Stewardship Initiative

In 2006, following years of efforts  by the long island sound partnership Stewardship Work Group (now the Habitat Restoration and Stewardship Work Group) and its partners, the Long Island Sound Stewardship Initiative was formally established by Congress to help protect the diverse plants and animals that live in or near the estuary. Among the Initiative’s first steps was the designation of 33 places in Long Island Sound with unique ecological and recreational value as Stewardship Areas. Since then, the Partnership has been active in assisting states and municipalities with acquiring lands near Stewardship Areas (as well as other Long Island Sound natural areas) to protect wildlife and habitats from encroaching development. Additionally, the Partnership has worked to provide grants through the Long Island Sound Futures Fund (LISFF) to help managers develop conservation plans and implement stewardship projects. In 2024, the Partnership began development of a Stewardship Strategy to provide a framework for the management and use of  Stewardship Areas while enhancing collaboration and communication among site managers.

If you live near the Long Island Sound coast, chances are you live near a Stewardship Area. Find out a Stewardship Site near you by exploring our  Stewardship Atlas. From the interactive map, click on a Stewardship Area to see more information about the ecological and recreational value of the designated area.  As you explore the Stewardship Areas, notice that they are not strictly defined. Each area includes one or more Stewardship Sites, which are parcel-specific locations that represent the values or features for which that area is being highlighted.

Protecting Open Space

Connecticut and New York have acquired and protected more than 4,800 acres in the Long Island Sound coastal boundary since 2015. In the revised 2025 CCMP, the Partnership has committed to protecting an additional 5,000 acres by 2035. The EPA, through the Long Island Sound Partnership, provides financial support for acquisitions as well as through LISFF. Since 2015,  LISFF has awarded over $4 million to projects that enhance these stewardship areas, such as constructing living shorelines and green infrastructure improvements.

Successes at Sunken Meadow State Park

In the 1950s a manmade berm was created in Sunken Meadow Creek which cut off tidal flow to the creek leading to water quality and habitat issues. Multiple organizations, such as Save The Sound and the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation, began drawing up plans in 2012 to remove this berm and begin restoration. Hurricane Sandy swept through New York later that year which resulted in one beneficial outcome— the storm surge took out the berm and restored tidal flow to the creek. This allowed these partners already working on removing the berm to pivot their plans and begin working on habitat restoration.

With funding from the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation, a restoration plan was developed for the site which included tidal wetland restoration, fish passage feasibility studies, an 18-acre parking lot green infrastructure retrofit, education and outreach. This transformational project was completed in 2019, restoring and protecting over 135 acres within the park. This was accomplished through controlling invasives while restoring the native grasses and retrofitting 16.6 acres of parking lot with green infrastructure such as adding two constructed wetlands. This was a multi-million dollar and multi-year effort that brought together many partnering organizations to accomplish this ambitious work.

Explore the Sound!

In 2006, the LIS Partnership published a Stewardship Atlas that highlighted the ecological and recreational importance of the Long Island Sound Stewardship Areas. A few years later an on-line Atlas was produced with more information on what to explore in and around the Stewardship Sites. The Atlas also includes, photos, videos, and trail maps. You can find it on the LIS Partnership website.