Name: Congress repeals controversial plan to sell Plum Island, wildlife oasis in Long Island Sound
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Congress repeals controversial plan to sell Plum Island, wildlife oasis in Long Island Sound

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AdvertisementBy HartfordDec 28, 2020 at 10:12 amConservationists have won the more than decadelong fight to stop the federal government’s sale of Plum Island, the Long Island Sound home of a government research facility that also has become a pristine wildlife haven.The measure ending the controversial plan to sell the island to the highest bidder was among the many items stuffed into the new massive congressional omnibus spending bill, which also includes the latest COVID-19 financial relief. President Donald Trump signed the bill Sunday.AdvertisementNow conservationists and the Connecticut and New York lawmakers who have fought since 2008 to prevent the sale and development of the island off the eastern edge of Long Island can “finally and fully celebrate” its future preservation, U.S. Sen. Richard Blumenthal said last week.“This exquisite environmental treasure has been spared a headlong rush to sell to the highest bidder,” Blumenthal said. “We will continue to fight to preserve this special gem from future development. Plum Island is a unique environmental resource that is home to hundreds of species of wildlife and numerous important historical sites that must be preserved for future generations to enjoy.”AdvertisementThe 840-acre Plum Island, just 10 miles from Connecticut shores, has for decades been home to the Animal Disease Center federal research facility. The center is kept under such high security that little of the island has been touched by development or visitors, inadvertently creating an oasis for the birds, seals, fish and other wildlife that frequent it.Congress decided in 2008 that the center would move to a new facility Manhattan, Kansas, and ordered the island sold to help pay the $1.25 billion tab, which conservationists feared would lead to the development and likely destruction of the unspoiled habitats there.DailyWe're providing the latest coronavirus coverage in Connecticut each weekday morning. &gt; “The people of Connecticut have long depended upon Long Island Sound’s natural resources – that is why [The Nature] Conservancy works with federal, state and local partners to protect and manage it’s critical coastal and marine habitats,” said Frogard Ryan, The Nature Conservancy’s Connecticut executive director. “I was lucky enough to visit Plum Island to better understand its ecological importance as a haven for migrating seals and shorebirds.”The Nature Conservancy, other environmental groups and lawmakers battled for years to get the government to change course and last year won a one-year halt to any sale. That would have expired at the end of the calendar year, but members of the Connecticut and New York Congressional delegations were able to tack a one-page item repealing the government’s plan to sell the island into the final, 5,593 page omnibus spending bill Congress considered Monday night.“This is a tremendous victory for Plum Island and the people of Connecticut, and it is in large part thanks to the hard work and advocacy of the local groups fighting to protect this ecological treasure,” U.S. Rep. Rosa DeLauro said. “Plum Island is home to a rare natural ecosystem that should never be up for sale to the highest bidder. Congress has an obligation to protect this island and its natural resources.”With the sale of the island no longer on the table, federal agencies are expected to review any possible continued federal uses for the land when the research center moves to its new Kansas facility that is still under construction. If no federal agencies have a suitable plan for the island, ownership could be passed to the state of New York or even to the town of Southold, where officials are on board with plans to preserve its ecosystems.The Conservancy and lawmakers plan to work with the incoming members of President-elect Joe Biden’s administration to conduct those reviews and determine next steps for Plum Island’s future, though the ongoing pandemic and presidential transitions leave all involved without a firm time table, said Holly Drinkuth, Conservancy director of outreach and watershed projects.“There’s so much work left to do, but it’s just so great to finally clear the pathway to finally do that work,” Drinkuth said. “This is just an amazing opportunity.”AdvertisementZach Murdock can be reached at . Advertisement

AdvertisementBy HartfordDec 28, 2020 at 10:12 amConservationists have won the more than decadelong fight to stop the federal government’s sale of Plum Island, the Long Island Sound home of a government research facility that also has become a pristine wildlife haven.The measure ending the controversial plan to sell the island to the highest bidder was among the many items stuffed into the new massive congressional omnibus spending bill, which also includes the latest COVID-19 financial relief. President Donald Trump signed the bill Sunday.AdvertisementNow conservationists and the...

Congress repeals controversial plan to sell Plum Island, wildlife oasis in Long Island Sound

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