HABITAT RESTORATION PLAN FOR THE PECONIC ESTUARY prepared by: Habitat Restoration Workgroup Peconic Estuary Program December 15, 2000 The Habitat Restoration Workgroup would like to acknowledge the input and cooperation of the local municipalities and private citizens who took the time and effort to become involved in Workgroup activities. Without their participation and support, completion of this Habitat Restoration Plan would not have been possible. The Peconic Estuary Program is funded in part by the United States Environmental Protection Agency under assistance agreements #CE992002 to Suffolk County Department of Health Services and #CE992066 to the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation. The mention of trade names or commercial products does not in any way constitute an endorsement or recommendation for use. Habitat Restoration Workgroup Chris Pickerell, Cornell Cooperative Extension Marine Program, Co-Chair Nancy Niedowski, New York State Department of State Coastal Program, Co-Chair Members: Rick Balla, United States Environmental Protection Agency, Region Two Emilie Cademartori, Town of Brookhaven Department of Environmental Protection Tom Halavik, United States Fish and Wildlife Service, Coastal Ecosystems Program Scott Hughes, New York State Department of Environmental Conservation Tom Iwanejko, Suffolk County Vector Control Robert Kent, New York Sea Grant Laura Klahre, Suffolk County Department of Health Services, Office of Ecology Ed Lynch, Suffolk County Department of Public Works, Waterways Kevin McAllister, Peconic Baykeeper Matt Sclafani, New York State Department of Environmental Conservation Kim Shaw, Suffolk County Department of Health Services, Office of Ecology Tim Sullivan, Peconic Estuary Program Citizens Advisory Committee Marguerite Wolffsohn, Town of East Hampton Planning Department Participants: David Abatelli, Village of Greenport Marci Bortman, The Nature Conservancy Greg Capobianco, New York State Department of State Coastal Program Karen Chytalo, New York State Department of Environmental Conservation Allan Connell, USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service DeWitt Davies, Suffolk County Planning Department Emerson Hasbrouck, Cornell Cooperative Extension Lisa Holst, New York State Department of Environmental Conservation Andrew Jones, Peconic Estuary Program Citizens Advisory Committee Craig Kessler, Ducks Unlimited Robert Kurtz, United States Army Corps of Engineers Jack Mattice, New York Sea Grant Bob Nyman, United States Environmental Protection Agency, Region Two Larry Penny, Town of East Hampton Natural Resources Department Ken Polinoda, Town of Southold Trustee Office George Proios, Suffolk County Executive Office Steve Ridler, New York State Department of State Coastal Program Sam Sadove, Tradewinds Environmental, Inc. Mike Scheibel, The Nature Conservancy Marty Shea, Town of Southampton Environment Division Laura Smith, Town of Southampton Environment Division Gregg Williams, New York State Department of Transportation Mailing List: Susan Antenen, The Nature Conservancy Inge Becker, Long Island Region State Parks and Recreation Mike Bottini, Group for the South Fork Walter Dawydiak, Suffolk County Department of Health Services, Office of Ecology Jim Drew, Town of Southampton Town Board Sandy Dumais, Cornell Cooperative Extension Marine Program Karen Graulich, New York State Department of Environmental Conservation Joe Hall, Town of Riverhead Planning Department Jeff Kassner, Town of Brookhaven Department of Environmental Protection Sharon Kast, Town of Shelter Island Town Board Darrell Kost, New York State Department of Transportation Kevin McDonald, Peconic Estuary Program Citizens Advisory Committee Jim McMahon, Town of Southold Town Trustees Tom McMahon, USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service Lynn Mendelman, Peconic Estuary Program Citizens Advisory Committee Brian Murphy, Town of Southold Town Board Robert Parris, United States Fish and Wildlife Service Valerie Scopaz, Town of Southold Department of Planning Bill Sickles, Suffolk County Department of Parks Richard Smith, Village of Mattituck The Peconic Land Trust TABLE OF CONTENTS 1. EXECUTIVE SUMMARY .............................................1 2. HABITAT RESTORATION WORKGROUP: PURPOSE & OBJECTIVES ......3 3. DISCUSSION AND RECOMMENDATIONS ..............................5 4. RESTORATION SITE IDENTIFICATION AND EVALUATION PROCESS .....9 5. PRIORITY RESTORATION PROJECTS IN THE PECONIC ESTUARY .......13 6. PRIORITY RESTORATION HABITAT TYPES IN THE PECONIC ESTUARY ...........................................21 Submerged Aquatic Vegetation (SAV) ...................................21 Tidal Wetlands ......................................................23 Beaches and Dunes ..................................................27 Non-tidal Freshwater Wetlands .........................................30 Coastal Grasslands ...................................................33 Estuaries and Estuarine Embayments ....................................35 Riverine Habitat and Migratory Corridors .................................38 Intertidal Mudflats and Sandflats ........................................42 Coastal Forest Communities ...........................................44 7. SPECIAL TOPICS: EELGRASS (ZOSTERA MARINA) RESTORATION .......53 8. SPECIAL TOPICS: OPEN MARSH WATER MANAGEMENT ..............75 9. SPECIAL TOPICS: COMMON REED (PHRAGMITES AUSTRALIS) ..........79 10. SPECIAL TOPICS: ALTERNATIVES TO SHORELINE HARDENING ........91 11. SPECIAL TOPICS: SELECTING AND USING REFERENCE SITES ..........95 12. SPECIAL TOPICS: VOLUNTEER-BASED PROJECTS ....................99 13. POTENTIAL SOURCES OF HABITAT RESTORATION FUNDING .........103 14. ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION FUND AWARDS FOR HABITAT RESTORATION PLANNING .........................................107 15. PROJECT TRACKING AND DATA STORAGE .........................115 16. RESTORATION PROJECT INVENTORY & ABSTRACTS ................117 APPENDIX A ...........................................................131 SPECIES CITED IN THE HABITAT RESTORATION PLAN APPENDIX B ...........................................................137 RANKABLE RESTORATION SITES, ALTERNATIVE LISTINGS APPENDIX C ...........................................................149 COST ESTIMATES APPENDIX D ...........................................................163 RESTORATION SITE NOMINATION SOLICITATION APPENDIX E ...........................................................183 NOMINATED RESTORATION SITE RANKING WORKSHEET APPENDIX F ............................................................191 RESPONSE TO COMMENTS RECEIVED ON DRAFT PLAN APPENDIX G ...........................................................197 NATURAL RESOURCES SUBCOMMITTEE MEMBERSHIP 1. EXECUTIVE SUMMARY The Habitat Restoration Workgroup was convened in September, 1997 to implement priorities identified in the draft Peconic Estuary Program Comprehensive Conservation and Management Plan (CCMP). The workgroup was charged with identifying significant natural habitats with potential for enhancement or restoration, developing overall habitat restoration goals, and identifying and prioritizing locations for potential projects. The draft CCMP identified 16 actions to address habitat restoration and direct the Workgroup. Previous and current restoration activities in the Peconic Estuary have occurred in a wide variety of habitats. To date, approximately 30 sites have been restored or enhanced, and projects generally have been small in size and inexpensive. The Plan provides documentation for previous projects, with brief summaries of work conducted, area restored, costs, and tentative evaluation of success. Priority restoration needs, based on degree of loss and threats, include restoration of eelgrass beds and terrestrial habitats, such as coastal grasslands and forests. Technologies requiring additional research and experimentation with pilot projects include eelgrass restoration, Phragmites australis control techniques, and alternatives to shoreline hardening. Planning and implementing restoration projects in the Estuary is often difficult due to a shortage of technical staff time at the municipal level. Municipalities and habitat types that are underrepresented in the process to date, therefore, should be targeted for technical assistance and project identification. The Workgroup developed a public nomination process to identify potential restoration locations in the Estuary. A total of 91 sites were nominated during the process. A total of 72 sites appropriate for consideration were evaluated and ranked. The highest ranking projects from each of the five towns are listed separately by habitat type. All projects nominated are listed in this Plan. The nomination and evaluation process will continue in the future. Information on the nine priority restoration habitat types identified for the Peconic Estuary is provided in the plan. Habitat characterizations, summaries of functions and impacts, discussions of status and trends in the Estuary, and information on restoration methods are included. Expanded treatment of high priority issues is provided in a series of Special Topics sections, which treat eelgrass restoration, Open Marsh Water Management, common reed control, selection and use of reference sites, development of volunteer-based projects, and alternatives to shoreline hardening. Several available funding sources for habitat restoration activities are identified and described in the Plan. Guidance is provided for developing Environmental