The 2024 Year in Review issue of Sound Update highlights some of Long Island Sound Partnership’s projects and achievements from 2024. This issue includes stories about the development, the Long Island Sound Community Impact Fund, and the new Long Island Sound School Network.
Aug. 12, 2025 FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASEMore information: Nancy Balcom, Connecticut Sea Grant associate director, Nancy.balcom@uconn.edu
A survey of more than 3,700 Connecticut and New York residents shows the majority view Long Island Sound as a major asset to the quality of life and economy of the region.
The survey by Connecticut Sea Grant on behalf of the Long Island Sound Partnership was conducted in 2024, 18 years after the first public perceptions survey of the estuary was completed. Survey respondents are residents of the Long Island Sound (LIS) watershed—the land area that drains into the estuary—who are a representative sample of the regional population. Nearly 9 million people live in the LIS watershed.
“General impressions of Long Island Sound are overwhelmingly positive,” said project manager Nancy Balcom, associate director of Connecticut Sea Grant. “Sixty percent of respondents agreed that ‘being near Long Island Sound makes [them] feel peaceful and happier.’ Sixty-one percent said the Sound provides recreational opportunities, 58 percent said it has a positive economic impact on the region, and 60 percent would call Long Island Sound ‘a national treasure.’”
Several questions from the 2006 survey were repeated in 2024 for comparison. For example, they were asked, “From a public health perspective, how safe do you think it is for adults and children to swim in Long Island Sound?” Sixty percent said they view the water as very safe or somewhat safe for swimming, while 26 percent believe it is somewhat unsafe or very unsafe. While still high from a public health perspective, 26 percent is an improvement over the approximately 38 percent who felt that way in 2006. Further, in the 2024 survey, 54 percent of residents said they felt it is safe to eat fish and shellfish from Long Island Sound, while 25 percent believe it is unsafe and 21 percnet were not sure. In 2006, about 41% of those surveyed felt it was unsafe to eat the Sound’s fish and shellfish.
The earlier survey was undertaken by the Stony Brook University Center of Survey Research for the Long Island Sound Study (recently renamed the Long Island Sound Partnership), a cooperative organization of the US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), the Connecticut and New York Sea Grant programs and multiple state agencies and nonprofits focused on restoring and caring for the estuary. The partnership celebrated its 40th anniversary on June 20 with the release of an updated Comprehensive Conservation and Management Plan for the Sound.
Including both a survey and four focus groups, the recent survey was managed by Connecticut Sea Grant in conjunction with many local partners and the consulting firm OpinionWorks of Annapolis, Maryland. Funding was provided by the LIS Partnership and EPA.
While respondents to the recent survey expressed positive feelings about the Sound, only one-third were even aware that they live in the LIS watershed.
“There’s still work to be done here to build awareness of location and connection,” said Balcom. The survey report (https://lispartnership.org/2025/08/2024-public-perception-survey/) shares perceptions on topics ranging from water quality to access, outdoor activities to personal priorities, environmental behaviors to stewardship practices and communication preference. Feedback on renaming the Long Island Sound Study was gathered from the focus group participants.
Among the findings:
“The Long Island Sound Comprehensive Conservation and Management Plan (CCMP) includes a new goal for an Informed and Engaged Public, which focuses on inspiring the public to appreciate, value, and protect Long Island Sound,” said Nicole Tachiki, acting director of the EPA Long Island Sound Office. “Understanding current public perception is the first step in considering how we increase appreciation of the Long Island Sound. These survey results provide a basis for making improvements and assessing our goals.”
The survey release is strategically timed to help guide actions to implement the new CCMP. It will provide ideas for new programming to engage and inform more Connecticut and New York residents living in the LIS watershed and help address identified critical actions outlined in the CCMP that protect and preserve the Sound for all.
This survey sample produces a margin of sampling error of no more than ±1.6 percent at the 95 percent confidence level, meaning that if every adult resident of the region had been interviewed, the actual results could be expected to fall within that margin at least 95 percent of the time.
Connecticut Sea Grant, based at the UConn Avery Point campus in Groton, is one of 34 Sea Grant programs supported by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration in coastal and Great Lakes states that encourage the wise stewardship of our marine resources through research, education, outreach and technology transfer.
The news release was written and distributed by CT Sea Grant on Aug. 12, 2025.
Celebrate 40 years of collaborative conservation on August 16 with the Long Island Sound Partnership. The program, formerly the Long Island Sound Study, marks its 40th anniversary with events events in Connecticut, New York City, and Long Island. Each will include a boat ride to commemorate the Partnership’s start on Aug. 15, 1985 when EPA, the states of Connecticut and New York toured areas of the Sound on a research vessel and announced a $1 million research grant to study pollution and water quality problems plaguing the Sound. The initiative led to the formation of the Long Island Sound Study, which changed its name to the Long Island Sound Partnership this June.
Besides the boat trip, each location will feature hands-on science activities, arts and crafts, and games. All events are from 10 am to 2 pm, include free lunch and desserts, and are free and open to the public. Some activities, including boat rides, require advance registration.
Southeastern Connecticut
Location: UConn Avery PointAddress: 1084 Shennecossett Rd, Groton, CT 06340Highlights: Boat trips with Project Oceanology, touch tanks (from Mystic Aquarium), science stations, games, art, and moreRegister here.
The Bronx
Location: SUNY Maritime Address: 6 Pennyfield Avenue, Bronx, NY 10460Highlights: Boat trip aboard Sea Lab 41, oyster exploration, art activities, raffle prizes, and more. Register here.
Nassau County
Location: The Waterfront CenterAddress: 1 West End Ave., Oyster Bay, NY 11711 Highlights: Boat rides aboard the Ida May, seining, fishing lessons, arts and crafts, morning beach cleanup, and more.Register here.
The Long Island Sound 2024 Public Perceptions Research Study was developed and conducted for Connecticut Sea Grant and the Long Island Sound Partnership to assess residents’ perceptions, knowledge, attitudes, and behaviors related to the Sound.
This comprehensive study consisted of a representative survey of 3,709 residents of Connecticut and the portions of New York State within the Long Island Sound watershed, conducted between June and August 2024, and four focus groups held in October 2024 and January 2025 to better understand important issues that emerged from the survey. This research was developed and conducted in close collaboration with the sponsors by OpinionWorks of Annapolis, Maryland.
Taken together, these two research phases provide a thorough analysis of public perceptions of the Sound, residents’ connections to the Sound and nearby waters, and their interest in and willingness to become more engaged with both the enjoyment and the restoration of Long Island Sound.
The focus groups also provided feedback on whether to rename the program from the Long Island Sound Study. Based on this input, the program was renamed the Long Island Sound Partnership in June 2025. Because the survey and report production began before the name change, the report refers to the Long Island Sound Study rather than our new name, the Long Island Sound Partnership.
Ever felt short of breath after a workout? That winded feeling – like you’re not getting enough oxygen – is called hypoxia.
The same thing can happen underwater. Fish, shellfish, and other marine animals depend on oxygen in the water to survive. When oxygen levels drop, it can mean life or death.
Every summer, parts of Long Island Sound become hypoxic. This condition can drive fish away, harm or kill stationary bottom-dwellers, and disrupt the ecosystem. It’s often referred to as an invisible sign of water pollution because you can’t see it. During extreme hypoxic or anoxic events, there may be large fish kills, which are obvious. But more often, people won’t see the impacts of hypoxia in our waters.
That doesn’t mean we won’t feel the effects, however. Hypoxic events can affect where fish go, how they grow, and their ability to reproduce. These changes can impact fishing success and, ultimately, what ends up on local tables.
Additionally, prolonged exposure to hypoxia can lead to mass mortality in shellfish populations. Shellfish like mussels, oysters, and clams are tolerant of brief periods of low oxygen, but are especially vulnerable to prolonged periods because they can’t escape low-oxygen areas. In 2021, commercial shellfishing in Connecticut brought in over $20 million. When shellfish populations decline, it hurts local harvesters and can drive up prices for consumers.
But if we can’t see it, how do we know it’s there, and more importantly, where it’s going to be? That’s where our new hypoxia StoryMap and public education toolkit come in. These communication tools can help people across the region better understand what’s happening under the surface. Developed with scientists at EPA and partners across the Long Island Sound Partnership, the toolkit brings together the latest data, visuals, and explainer content – including a hypoxia forecasting tool, an animated video, and more.
These resources make it easier than ever to understand what causes hypoxia, why it matters, and how science is helping us respond.
Still, knowing when and where hypoxia will occur has remained a challenge. That’s why scientists scoured decades of monitoring data to develop the forecasting model to predict the extent and severity of hypoxia in the Sound. For 2025, it forecasts that up to 31 square miles of bottom waters could be affected, peaking around August 15.
Even if the forecast isn’t exact, it’s a major leap forward. “This is the first year we’re using the model to forecast hypoxia in Long Island Sound, so it’s a big step forward – even if the forecast isn’t perfect,” said Cayla Sullivan, EPA Habitat and Reporting Coordinator for the Long Island Sound Partnership, and the coordinator in developing the forecast. “The data we gather this season will help us refine the model and improve its accuracy in the future. Each year, we’re getting closer to understanding, and predicting, how hypoxia develops in the Sound.”
And why does that matter? Because better forecasting enables better decisions for resource managers, fishermen, shellfish growers, and anyone who relies on a healthy, productive Sound. It means knowing when and where marine life might be at risk. Making forecasts also challenges scientists to improve their models.
Together, the resources in the toolkit give us new tools to protect life in the Sound and adapt to a changing environment.
We may not be able to see hypoxia, but with tools like these, we can see it coming, and do something about it.
The toolkit is available in the Reduce Nutrients section of the LIS Partnership website.
The Long Island Sound Partnership has announced a new Stewardship Strategy to support the Long Island Sound Stewardship Initiative and its 33 designated Long Island Sound Stewardship Areas.. The Initiative, established in 2006, designated the 33 areas, 17 in Connecticut and 16 in New York, of land and water with outstanding or exemplary scientific, educational, or biological value for protection, management or acquisition. Since 2005, the Partnership has invested a total of $35 million in protecting and restoring habitat, educating the public, and improving access at the different Stewardship Area locations. The development of the Stewardship Strategy reemphasizes the Partnership’s commitment to the Initiative through a series of recommendations driven by the Stewardship Areas’ current challenges, needs, and priorities.
Over the past year, LIS Partnership staff met with Stewardship Area managers to identify challenges, needs, and priorities, which are summarized in the strategy and categorized by the Partnership’s 2025 Comprehensive Conservation and Management Plan goal to identify connections and drive future implementation. Priorities include improving water quality, filling in data gaps through monitoring and research, restoring and protecting important habitat, increasing coastal resiliency, ensuring adequate staffing capacity, improving education and outreach programs, and supporting public access.
The recommendations, derived from Stewardship Area manager discussions, aim to identify, protect, and enhance upland sites within the Long Island Sound ecosystem with significant ecological, educational, open space, public access, or recreational value. Recommendations include developing a Stewardship Network to provide a platform for the site managers and partners to collaborate and communicate on initiatives, projects, and lessons learned; establishing a framework to address existing site-specific challenges, priorities, and needs; revamping a process to identify and add new Long Island Sound Stewardship Areas; and enhancing education and outreach about the Stewardship Initiative. In particular, by developing a network, the Long Island Sound Partnership and Stewardship Area managers and their partners can work together to strengthen partnerships and address site-specific challenges, needs, and priorities to better protect and restore the Sound.
The Partnership recognizes the ecological importance of these sites, their benefits to surrounding coastal communities, and the need for long-term sustainability of investments. Through this strategy, the Long Island Sound Partnership reaffirms its commitment to sustaining viability of Stewardship Sties, by strengthening collaboration, leveraging additional resources and expanding stewardship efforts. The expected outcomes of this network are to increase acres of habitat restored and protected, strengthen community resiliency, and ensure investments last for generations to come.
The Stewardship Strategy is available in the media center of the LIS Partnership website. Information about each of the LIS Stewardship Areas is available in the Long Island Sound section of the website.
The Stewardship Strategy seeks to leverage the potential strength of the network of 33 Stewardship Areas in the Long Island Sound coast that were identified in the 2000s as having outstanding or exemplary scientific, educational, or biological value for protection, management or acquisition. The development of the Stewardship Strategy lays the foundation for building this network by summarizing the site-specific challenges, needs, and priorities at each of the Stewardship Areas, identifying approaches to enhance the collaboration and communication among the managers and partners, and establishing a framework for action to support key priorities and address existing challenges and needs.
Nicole (Nikki) Tachiki was selected on June 20 to serve as Acting Director of the Long Island Sound Partnership.
The announcement was made by EPA Region 2 Regional Administrator Mike Martucci at the Long Island Sound Partnership’s 40th anniversary ceremony in Rye, NY. Tachiki replaces Mark Tedesco, who served as director of the LIS Partnership (formerly known as the Long Island Sound Study) and the EPA Long Island Sound Office from 1996-April 2025.
Since 2019, Tachiki has served as the Strategic Planning Coordinator of the Long Island Sound Partnership with a focus on developing the organization’s Reports to Congress and leading the program through revisions of the Comprehensive Conservation and Management Plan (CCMP). She has served as Special Assistant to the Regional Administrator and previously worked in the Drinking Water and Groundwater Protection Section as a Drinking Water Program Specialist in 2021 and as its Acting Section Supervisor in 2024.
Prior to joining Region 2, Tachiki worked on water quality standards, total maximum daily loads, and listing of impaired waters as the EPA liaison to the Pacific Island Territories and Los Angeles Regional Water Quality Control Board in EPA’s Region 9 office. In EPA headquarters, she worked in the National Estuary Program as an ORISE intern. Before joining EPA, she also interned at the National Audubon Society and White House Council on Environmental Quality. Tachiki received her Bachelor’s degree in Environmental Science from UCLA and her Master’s degree in Environmental Sciences and Policy from Johns Hopkins University.
Rye, NY (June 20, 2025) – Today in Rye, NY, senior officials from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, Connecticut and New York, along with many partners, met to celebrate 40 years of progress in restoring and protecting the Long Island Sound and announced a new plan that sets a 10-year roadmap to revitalize the Sound as an ecological, economic and recreational resource.
Hear Administrator Lee Zeldin highlight the 40th Anniversary of the Long Island Sound Partnership and the signing of the Comprehensive Conservation Management Plan.
At today’s event, EPA and state leadership affirmed support for the Long Island Sound Partnership’s new Comprehensive Conservation and Management Plan (CCMP), the program’s third such plan since 1994. The new plan includes updated metrics to improve water quality, restore and protect habitats and wildlife, support community resilience and sustainability, and inspire people to value and protect Long Island Sound. The Long Island Sound Partnership is the new name for the Long Island Sound Study, which was created in 1985 when Congress enacted legislation to conduct a single study to research, monitor, and assess the water quality of the Sound.
“Today’s celebration highlights decades of progress in protecting the Long Island Sound,” said EPA Region 2 Administrator Michael Martucci. “This work showcases what we can achieve when federal, state, and local partners work together to safeguard clean water and healthy ecosystems for a prosperous community.”
“The Long Island Sound is a national treasure,” said U.S. Representative Grace Meng. “It is home to thousands of different species and migratory birds that are critical to our oceans and coastal ecosystems. For the past 40 years, the EPA and the Long Island Sound Partnership have worked hand in hand to keep this important waterway clean and protect its wildlife and their habitats. I have long advocated for efforts to preserve this important waterway and I am proud to support this new conservation and management plan. It will build on our work to create a healthier and more sustainable future not only for the Sound itself, but the communities that surround it.”
“Throughout my 30-plus years in public service, I have dedicated myself to cleaning up pollution in and around the Long Island Sound, reducing nitrogen emissions from sewage treatment plants and stormwater runoff, and restoring and reseeding shellfishing beds in our harbors,” said U.S. Representative Tom Suozzi. “Since coming to Congress in 2017, I have helped deliver a 1,000% increase in funding to improve the Long Island Sound. I am grateful for the bipartisan and collaborative efforts of many, including the EPA, who have overseen significant improvements in water quality. Protecting and preserving the Long Island Sound, our ‘National Park,’ is a top priority and a shared responsibility, and I am encouraged by the EPA’s commitment to revitalizing the Sound for future generations.”
“As a lifelong Long Islander and proud co-chair of the Long Island Sound Caucus, I know how essential the Sound is to our environment, economy, and way of life. This new 10-year conservation and management plan builds on four decades of bipartisan progress and charts a strong course for cleaner water, restored habitats, and resilient coastal communities,” said U.S. Representative Nick LaLota. “It’s supported by both House Democrats and Republicans who represent districts along the Sound because we all understand what’s at stake. I’m proud to co-lead legislation that reauthorizes and strengthens federal support for this effort, ensuring future generations can enjoy the Sound as we do today.”
“As a state legislator, Westchester County Executive, and now member of Congress, it has always been my priority to improve the water quality in the Long Island Sound for the vitality of our communities,” said U.S. Representative George Latimer. “But an undertaking this significant requires the commitment and collective action from all of those who touch the Sound’s watershed. That’s why I celebrate the successes of the past 40 years and I’m encouraged by the signing of a new 10-year Comprehensive Conservation and Management Plan to protect this critical resource for our communities.”
“The Long Island Sound is one of the Northeast’s most valuable natural resources,” said New York State Department of Environmental Conservation Commissioner Amanda Lefton. “Through four decades of effective collaboration and ongoing restoration, DEC, U.S. EPA, Connecticut, and our local partners are reducing pollution entering the estuary and significantly improving water quality. By working together under the new banner of the Long Island Sound Partnership, and in accordance with the updated management plan, New York is excited to continue this collaborative effort to protect and restore coastal habitats, educate and engage communities, and improve resilience.”
“Today marks a significant anniversary in the fight to preserve and protect Long Island Sound,” said U.S. Senator Richard Blumenthal. “We’ve made great progress, and it’s critical to continue our efforts to safeguard the Sound’s water quality, wildlife, and the recreational activities Connecticut residents cherish. I’ll continue to advocate for this ecological treasure so generations to come can enjoy it.”
“As co-chair of the bipartisan Long Island Sound Caucus, I am proud of the work by our region’s local, state and federal actors to achieve a significant, multigenerational milestone: 40 years of partnership to protect and restore the Long Island Sound,” said U.S. Representative Joe Courtney. “In Congress, I am determined to extend vital Long Island Sound programs by enacting the Long Island Sound Restoration and Stewardship Reauthorization Act in this Congress, which U.S. Representative Nick LaLota and I have cosponsored.”
“The restoration of the Long Island Sound is one of our nation’s great environmental success stories of the last 50 years,” said U.S. Representative Jim Himes. “It was only made possible thanks to the close cooperation between the federal government and the localities and states which border the magnificent body of water. In the years ahead, we must continue to work together to maintain and improve the quality of the Sound so that this shared resource can serve as a place of recreation, economic activity, and biodiversity for generations of Northeasterners to come.”
Since its founding, the Partnership has – through successful implementation of a CCMP – decreased the area of unhealthy levels of dissolved oxygen by half, restored 2,400 acres of coastal habitat, protected an additional 8,000 acres, and reconnected 448 miles of rivers and streams.
Long Island Sound and its coast and watersheds are home to thousands of plants and animal species, and are a recreational treasure for boaters, fishers, birders, and more. Through the decades, the Partnership has launched many programs to protect the Sound and its shoreline. These include a habitat restoration initiative, a Long Island Sound stewardship initiative to help manage critical recreational and ecological areas around the Sound, and a seafloor mapping program to better understand the Sound’s underwater habitats. The Partnership also oversees the Long Island Sound Futures Fund, which has provided millions of dollars in grants to organizations and communities across the Sound’s watershed in Connecticut, New York, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, and Vermont.
For more information about the Long Island Sound Partnership, and to read the CCMP, visit: www.LISPartnership.org.
Access the video of Administrator Lee Zeldin highlight on X.
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On June 20, 2025 the Long Island Sound Partnership celebrated its 40th anniversary at the Jay Heritage Center in Rye, NY. Elected officials joined state and federal agency partners to sign a resolution of support for the program’s new Comprehensive Conservation and Management Plan. The Partnership, formerly called the Long Island Sound Study, also unveiled its new name. Photo by Robert Burg
The day-long event was held on the grounds of the historic property. This was the scene in the morning during registration. Photo by Emma Coffey.
Mark Tedesco, retired director of the EPA Long Island Sound Office, signs in at the registration table. Working at the table are (front) Maggie Cozens, LIS Partnership Outreach Coordinator for CT Sea Grant, and (back) Kate Knight, LIS Project Coordinator for the Connecticut Department of Energy and Environmental Protection (CT DEEP). Photo by Judy Benson.
Katie Dykes, CT DEEP, signs in at the registration table. She is talking to Erica Casper, a science communicator with CT Sea Grant, and Kate Knight, LIS Project Coordinator for CT DEEP. Behind the table is Jimena Perez-Viscasillas, LIS Partnership Outreach Coordinator for NY Sea Grant. Photo by Judy Benson.
About 130 people attended the morning session, which included talks by elected officials, and state and federal agency officials on the importance of Long Island Sound to the region. There also was a press event with top officials expressing their support of the new Comprehensive Conservation and Management Plan and to highlight the program’s successes over the past 40 years. Pictured behind the podium here is Michael Martucci, EPA Region 2 Regional Administrator for New York, New Jersey, Puerto Rico, and the US Virgin Islands. Photo by Lilli Genovesi.
LIS Partners and elected officials stand behind the declaration of support for the Long Island Sound Partnership and the new CCMP. Pictured, left to right in the front row, Suzanne Clary, director, Jay Heritage Center, New York State Assemblyman Steven Otis, CT DEEP Commissioner Katie Dykes, LIS Partnership Science and Technica Co-chair Penny Vlahos, CAC co-chair Nancy Seligson, CAC Co-chair Holly Drinkuth, New York State Department of Environmental Commissioner Amanda Lefton, US Rep. George Latimer, NY-Westchester, CAC member Adrienne Esposito, and New York State Senator Shelly Mayer. In the rear row, left to right, are: EPA Region 2 Regional Administrator Michael Martucci, EPA Region 1 Regional Administrator Mark Sanborn, and CAC member David Miller. Photo by Joy Malone, Getty Images for Jay Heritage Center.
US Rep. Jim Himes, CT-4th district, signs the declaration of support for the CCMP. Behind Himes is a reporter for News 12. Photo by Judy Benson.
The text of the declaration of support for the CCMP.
Nancy Seligson, NY co-chair of the Citizens Advisory Committee was emcee for the celebration. Seligson is a former Supervisor of the coastal Long Island Sound Town of Mamaroneck in Westchester. Photo by Judy Benson.
Nicole Tachiki, acting director of the LIS Partnership, described key points of the new CCMP. As Strategic Planning Coordinator for the Partnership, Tachiki had an important role in developing and drafting the CCMP. Her appointment as acting director was announced by EPA Region 2 Regional Administrator Michael Martucci during the ceremony. Photo by Emma Coffey.
CAC CT co-chair Holly Drinkuth and CAC member Mickey Weiss at the morning session. Drinkuth is the Director of River and Estuary Conservation for the Nature Conservancy in Connecticut. Weiss, a marine scientist, is the founder of Project Oceanology in Groton, CT, and has been active with the LIS Partnership since its beginnings in 1985. Photo by Judy Benson.
CAC member David Miller enjoys a moment during the morning session. Miller is a former CAC co-chair who played an important role in developing the “Listen to the Sound” campaign that amplified the voices of residents from around the Sound who wanted to see the Sound restored. He also helped form the Clean Water Jobs Coalition, a partnership of industry, unions, environmental groups, and government that led to groundbreaking investments in upgrading wastewater treatments and cleaning up Long Island Sound. Behind Miller is Denise Stranko, Executive Vice President of Programs for Save the Sound. Photo by Judy Benson.
Here are some of the EPA officials who attended the ceremony. Pictured, from left to right, Donette Samuel, EPA Senior Public Affairs Specialist, Jennifer May, EPA special project coordinator, Mark Sanborn, Region 1 Administrator, Michael Martucci, Region 2 Administrator, Nicole Tachiki, Acting EPA LIS Partnership Director, Cayla Sullivan, EPA Watershed Management Specialist, Rick Balla, Watershed Management branch manager and Christine Ash, deputy director, water division, Region 2. Photo by Judy Benson.
Left to right, Region 2 Administrator Michael Martucci, CAC member Adrienne Esposito (executive director of Citizens Campaign for the Evironment), Region 1 Administrator Mark Sanborn, CAC Co chairs Nancy Seligson and Holly Drinkuth. Photo by Emma Coffey.
Javier Laureano Perez, water division director for EPA Region 2, talks to Johnathan Bumgarner, director of the USGS New England Science Center during a break in the ceremony. Photo by Lilli Genovesi.
In the afternoon, the program moved to the Carriage House at the Jay Heritage Center. The session started with Mark Tedesco receiving the EPA Distinguished Career Service Award. Tedesco served with EPA for 39 years, beginning his long tenure as director of the EPA Long Island Sound Office in 1996. He retired in April, and is pictured here with Javier Laureano Perez, water division director for EPA Region 2 and Region 2 Administrator Michael Martucci. Photo by Judy Benson.
The afternoon included a panel discussion on the history of the LIS Partnership, its impact on restoring Long Island Sound, and an outlook for the next 10 years. Pictured left to right, are Cayla Sullivan, EPA Watershed Management Specialist, CAC member David Miller, Karen Chytalo, a former Assistant Division Director of Marine Resources at NYSDEC, Mark Tedesco, former director of the EPA Long Island Sound Office, and Sylvain De Guise, director of Connecticut Sea Grant.
Mark Tedesco, former director of the EPA Long Island Sound Office introduces Karen Chytalo, a former Assistant Division Director of Marine Resources at NYSDEC. Her topic for the panel was on how the strong partnership led by EPA and the states of Connecticut and New York drove successful Long Island Sound restoration efforts over the past 40 years. Photo by Lilli Genovesi.
Each of the guests received a four-page “At a Glance” summary of the CCMP. The booklet and the full CCMP are also available as flip books in the media section. Photo by Emma Coffey.
Guests also received a lapel pin with the new name, courtesy of the Jeniam Foundation. Photo by Emma Coffey.
After the speehes and panel discussion ended, guests were offered guided tours of the property’s historic Jay Mansion and gardens and a tour of the adjacent Marshlands Conservancy, a Long Island Sound Stewardship site. Here Suzanne Clary, director of the Jay Heritage Center is pictured with NYSDEC Commissioner Amanda Lefton to her left, Katie Petronis, Deputy Commissioner, Natural Resources, New York State Department of Environmental Conservation and New York State Assemblyman Steve Otis to her right. Photo by Joy Malone, Getty Images for Jay Heritage Center.
LIS Partnership staff led a guided walk on a trail at Marshlands Conservancy, which is adjacent to the Jay Heritage Center and is a Long Island Sound Stewardship site. Pictured is an archive photo of a lookout to Milton Harbor and Long Island Sound along the trail. Photo by Allison Beall/Westchester County Parks.
The driveway at the Jay Heritage Center. Photo by Robert Burg.
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