DOCSLIB.ORG

New York City, the Lower Hudson River, and Jamaica Bay

Total Page：16

File Type：pdf, Size：1020Kb

Download full-text PDF Read full-text
New York City, the Lower Hudson River, and Jamaica Bay 3.4 New York City, the Lower Hudson River, and Jamaica Bay Author: Elizabeth M. Strange, Stratus Consulting Inc. Species and habitats in the region encompassing such as beach nourishment, dune construction, New York City, the lower Hudson River, the and vegetation wherever possible. Planners East River, and Jamaica Bay are potentially at expect that the only sizeable areas in the New risk because of sea level rise. Although the York City metropolitan area that are unlikely to region is one of the most heavily urbanized areas be protected are portions of the three Special along the U.S. Atlantic Coast, there are Natural Waterfront Areas (SNWAs) designated nonetheless regionally significant habitats for by the city: Northwest Staten Island/Harbor fish, shellfish, and birds in the area, and a great Heron SNWA; East River–Long Island Sound deal is known about the ecology and habitat SNWA; and Jamaica Bay SNWA. needs of these species. TIDAL WETLANDS Based on existing literature and the knowledge of local scientists, this brief literature review Staten Island. Hoffman Island and Swinburne discusses those species that could be at risk Island are National Park Service properties lying because of further habitat loss resulting from sea off the southeast shore of Staten Island; the level rise and shoreline protection (see Map 3.2). former has important nest habitat for herons, and 252 Although it is possible to make qualitative the latter is heavily nested by cormorants. The statements about the ecological implications if Northwest Staten Island/Harbor Herons SNWA sea level rise causes a total loss of habitat, our is an important nesting and foraging area for 253 ability to say what the impact might be if only a herons, ibises, egrets, gulls, and waterfowl. portion of the habitat is lost is more limited. A The so-called Harbor Herons Complex includes total loss of habitat might be expected if shores three island heronries of regional significance, are protected with hard structures and the including Shooters Island, Pralls Island, and Isle wetlands are unable to keep pace with sea level of Meadows (see subsequent section on islands). rise. Several tidal emergent, salt, brackish, and fresh water marshes provide foraging areas for the Most shorelines in the New York metropolitan birds of the island heronries, including Arlington area are heavily modified. Because the remaining coastal land is at a premium, planners indicate that most of the shoreline is almost certain to be protected. The remaining undeveloped land along the shore continues to be developed and armored.251 Where protection occurs, New York City’s Waterfront Revitalization Program (WRP) requires the use of nonstructural alternatives 251George Frame, National Park Service, in email entitled Comments on NYHarbor&RaritanBay papers EPA feb07, to Karen Scott, EPA, 2/20/07, suggests that “many urban planners 252 are not preserving undeveloped lands along the shores of the George Frame, 2/20/07 email (see note 251). 253 estuary; even today they are building and hardening in many USFWS, 1997, p. 578 in Arthur Kill Complex, Complex #18 areas.” (see note 172). [ SECTION 3.4 223 ] Marsh, Sawmill Creek Marsh, Gulfport Marsh, network of marshes behind Grassy Point near 258 Merrill’s Marsh, Old Place Creek, Neck Creek Haverstraw Bay. 254 Marsh, and Fresh Kills. With the exception of Fresh Kills, shoreline protection is considered Piermont Marsh is a 411.6 ha (1,017 acre) almost certain in these areas. Loss of these brackish wetland on the western shore of the marshes could have a significant negative impact lower Hudson River just below the Tappan Zee on the island heronries because of a lack of Bridge, in the town of Orangetown, in Rockland alternative foraging sites nearby. County.259 The New York State Department of The Fresh Kills wetland system is one of the State has designated the marsh a Significant largest tidal wetland systems in the region, Coastal Fish and Wildlife Habitat, and it has covering an estimated 405 ha (1,000 acres).255 been designated part of the Hudson River Local planners expect that these wetlands will National Estuarine Research Reserve by the probably be allowed to respond naturally to sea National Oceanic and Atmospheric level rise, but migration may not be possible Administration and the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation because of the relatively steep slopes that have 260 formed near the shore as a result of landfilling (NYDEC). activities. Piermont Marsh is dominated by common reed Manhattan. Most of the shoreline of Lower and narrow-leaved cattail, along with some salt Manhattan and the Battery has been bulkheaded marsh species that include smooth cordgrass, and filled. An exception is the natural shoreline salt-meadow cordgrass, and spike grass, making and wetlands at the mouth of the Harlem River at it the location of the northernmost occurrence of 256 New York City’s Inwood Hill Park. The park salt marsh species on the Hudson. Breeding birds contains low salt marsh and a broad mudflat that known to use the marsh for nesting include runs from the marsh to the channel of the Harlem relatively rare species such as Virginia rail, River Ship Canal. Great blue herons are found swamp sparrow, black duck, least bittern, and along the flat in winter and snowy and great sora rail. A small number of osprey sometimes 257 egrets are common from spring through fall. gather in the marsh, particularly during spring migration. Anadromous and freshwater fish use The Lower Hudson River. Although the tidal the marsh’s tidal creeks as a spawning and Hudson River extends upstream to the dam at nursery area. Killfish, mummichog, fiddler crab, Troy, New York State’s tidal wetland regulations and blue crab use shallow marsh areas. apply to the Hudson River shoreline only up to Diamondback terrapin, a federal species of the Tappan Zee Bridge. This is the estuarine concern, reportedly nest in upland areas along 261 portion of the tidal river. Along this stretch of the the marsh. river there is relatively little marsh, with the exception of brackish marshes at the mouth of Jamaica Bay, located between the boroughs of the Croton River, in Piermont Marsh, and in a Brooklyn and Queens, is the largest area of protected wetlands in a major metropolitan area along the U.S. Atlantic Coast. The bay includes 254 USFWS, 1997, p. 579 in Arthur Kill Complex, Complex #18 258USFWS, 1997, p. 631 in Lower Hudson River Estuary, (see note 172). Complex #21 (see note 172). 255USFWS, 1997, p. 580 in Arthur Kill Complex, Complex #18 259Fact sheet on Piermont Marsh Component of the Hudson River (see note 172). Reserve by the Hudson River Reserve Program, National 256USFWS, 1997, p. 630 in Lower Hudson River Estuary, Estuarine Research Reserve System. Accessed December 4, 2007 Complex #21 (see note 172). at:http://nerrs.noaa.gov/HudsonRiver/PiermontMarsh.html. 257Fact sheet by New York City Department Of Parks and Recreation, Inwood Hill Park—Salt Marshes in New York City 260USFWS, 1997, pp. 629, 633 in Lower Hudson River Estuary, Parks. Accessed December 4, 2007 at: Complex #21 (see note 172). http://www.nycgovparks.org/sub_your_park/historical_signs/hs_ 261USFWS, 1997, p. 633 in Lower Hudson River Estuary, historical_sign.php?id=12864. Complex #21 (see note 172). [ 224 MI D - AT L AN T I C C O AS T AL H AB I T AT S & E N V I R O N M E N T AL I M P L I C AT I O N S O F S E A L E V E L R I S E ] the Jamaica Bay Wildlife Refuge,262 which has found in these marshes.267 The nearby Four been protected since 1972 as part of the Jamaica Sparrow Marsh is the other remaining salt marsh Bay Unit of the Gateway National Recreation in this part of the bay. It is a particularly Area, administered by the National Park Service. noteworthy as an undisturbed nesting habitat for The refuge includes numerous salt marsh islands four native species of sparrows that are in that are sheltered from the Atlantic Ocean by the decline, the sharp-tailed, seaside, swamp, and Rockaway Peninsula. song sparrows, and as a stopover site for some 326 species of migrating birds. Several species Despite extensive disturbance from dredging, of ducks, gulls, and wading birds also nest in filling, and development, Jamaica Bay remains Four Sparrow Marsh and feed on marsh one of the most important migratory shorebird mollusks and crustaceans.268 stopover sites in the New York Bight region. 263 The bay provides overwintering habitat for brant, Because of its importance as an area of mallards, American black duck, canvasback significant biodiversity and its uniqueness as a duck, and other waterfowl, and intertidal wildlife sanctuary in a highly developed urban mudflats for foraging migrants such as black setting, planners expect that Jamaica Bay’s skimmer, plovers, and knots.264 The refuge and wetlands will be allowed to respond naturally to Breezy Point, at the tip of the Rockaway sea level rise. However, wetlands in some parts Peninsula, support populations of 214 species of the bay are currently showing substantial that are state or federally listed or of special losses. Researchers studying the salt marsh emphasis, including 48 species of fish and 120 islands near the John F. Kennedy International species of birds. These areas combined have Airport (including Yellow Bar Hassock, Black been designated as a Significant Coastal Fish and Wall Marsh, Big Egg Marsh, East High Meadow Wildlife Habitat by the New York State Marsh, Elders Point Marsh, and Jo Co Marsh) Department of State and as a Critical estimated that marsh loss in the area averaged 12 265 Environmental Area by the NYDEC.
Load more

Recommended publications
  • Long Island Sound Habitat Restoration Initiative
    LONG ISLAND SOUND HABITAT RESTORATION INITIATIVE Technical Support for Coastal Habitat Restoration FEBRUARY 2003 TABLE OF CONTENTS TABLE OF CONTENTS INTRODUCTION ....................................................................i GUIDING PRINCIPLES.................................................................................. ii PROJECT BOUNDARY.................................................................................. iv SITE IDENTIFICATION AND RANKING........................................................... iv LITERATURE CITED ..................................................................................... vi ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS............................................................................... vi APPENDIX I-A: RANKING CRITERIA .....................................................................I-A-1 SECTION 1: TIDAL WETLANDS ................................................1-1 DESCRIPTION ............................................................................................. 1-1 Salt Marshes ....................................................................................................1-1 Brackish Marshes .............................................................................................1-3 Tidal Fresh Marshes .........................................................................................1-4 VALUES AND FUNCTIONS ........................................................................... 1-4 STATUS AND TRENDS ................................................................................
    [Show full text]
  • GOWANUS GENERATING STATION GOWANUS REPOWERING PROJECT PRELIMINARY SCOPING STATEMENT Astoria Generating Company, L.P. Brooklyn, K
    ASTORIA GENERATING COMPANY, L.P. May 2019 GOWANUS GENERATING STATION GOWANUS REPOWERING PROJECT PRELIMINARY SCOPING STATEMENT Astoria Generating Company, L.P. Brooklyn, Kings County, New York New York State Siting Board on Electric Generation Siting and the Environment Case Number – 18-F-0758 Preliminary Scoping Statement Case No. 18-F-0758 Prepared By: Astoria Generating Company, L.P. Gowanus Generating Station 420 2nd Avenue P.O. Box 658 Brooklyn, New York 11232 Tel: 1-833-617-9547 Email: [email protected] Submitted to: New York State Department of Public Service Empire State Plaza Agency Building 3 Albany, NY 12223 and New York State Department of Environmental Conservation Region 2 4740 21st Street Long Island City, NY 11101 Preliminary Scoping Statement Contents Acronyms and Abbreviations .............................................................................................................. vii 1. Introduction ......................................................................................................................... 1‐1 1.1 Organization of the PSS ................................................................................................... 1‐1 2. Project Description ............................................................................................................... 2‐1 2.1 Description of the Applicant & Applicant Information .................................................... 2‐1 2.1.1 Website ..............................................................................................................
    [Show full text]
  • A History of Connecticut's Long Island Sound Boundary
    The Catholic University of America, Columbus School of Law CUA Law Scholarship Repository Scholarly Articles and Other Contributions Faculty Scholarship 1972 A History of Connecticut's Long Island Sound Boundary Raymond B. Marcin The Catholic University of America, Columbus School of Law Follow this and additional works at: https://scholarship.law.edu/scholar Part of the Legal History Commons Recommended Citation Raymond B. Marcin, A History of Connecticut's Long Island Sound Boundary, 46 CONN. B.J. 506 (1972). This Article is brought to you for free and open access by the Faculty Scholarship at CUA Law Scholarship Repository. It has been accepted for inclusion in Scholarly Articles and Other Contributions by an authorized administrator of CUA Law Scholarship Repository. For more information, please contact [email protected]. 506 CONNECTICUT BAR JOURNAL [Vol. 46 A HISTORY OF CONNECTICUT'S LONG ISLAND SOUND BOUNDARY By RAYMOND B. MARciN* THE SCENEt Long before remembered time, ice fields blanketed central India, discharging floes into a sea covering the Plains of Punjab. The Argentine Pampas lay frozen and still beneath a crush of ice. Ice sheets were carving their presence into the highest mountains of Hawaii and New Guinea. On the western land mass, ice gutted what was, in pre-glacial time, a stream valley near the northeastern shore. In this alien epoch, when woolly mammoth and caribou roamed the North American tundra, the ice began to melt. Receding glaciers left an inland lake where the primeval stream valley had been. For a time the waters of the lake reposed in bo- real calm, until, with the melting of the polar cap, the level of the great salt ocean rose to the level of the lake.
    [Show full text]
  • Erie Canalway Map & Guide
    National Park Service Erie Canalway National Heritage Corridor U.S. Department of the Interior Erie Canalway Map & Guide Pittsford, Frank Forte Pittsford, The New York State Canal System—which includes the Erie, Champlain, Cayuga-Seneca, and Oswego Canals—is the centerpiece of the Erie Canalway National Heritage Corridor. Experience the enduring legacy of this National Historic Landmark by boat, bike, car, or on foot. Discover New York’s Dubbed the “Mother of Cities” the canal fueled the growth of industries, opened the nation to settlement, and made New York the Empire State. (Clinton Square, Syracuse, 1905, courtesy Library of Congress, Prints & Photographs Division, Detroit Publishing Extraordinary Canals Company Collection.) pened in 1825, New York’s canals are a waterway link from the Atlantic Ocean to the Great Lakes through the heart of upstate New York. Through wars and peacetime, prosperity and This guide presents exciting Orecession, flood and drought, this exceptional waterway has provided a living connection things to do, places to go, to a proud past and a vibrant future. Built with leadership, ingenuity, determination, and hard work, and exceptional activities to the canals continue to remind us of the qualities that make our state and nation great. They offer us enjoy. Welcome! inspiration to weather storms and time-tested knowledge that we will prevail. Come to New York’s canals this year. Touch the building stones CONTENTS laid by immigrants and farmers 200 years ago. See century-old locks, lift Canals and COVID-19 bridges, and movable dams constructed during the canal’s 20th century Enjoy Boats and Boating Please refer to current guidelines and enlargement and still in use today.
    [Show full text]
  • Past Tibor T. Polgar Fellowships
    Past Tibor T. Polgar Fellowships The Hudson River estuary stretches from its tidal limit at the Federal Dam at Troy, New York, to its merger with the New York Bight, south of New York City. Within that reach, the estuary displays a broad transition from tidal freshwater to marine conditions that are reflected in its physical composition and the biota it supports. These characteristics present a major opportunity and challenge for researchers to describe the makeup and workings of a complex and dynamic ecosystem. The Tibor T. Polgar Fellowship Program provides funds for graduate and undergraduate students to study selected aspects of the physical, chemical, biological, and public policy realms of the estuary. Since its inception in 1985, the program has provided approximately $1 million in funding to 189 students and can boast the involvement of 116 advisors from 64 institutions. The program is named in memory of Dr. Tibor T. Polgar, an estuarine biologist who was a key advisor to the Hudson River Foundation for Science and Environmental Research when the fellowship program was created. The program is conducted jointly by the Hudson River Foundation and the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation. The fellowships are funded by the Foundation. Past reports of the Tibor T. Polgar Fellowship program are listed below. Download the entire report or particular sections as PDF files. Final Reports of the Tibor T. Polgar Fellowship Program, 2019 - Sarah Fernald, David Yozzo, and Helena Andreyko, editors I. Use of Gadolinium to Track Sewage Effluent Through the Poughkeepsie, New York Water System – Matthew Badia, Dr.
    [Show full text]
  • Staten Island
    Staten Island Waterfront History By Carlotta DeFillo taten Island has 35 miles of waterfront. It is bordered by Newark Bay and the Kill van Kull on the north, Upper New York Bay, the Narrows, S Lower New York Bay and the Atlantic Ocean on the east, Raritan Bay on the south and the Arthur Kill or Staten Island Sound on the west. Several smaller islands sit offshore. Shooters Island near Mariners Harbor was home to Standard Shipbuilding Corp. and Prall’s Island is a bird sanctuary. Off South Beach lie the man-made Hoffman and Swinburne Islands. These two islands were built for use as the quarantine station in 1872, and abandoned in 1933. During World War II they were used for military training, only to be aban- doned again at war’s end. The earliest inhabitants of Staten Island were Algonkian-speaking Native Americans who set up camps along the shores in the areas of Tottenville, Prince’s Bay, Great Kills, Arrochar, Stapleton, West New Brighton, Mariners Harbor and Fresh Kills. They harvested berries, fi sh, oysters and clams, and even ran the Island’s earliest ferries. The fi rst Europeans set foot on Staten Island in Tompkinsville at the Watering Place, a spring of fresh water near the shore, before 1623. The earliest public ferry was in operation in Stapleton by 1708, and by the 1770s ten ferry lines connected Staten Island to New Jersey, Manhattan and Brooklyn. The best-known Island ferryman was Cornelius Vanderbilt, who started an empire from his single sailboat ferry, starting in 1810.
    [Show full text]
  • Coastal Assessment Form Addendum
    X NY Department of State, U.S. Office of Ocean & Coastal Resource Management The LWRP Update includes projects to improve water quality in Croton Bay. X X The LWRP Update proposes improvements to several Village parks and a Village-wide parks maintenance and improvement plan. Note: This section is designed for site-specific actions rather than area-wide or generic proposals. The answers to the questions reflect the fact the LWRP Update would apply to all actions wtihin the Village's coastal area, and that the Update proposes several implementation projects. These projects, if undertaken, would be subject to individual consistency review. X X Croton‐on‐Hudson Local Waterfront Revitalization Program Update VILLAGE OF CROTON‐ON‐HUDSON, NEW YORK COASTAL ASSESSMENT FORM ADDENDUM Lead Agency Village of Croton‐on‐Hudson Board of Trustees Stanley H. Kellerhouse Municipal Building 1 Van Wyck Street Croton‐on‐Hudson, NY 10520 Contact: Leo A. W. Wiegman, Mayor (914)‐271‐4848 Prepared by BFJ Planning 115 Fifth Avenue New York, NY 10003 Contact: Susan Favate, AICP, Principal (212) 353‐7458 Croton-on-Hudson LWRP Update CAF July 31, 2015 Croton-on-Hudson LWRP Update CAF July 31, 2015 1.0 LOCATION AND DESCRIPTION OF PROPOSED ACTION Pursuant to the New York State Environmental Quality Review Act (SEQR), the proposed action discussed in this Full Environmental Assessment Form (EAF) is the adoption of an update to the 1992 Local Waterfront Revitalization Program (LWRP) of the Village of Croton‐on‐Hudson. In considering adoption of the LWRP Update, the Village of Croton‐on‐Hudson Board of Trustees (BOT) are proposing to modify certain existing policies to reflect changed conditions and priorities since the 1992 LWRP, and to propose specific projects to implement those policies.
    [Show full text]
  • The Erie Canal in Cohoes
    SELF GUIDED TOUR THE ERIE CANAL IN COHOES Sites of the Enlarged Erie Canal Sites of the Original Erie Canal Lock 9 -In George Street Park, north oF Lock 17 -Near the intersection oF John Old Juncta - Junction of the Champlain Alexander Street. and Erie Sts. A Former locktender’s house, and Erie Canals. Near the intersection of Lock 10 -Western wall visible in George now a private residence, is located to the Main and Saratoga Sts. Street Park. A towpath extends through west of the lock. A well-preserved section the park to Lock 9 and Alexander Street. of canal prism is evident to the north of Visible section of “Clinton’s Ditch” southwest of the intersection of Vliet and Lock 11 -Northwest oF the intersection oF the lock. N. Mohawk Sts. Later served as a power George Street and St. Rita’s Place. Lock 18 -West oF North Mohawk Street, canal for Harmony Mill #2; now a park. Lock 12 -West oF Sandusky Street, north of the intersection of North Mohawk partially under Central Ave. Firehouse. and Church Sts. Individual listing on the Old Erie Route - Sections follow Main National Register of Historic Places. and N. Mohawk Streets. Some Lock 13 - Buried under Bedford Street, structures on Main Street date from the south of High Street. No longer visible. early canal era. Lock 14 - East of Standish Street, The Pick of the Locks connected by towpath to Lock 15. A selection of sites for shorter tours Preserving Cohoes Canals & Lock 15 - Southeast of the intersection of Locks Spindle City Historic Vliet and Summit Streets.
    [Show full text]
  • New York City Area: Health Advice on Eating Fish You Catch
    MAPS INSIDE NEW YORK CITY AREA Health Advice on Eating Fish You Catch 1 Why We Have Advisories Fishing is fun and fish are an important part of a healthy diet. Fish contain high quality protein, essential nutrients, healthy fish oils and are low in saturated fat. However, some fish contain chemicals at levels that may be harmful to health. To help people make healthier choices about which fish they eat, the New York State Department of Health issues advice about eating sportfish (fish you catch). The health advice about which fish to eat depends on: Where You Fish Fish from waters that are close to human activities and contamination sources are more likely to be contaminated than fish from remote marine waters. In the New York City area, fish from the Long Island Sound or the ocean are less contaminated. Who You Are Women of childbearing age (under 50) and children under 15 are advised to limit the kinds of fish they eat and how often they eat them. Women who eat highly contaminated fish and become pregnant may have an increased risk of having children who are slower to develop and learn. Chemicals may have a greater effect on the development of young children or unborn babies. Also, some chemicals may be passed on in mother’s milk. Women beyond their childbearing years and men may face fewer health risks from some chemicals. For that reason, the advice for women over age 50 and men over age 15 allows them to eat more kinds of sportfish and more often (see tables, pages 4 and 6).
    [Show full text]
  • About Fresh Kills
    INTERNATIONAL DESIGN COMPETITION : 2001 ABOUT FRESH KILLS Fresh Kills Landfill is located on the western shore of Staten Island. Approximately half the 2,200-acre landfill is composed of four mounds, or sections, identified as 1/9, 2/8, 3/4 and 6/7 which range in height from 90 feet to approximately 225 feet. These mounds are the result of more than 50 years of landfilling, primarily household waste. Two of the four mounds are fully capped and closed; the other two are being prepared for final capping and closure. Fresh Kills is a highly engineered site, with numerous systems put in place to protect public health and environmental safety. However, roughly half the site has never been filled with garbage or was filled more than twenty years ago. These flatter areas and open waterways host everything from landfill infrastructure and roadways to intact wetlands and wildlife habitats. The potential exists for these areas, and eventually, the mounds themselves, to support broader and more active uses. With effective preparation now, the city can, over time, transform this controversial site into an important asset for Staten Island, the city and the region. Before dumping began, Fresh Kills Landfill was much like the rest of northwest Staten Island. That is, most of the landfill was a salt or intertidal marsh. The topography was low-lying, with a subsoil of clay and soils of sand and silt. The remainder of the area was originally farmland, either actively farmed, or abandoned and in stages of succession. Although Fresh Kills Landfill is not a wholly natural environment, the site has developed its own unique ecology.
    [Show full text]
  • New York City Audubon's Harbor Herons Project: 2018 Nesting Survey
    NEW YORK CITY AUDUBON’S HARBOR HERONS PROJECT: 2018 NESTING SURVEY REPORT 11 December 2018 Prepared for: New York City Audubon Kathryn Heintz, Executive Director 71 W. 23rd Street, Suite 1523 New York, NY 10010 Tel. 212-691-7483 www.nycaudubon.org Prepared by: Tod Winston, Research Assistant New York City Audubon 71 W. 23rd Street, Suite 1523 New York, NY 10010 Tel. 917-698-1892 [email protected] 1 New York City Audubon’s Conservation Programs are made possible by the leadership support of The Leon Levy Foundation. Support for the Harbor Herons Nesting Surveys comes from New York City Audubon major donor contributions, including the generosity of Elizabeth Woods and Charles Denholm, and from the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation. This report should be cited as follows: Winston, T. 2018. New York City Audubon’s Harbor Herons Project: 2018 Nesting Survey Report. New York City Audubon, New York, NY. 2 Abstract New York City Audubon’s Harbor Herons Project Nesting Survey of the New York/New Jersey Harbor and surrounding waterways was conducted between 15 May and 26 June 2018. This report principally summarizes long-legged wading bird, cormorant, and gull nesting activity observed on selected harbor islands, and also includes surveys of selected mainland sites and aids to navigation. Seven species of long-legged wading birds were observed nesting on eight of fifteen islands surveyed, on Governors Island, and at several mainland sites, while one additional species was confirmed as nesting exclusively at a mainland site. Surveyed wading bird species, hereafter collectively referred to as waders, included (in order of decreasing abundance) Black-crowned Night-Heron, Great Egret, Snowy Egret, Glossy Ibis, Yellow-crowned Night-Heron, Little Blue Heron, Tricolored Heron, and Great Blue Heron.
    [Show full text]
  • Epilogue 1941—Present by BARBARA LA ROCCO
    Epilogue 1941—Present By BARBARA LA ROCCO ABOUT A WEEK before A Maritime History of New York was re- leased the United States entered the Second World War. Between Pearl Harbor and VJ-Day, more than three million troops and over 63 million tons of supplies and materials shipped overseas through the Port. The Port of New York, really eleven ports in one, boasted a devel- oped shoreline of over 650 miles comprising the waterfronts of five boroughs of New York City and seven cities on the New Jersey side. The Port included 600 individual ship anchorages, some 1,800 docks, piers, and wharves of every conceivable size which gave access to over a thousand warehouses, and a complex system of car floats, lighters, rail and bridge networks. Over 575 tugboats worked the Port waters. Port operations employed some 25,000 longshoremen and an additional 400,000 other workers.* Ships of every conceivable type were needed for troop transport and supply carriers. On June 6, 1941, the U.S. Coast Guard seized 84 vessels of foreign registry in American ports under the Ship Requisition Act. To meet the demand for ships large numbers of mass-produced freight- ers and transports, called Liberty ships were constructed by a civilian workforce using pre-fabricated parts and the relatively new technique of welding. The Liberty ship, adapted by New York naval architects Gibbs & Cox from an old British tramp ship, was the largest civilian- 262 EPILOGUE 1941 - PRESENT 263 made war ship. The assembly-line production methods were later used to build 400 Victory ships (VC2)—the Liberty ship’s successor.
    [Show full text]