partnership and volun- Sandy Hook for a charge. The New Jersey Lighthouse teerism that are not present at remote Lighthouse, install Society leads weekend tours of the Sandy national parks such as Grand Canyon. exhibits, and help interpret the structure. Hook Lighthouse, the Ocean Institute offers Managing relationships with a host of part- a variety of grade school programs, the ners and volunteers, however, is time- Linnaean Society of New York and the consuming. Recruiting and training addi- Audubon Society offer numerous bird tours, tional groups and individuals would further the American Littoral Society sponsors tours, benefit park resources and visitor education beach clean-ups, and horseshoe crab efforts, but funds and staff are not always counts, and the Sandy Hook Foundation available. Gateway would be in a better offers tours and a free concert series position to fully leverage these sources of throughout the summer. Some organiza- support with the addition of staff and funds tions like HARP and New Jersey Audubon directed specifically to these efforts.

a total of 32,231 students participated in both Audubon Society and the American Littoral formal programs (2,354 programs) and in Society, as well as research facilities for numerous self-guided trips, while at the Brookdale Community College, Monmouth National Parks of New York Harbor Education County School District, New Jersey Marine Center, 2,923 students and 884 educators Sciences Consortium, Howard Marine Sciences participated in 118 programs. With more than Laboratory, Sandy Hook Ocean Institute, one million children in the New York City Rutgers University Institute of Marine and school system, however, the park needs more Coastal Sciences, and the National Oceanic and resources for outreach and education. Atmospheric Administration. Partnerships are not all focused on the park’s EXTERNAL SUPPORT—PARTNERSHIPS natural resources. Without sufficient funding to BENEFIT PARK RESOURCES rehabilitate the hangars at Floyd Bennett Field 35 The lands and waters within Gateway National for either historical interpretation or some other Recreation Area are important to a wide spec- end, the Park Service took the innovative step of trum of stakeholders. A host of national and coupling a commercial restoration project with regional organizations and agencies are active in a key objective of Gateway’s original mission: the conservation and preservation of lands and recreation. In 2006, through a commercial ecreation Area waters within Gateway and the surrounding lease, Aviator Sports and Recreation, LLC, region. Within Jamaica Bay alone, more than 25 assumed control of four historic hangars. After public agencies have jurisdiction over various extensive planning, the rehabilitated hangars y National R activities, in addition to research and conserva- now house two ice rinks, a facility, a tion organizations and institutes that focus on rock climbing wall, snack bar, and more. Gatew the health of park and regional resources. Information sharing and research coordination among all of these various entities is key to WHAT YOU CAN DO TO HELP ensuring the best management of the shared • Join NPCA (www.npca.org/support_npca) and support our resources of the bay. efforts to raise awareness about Gateway and all other Much research effort has been focused on national parks. Jamaica Bay. The Jamaica Bay Task Force, Jamaica Bay Institute, Jamaica Bay Research and • Support local organizations such as the Jamaica Bay Restoration Team, and Jamaica Bay Research Guardian (www.alsync.org), the Sandy Hook Foundation and Management Information Network are all (www.sandyhookfoundationnj.org), the Friends of Gateway large collaborations composed of different (www.treebranch.org), and others listed above that aim to agencies, non-profit organizations, and directly support the park. academic partners. All exist to collect, coordi- • Volunteer in the parks. Volunteers are needed to work on nate, and disseminate information on condi- trails, clean up beaches, install bird boxes, act as docents, and tions of Jamaica Bay. In addition, Jamaica Bay help park staff accomplish dozens of other tasks. To learn has long been a focus of the EPA’s Harbor about opportunities at Gateway and other parks in the north- Estuary Program, another partnership involving east, contact NPCA’s volunteer coordinator at 212.617.2771. several hundred non-profit groups and govern- ment agencies to protect, conserve, and restore • Become an NPCA activist. When you join our activist the estuarine waters from Raritan to Jamaica Bay network, you will receive Park Lines, a biweekly electronic and about 30 miles up the Hudson River to the newsletter with the latest park news and ways you can help. Tappan Zee Bridge. At Sandy Hook, the Park Join by visiting www.npca.org/takeaction. Service provides space to partners such as the

APPENDIX: METHODOLOGY

36 To determine the condition of known natural and cultural resources at Gateway National Recreation Area and other national parks, the National Parks Conservation Association devel- oped a resource assessment and ratings process. NATIONAL PARK SERVICE The assessment methodology can be found ecreation Area online at NPCA’s Center for State of the Parks® website (www.npca.org/stateoftheparks/). Researchers gather available information

y National R from a variety of research, monitoring, and a background sources in a number of critical

Gatew categories. The natural resources rating reflects assessment of more than 120 discrete elements associated with environmental quality, biotic health, and ecosystem integrity. Environmental quality and biotic health measures address air, water, soils, and climatic change conditions as well as their influences and human-related influences on plants and animals. Ecosystems measures address the extent, species composi- tion, and interrelationships of organisms with each other and the physical environment for A former SCA intern examines a rare orchid indicator, representative, or all terrestrial and growing at Gateway. freshwater communities. The scores for cultural resources are deter- For this report, researchers collected data mined based on the results of indicator questions and prepared a paper that summarized the that reflect the National Park Service’s own results. The draft underwent peer review and Cultural Resource Management Guideline and was also reviewed by staff at Gateway National other Park Service resource management policies. Recreation Area. Stewardship capacity refers to the Park NPCA’s Center for State of the Parks repre- Service’s ability to protect park resources, and sents the first time that such assessments have includes discussion of funding and staffing been undertaken for units of the National Park levels, park planning documents, resource System. Comments on the program’s methods education, and external support. are welcome. ACKNOWLEDGMENTS

For more information about the NPCA thanks the staff at Gateway National Recreation Area who reviewed Center for State of the Parks® the factual accuracy of information used in this report. We also thank peer and this and other program reports, contact: reviewers for their valuable comments and suggestions.

National Parks Conservation Association Center for State of the Parks® CENTER FOR STATE OF THE PARKS® ADVISORY COUNCIL PO Box 737 Fort Collins, CO 80522 Dr. Douglas Schwartz, Chair Phone: 970.493.2545 The School of American Research E-mail: [email protected] Dr. Dorothy Canter Or visit us at www.npca.org/stateoftheparks/ The Johns Hopkins University Primary researchers: Jim Jenks and Daniel Manier Dr. Francisco Dallmeier Design/Layout: Paul Caputo Smithsonian Institution Dr. Sylvia Earle Center for State of the Parks Staff: National Geographic Explorer-in-Residence Dr. James Nations, Vice President; Dr. William Knight, Director; Patti Albrandt, Program Assistant; Kelly Michael Finley Courkamp, Cultural Resources Program Manager; Dr. Turner Foundation Gail Dethloff, Natural Resources Program Manager; Dr. Bruce Jones Elizabeth Meyers, Publications Manager United States Geological Survey

Other reports available: Henry A. Jordan, M.D. Adams National Historical Park (MA) Chairman, Glynwood Center Andersonville National Historic Site (GA) Bruce Judd, Chair Big Bend National Park (TX) Architectural Resources Group Big Hole National Battlefield (MT) Big Thicket National Preserve (TX) Karl Komatsu Biscayne National Park (FL) Komatsu Architecture Bryce Canyon National Park (UT) Dr. Thomas Lovejoy Canyonlands National Park (UT) H. John Heinz III Center for Science, Economics, and the Environment Catoctin Mountain Park (MD) Dr. Pamela Matson Chesapeake and Ohio Canal National Historical Park Stanford University, Ecological Society of America (DC/MD/WV) Death Valley National Park (CA) Robert Melnick Denali National Park and Preserve (AK) University of Oregon Fort Laramie National Historic Site (WY) Dr. Kenton Miller Fort Necessity National Battlefield (PA) World Resources Institute, World Commission on Protected Areas Fort Union Trading Post National Historic Site (ND) Frederick Douglass National Historic Site (DC) Dr. Lee Talbot Great Smoky Mountains National Park (TN/NC) George Mason University Hopewell Furnace National Historic Site (PA) Joshua Tree National Park (CA) Knife River Indian Villages National Historic Site (ND) Lewis and Clark National Historical Park (OR) Lewis and Clark National Historic Trail (various) Little Bighorn Battlefield National Monument (MT) Longfellow National Historic Site (MA) Missouri National Recreational River (NE) Mojave National Preserve (CA) Nez Perce National Historical Park (WA, ID, MT, OR) Olympic National Park (WA) Point Reyes National Seashore (CA) Rocky Mountain National Park (CO) Shenandoah National Park (VA) Please visit www.npca.org/stateoftheparks/ to view these reports and to Saint-Gaudens National Historic Site (NH) learn more about the Center for State of the Parks®. Waterton-Glacier International Peace Park (MT-Alberta) Zion National Park (UT) Copyright 2007 National Parks Conservation Association 1300 19th Street, N.W., Suite 300 Washington, DC 20036 p/ 202.223.6722 f/ 202.659.0650 www.npca.org

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