WASHINGTON – Congresswoman Nita Lowey (D-NY) joined a bipartisan, bicameral coalition of lawmakers today to announce the introduction of legislation to protect the Long Island Sound. The legislation would create a process for selecting and protecting sites along the Sound. It would establish a commission of federal, state, and local government and non-governmental organizations to make preliminary site recommendations, which would then be assessed for preservation potential and cost, and submitted to the EPA for award of grants.
Lowey, an original co-sponsor of the legislation, issued the following statement:
“Those of us who are lucky enough to live near the Sound can hardly imagine what our lives would be like if we didn’t get to experience all that it has to offer. But, the Sound is really only about 11,000 years old - - born yesterday - - by geologists’ standards. We’re lucky that so much of its story happened when humans were able to see it.
“While most of the changes in the Sound have been the result of natural processes - - glacial melting, tidal drainage, and rising sea levels - - we know the sad fact that our own actions have played a role as well. That’s why protecting and enhancing the Sound has always been one of my highest priorities.
“I am proud to have served as a co-chair of the Long Island Sound Caucus, and am so pleased by the continuing work of the group. The Long Island Sound Stewardship Act would create a unique process to identify, protect, and enhance significant sites along the Sound. Together, individuals, local organizations, and government at all levels will use state-of-the art technology to select areas with maximum preservation value and minimum taxpayer cost. Once secured, these sites will serve as recreational and educational safe havens for years to come.
“Theodore Roosevelt, who chose to live on Long Island Sound, reminds us that ‘neither man nor nation can prosper unless, in dealing with present, thought is steadily taken for the future.’ It is in that spirit that we introduce this legislation, and I look forward to working with the members of the Caucus to ensure its swift passage.”
