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.

EPA, states of New York and Connecticut and many partners meet to sign resolution of support for new Comprehensive Conservation and Management Plan, and unveil Long Island Sound Partnership’s refreshed name and logo.

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.

Follow EPA Region 2 on X, Instagram, and visit our Facebook page. For more information about EPA Region 2, visit our website.

EPA, states of New York and Connecticut and many partners meet to sign resolution of support for new Comprehensive Conservation and Management Plan, and unveil Long Island Sound Partnership’s refreshed name and logo.

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.

Follow EPA Region 2 on X, Instagram, and visit our Facebook page. For more information about EPA Region 2, visit our website.

Nicole Tachiki, a Strategic Planning Coordinator for the Long Island Sound Partnership, helped coordinate the drafting of the revised 2025 Comprehensive Conservation and Management Plan. In this article, she describes the key points of the new plan.

The 2025 Long Island Sound Comprehensive Conservation and Management Plan (CCMP) reflects the collective expertise and passion of those who work, play, visit, and live in the Long Island Sound watershed. The Plan contains the program’s new vision statement “Long Island Sound and its watershed have clean waters, healthy habitats, thriving wildlife, resilient coasts, and an engaged public.” The mission statement is “The Long Island Sound Partnership leads a collective effort to restore and care for the Sound and its watershed.” Core values to guide the Partnership’s operation and activities include actionable science, respect and trust, and adaptive management.

The revised CCMP outlines the Partnership’s goals, objectives, and actions to protect and restore the Long Island Sound. Those familiar with the 2015 CCMP will recognize the three overarching goals of Clean Waters and Healthy Watersheds, Thriving Habitats and Abundant Wildlife, and Sustainable and Resilient Communities. New to the 2025 CCMP is the fourth goal of an Informed and Engaged Public, which emphasizes the importance of having people in the watershed participate in caring for the Sound. The 2015 CCMP included a goal for Sound Science and Inclusive Management. This is no longer a standalone goal because the Partnership believes sound science and inclusive management should be reflected across the program goals and activities.

Under each goal, the objectives describe the aspirational outcomes the Partnership plans to achieve in the next ten years. The objectives have one or more defined measures of success structured to be Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Relevant, and Time-bound (a framework known as SMART). Indicators of progress have also been identified to provide supporting data and insight into the progress made toward achieving the goals. Each objective has corresponding actions, which describe the broad and strategic activities to be accomplished in the next five years to achieve the objective. The streamlined organizational structure of goals, objectives, and actions simplifies the program’s ability to track CCMP implementation and will allow the Partnership to communicate progress in a meaningful and efficient way. Detailed descriptions of the CCMP objectives and actions are included in the CCMP appendices.

Long Island Sound Partnership staff, collaborators, and members of the public contributed to the major revision of the CCMP. Since the Fall of 2023, the program has worked arduously to write the new Plan. The Partnership formed four writing teams comprised of subject matter experts to inform the development of objectives and actions under the corresponding four CCMP goals. Over 60 individuals participated on the writing teams and contributed their expertise to drafting the Plan’s content. In the Spring of 2024, seven public engagement sessions were held to hear from Long Island Sound watershed residents about their priorities and interests. A total of 135 individuals participated in these engagement sessions and provided feedback to inform the Plan. During the 60-day CCMP public comment period in the Fall of 2024, the Partnership received 245 public comments from 31 commenters. Program staff reviewed and responded to each comment, revising CCMP text where appropriate, which further strengthened the Plan’s content. The Partnership is grateful to everyone who attended public meetings, provided comments, shared their expertise, and informed the CCMP development process. The Long Island Sound Partnership is excited to move forward with a focus on taking action to implement this plan for the next 10 years.  

Read the full plan in flip book or PDF formats in the media center. The media center also has articles introducing the Clean Waters and Healthy Watersheds, Thriving Habitats and Abundant Wildlife, and Informed and Engaged Public goals.

Cayla Sullivan, EPA’s Habitat and Reporting Coordinator for the Long Island Sound Partnership, describes past accomplishments in the LIS Partnership’s goal to achieve Thriving Habitats and Abundant Wildlife for Long Island Sound, and the outlook for new successes under the 2025 Comprehensive Conservation and Management Plan.

In the last decade, Long Island Sound Partnership has restored 736 acres of coastal habitat, reconnected 140 river miles, and protected 5,807 acres of open space. The benefits of these achievements are invaluable as this habitat provides resources for important fish, migratory birds, and other wildlife, protects coastal communities from extreme weather events, generates economic stability and longevity, and enhances the quality of life for so many residents and visitors. Through the implementation of the 2025 Comprehensive Conservation and Management Plan, the Partnership strives to not only continue this trajectory of restoration success, but also build upon these achievements through the following objectives: Coastal Habitat, Offshore Habitat, Habitat Connectivity, and Conserved Open Space. While the ultimate intent of these objectives is to continue restoring coastal habitats, increasing habitat connectivity, reconnecting river corridors, and protecting and acquiring open space land, the Partnership also aims to advance new initiatives driven by science.

Under the Coastal Habitat objective, the Partnership is prioritizing to implement and advance innovative restoration techniques, increase the installation of living shorelines, and support monitoring and research to better understand changes related to coastal habitat and their wildlife. More specifically, the Partnership is building collaboratives to enhance communication, strengthen partnerships, transfer knowledge, and develop targeted strategies for success. For example, the Long Island Sound Eelgrass Management and Restoration Strategy, published in 2022, is currently being implemented to better protect and restore eelgrass in Long Island Sound. Projects are underway focusing on mapping and monitoring eelgrass extent and health, modeling suitable sites for restoration, conducting large-scale and long-term restoration using seeds, and enhancing regional communication and collaboration.

To enhance biodiversity and support migratory pathways for important wildlife, under the Habitat Connectivity objective, the Partnership will implement more mapping and modeling tools to identify restoration and protection opportunities, continue to reconnect river miles with focus on removing stream barriers, and enhance regional collaboration and communication to effectively leverage resources. Additionally, new initiatives building upon previous success include the development of a network of partners to leverage resources and strategically target stream restoration activities that will maximize received benefits.

Under the Conserved Open Space objective, the Partnership will not only continue to protect high-priority coastal habitat through land acquisition, but also enhance the quality of existing protected areas. These enhancements will include restoring existing habitat, increasing and upgrading public access, and promoting stewardship activities to better connect residents and visitors to the Sound. In June 2025, the Partnership developed a Stewardship Strategy to help implement and support the Long Island Sound Stewardship Initiative. The strategy lays the foundation for building this network by summarizing the site-specific challenges, needs, and priorities at each of the 33 Stewardship Areas, identifying approaches to enhance the collaboration and communication among the site managers and partners, and establishing a framework for action to support key priorities and address existing challenges and needs

Since 2012, the Long Island Sound Partnership has been mapping the deeper parts of the Sound through the Seafloor Habitat Mapping Initiative. Mapping results identified the need to restore and protect habitat beyond the shallow waters of the Sound and assisted in the development of the newer Offshore Habitat objective. This objective focuses on implementing more restoration and management projects to help protect the seafloor habitats and their wildlife.  The Partnership will promote more data driven marine spatial planning, complete the mapping of the entire Long Island Sound seafloor, and enhance stewardship and restoration that emphasize community engagement.

While the Partnership has successfully met restoration and management goals identified in the 2015 Comprehensive Conservation and Management Plan, this new 2025 plan highlights that there is much more work to be done. These objectives emphasize the importance of not only continuing and accelerating habitat restoration and protection, but also strengthening partnership and ensuring that previous investments last for generations to come.

The Thriving Habitats and Abundant Wildlife goal is available on page 19 of the CCMP.

Karen Chytalo served in various positions for the Long Island Sound Study (now Partnership) for 20 years from 1986 to 2006. In this article, she describes the importance of the bi-state and federal partnership in restoring and caring for the Sound.

First, congratulations to the Long Island Sound Study, now the Long Island Sound Partnership, for 40 years of a successful partnership and many more years to come.  The LIS Partnership is like a car, while the rear-view mirror is small, the front windshield is large.  Got to keep moving, planning, researching, monitoring and implementing because so much more needs to be accomplished to restore this significant resource.

The Long Island Sound Study began in 1985, when Congress appropriated funds for the U.S. EPA and the states of New York and Connecticut to research, monitor, and assess the water quality of the Sound.  The Long Island Sound Study focused on environmental problems that were Soundwide and required a bi-state response.  Much needed funds were provided to hire staff to initiate the planning and monitoring so that we could understand “why” the Sound was having numerous, multi-species summertime fish kills and colorful algal blooms as well as other problems.  As in all successful partnerships, everyone brought something to the table.  Connecticut had a large-sized vessel that is sea-worthy and could monitor the Sound for water quality and fishery resources.  New York was investigating the fish kills and passed numerous bond acts to implement eventual plan actions (most significantly $200 million for LIS in 1996).  EPA had the funds and leadership to establish a workable partnership to include technical experts and concerned organizations.

In 1987, Congress approved Clean Water Act amendments to establish the National Estuary Program to protect and restore water quality and living resources of estuaries of national significance.  The Governors of Connecticut and New York submitted a nomination to EPA to be officially included in this program.  In 1988, Long Island Sound was designated an estuary of national significance.  We became one of 28 estuaries with this designation, and among the first four designated.  In 1990, Congress passed the LIS improvement Act to complete drafting the initial plan and oversee plan implementation. To guide implementation the program completed its first Comprehensive Conservation and Management Plan in 1994.  

After much work monitoring and modeling the water quality of the sound, not to mention many intense meetings, EPA approved New York’s and Connecticut’s Total Maximum Daily Load plan to achieve nitrogen load reduction targets.  No states had ever developed such a plan for a large body of water.  It was a big deal that included complicated consent orders and permits.   Our habitat restoration effort was also huge that required a lot of municipal and public involvement as well as permits.  Numerous projects were identified, some shovel ready with sponsors and others that required more planning.  While New York’s  earlier bond acts only funded implementation, EPA funded the planning to prepare restoration projects to be implemented.  Team work! 

Through the years, numerous state laws intersected with the LIS Partnership action plans such as the state’s open space management plans.  Federal, state, municipal and non-profit dollars were used to acquire significant habitats around the sound.  These are just a few examples on how you develop, update and implement a plan through a successful federal and state partnership.  You work together, add money, you get the job done.

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In this article, Lilli Genovesi, an outreach specialist for the LIS Partnership, explains the importance of citizen engagement in restoring and caring for Long Island Sound.

Everywhere you look, Long Island Sound is showing signs of recovery. Decades of collaboration and commitment have led to cleaner waters, lower nitrogen levels, and healthier ecosystems. “Almost 20 years ago, a family friend told me stories about growing up and watching dolphins swim in the Sound,” recalls Rob Crafa, Waterfront Director at Maritime College, State University of New York, in the Bronx. “At the time, I never imagined we’d see that again—but today, and over the past few years, we’ve watched pods of dolphins return, along with thriving fish populations, diverse bird life, and even the occasional whale.” Stories like this are becoming more common, but the work is far from finished. In 2025, the Long Island Sound Partnership is taking a bold new step forward.

This year marks the release of the revised Comprehensive Conservation and Management Plan (CCMP) for Long Island Sound, and for the first time ever, the plan includes a major new focus: fostering an informed and engaged public. This forward-thinking goal recognizes that protecting the Sound is not only about science and policy—it’s about people.

The new goal outlines three key areas that will help deepen public connection to the Sound and expand who gets to be part of its restoration story: public access, education, and stewardship.

Expanding Access to a Cleaner Sound

One of the clearest signs of the Sound’s recovery is the improved water quality—and people are eager to enjoy it. Throughout 2023 and 2024, one of the major topics that came up at community meetings held by the LIS Partnership was a need for better access to the Sound. That’s why the CCMP now emphasizes public access as a priority, with a commitment to improving and enhancing places along the coast where communities can connect with the water. Whether through parks, boat launches, or walking trails, access to clean, safe, and welcoming shorelines supports both human well-being and environmental awareness.

Educating Across the Watershed

The CCMP’s education objective aims to reach learners of all ages—from students and teachers to non-formal educators and curious individuals throughout the watershed. By expanding access to resources, programs, and science-based information, this effort will empower people to understand the Sound’s unique ecology and their role in protecting it.

Building a Culture of Stewardship

Many people are looking for ways to get involved, and the stewardship component of the new goal creates more opportunities to take action. From beach cleanups to monitoring fish migration, the LIS Partnership is seeking ways to engage volunteers and community members with hands-on conservation projects, actions, and sustainable practices that make a positive difference. It’s about creating a pathway for participation inviting everyone to take part in conservation and stewardship.

A Sound Future, Together!

While the progress is worth celebrating, the challenges ahead—rising temperatures, sea level rise, and shifting habitats—require an informed and engaged public more than ever. The 2025 CCMP reflects this need by inviting broader, more inclusive partnerships and elevating the role of public involvement in conservation.

Through a vision of “learn more, love more, and do more” together, we can ensure that Long Island Sound continues to recover, thrive, and serve locals, visitors, and appreciators from across the country.

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Sylvain De Guise, Director of Connecticut Sea Grant, describes the role of scientific research in achieving the LIS Partnership’s goals of restoring the Sound. He contributed this article for the LIS Partnership.

Since 2008, the Long Island Sound Partnership has invested $11.7M in 35 research projects related to Long Island Sound. That is a significant investment, and since that time, the program I lead, Connecticut Seat Grant, has worked in partnership with New York Sea Grant to manage it. I would like to invite you to reflect with me on the value of this investment and what it means for the health of Long Island Sound and the communities that depend on it.

Before discussing the value of research, however, it is important to understand process for selecting the supported projects. It starts with gathering input from the research and management communities to identify the most pressing issues and how they align with the Long Island Sound Partnership Comprehensive Conservation and Management Plan (CCMP). Next, we issue a call for proposals. Researchers submit their ideas, which undergo a thorough peer-review process. Independent scientists and a panel of experts evaluate each of the proposals for the responsiveness to the priorities identified and the scientific soundness of the proposed approach. This review process is as comprehensive and thorough as that of other national programs and agencies such as the National Institutes of Health and the National Science Foundation. Only the most promising, scientifically sound projects are selected for funding.

The next question is how valuable is the outcome of supporting research projects to address Long Island Sound Partnership’s vision for the Sound: waters that are clean, clear, safe to swim in, and charged with life. 

Let’s start with water quality. One of the goals of the LIS Partnership is to improve water quality by reducing nutrient loads from the land and the waters impacting Long Island Sound. Research funded by the Partnership has deepened our understanding of where nitrogen comes from and how it moves through the Sound and its embayments. Projects also assess how nitrogen is processed in the water column and in sediments through complex biogeochemical studies. Insights from these studies feed into predictive models that help with management efforts. We’ve also learned how different micro-algae respond to nutrients and changing environmental conditions—knowledge that helps us better understand harmful algal blooms that cause health hazards to humans and fish. Research that tracks bacterial pathogens helps us develop preventive measures to reduce beach closures.  And we’ve obtained information on how to prevent excess nitrogen from both natural process and human behaviors from reaching the Sound. We use this information to develop educational campaigns that are timed and targeted to be most effective.

One project even measured how long it take for actions to result in measurable environmental change, and we are now using satellite data to track progress. With all this new knowledge, it is not surprising that scientists agree that the overall water quality in Long Island Sound continues to improve.

Another major goal of the LIS Partnership is to restore and protect the Sound’s ecosystems so they remain healthy, productive, and resilient. Two such critical habitats are eelgrass beds and salt marshes. Research is showing us how we can improve sediment conditions to promote eelgrass beds, which are essential for juvenile fish. Other studies are contributing to our understanding of how changing environmental conditions affect salt marshes. This information helps us develop science-based salt marsh restoration efforts. Additionally, we are learning about food webs and relationships between species and how changing habitats influence fish distribution and migrations. Finally, other projects assess the impacts of emerging threats such as microplastics and the “forever chemicals” PFAS on the inhabitants of the Sound. Together, this work provides a comprehensive assessment of both the threats and opportunities for the health of Long Island Sound.

Finally, let’s not forget the people. The LIS Partnership aims to support vibrant, informed, and engaged communities. After all, we can’t protect the Sound without people who appreciate and care about it. One current research project is exploring how transportation access affects people’s ability to reach and enjoy the Sound, and how that shapes their willingness to protect it.

In closing, these examples show how research supports every aspect of the Long Island Sound Partnership, from improving water quality and habitats to engaging the public. This work is fundamental to achieving both short-term progress and long-term sustainability. I hope you agree that continued investment in basic and applied research is critical to understanding and protecting Long Island Sound today and for generations to come.

For more information about projects funded by the LIS Partnership, visit the LIS Partnership Research Grant Program web page.

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In this article, Kelly Streich describes the development of the Clean Waters and Healthy Watershed Goal for the 2025 Comprehensive Conservation and Management Plan. Streich, an environmental analyst with the CT Department of Energy and Environmental Protection (CT DEEP), served in 2023 and 2024 as a co-lead in developing the goal.

On a crisp February morning in 2023, a small but determined group came together to tackle a big task: to develop the Clean Waters and Healthy Watersheds goal section in the Long Island Sound Comprehensive Conservation and Management Plan – a living blueprint for the future of the Urban Sea. This living blueprint would guide the actions of the Long Island Sound Partnership for the next ten years. The Partnership’s Management Committee approved the task in late 2022, and under their direction a revision oversight committee was formed. This committee provided recommendations for writing teams which promoted consistency across the CCMP goals. Evaluations of ecosystem targets and progress on the 2020 action items were also provided. These materials served as background for the writing team to consider and as catalysts to aid in formulating the next steps for the Clean Waters and Healthy Watershed goal.

Our writing team consisted of sixteen professionals from academia, state and federal governments, non-profit organizations, and interstate commissions. Each member brought a unique and representative perspective to our team which contributed to a more holistic approach to addressing the ecosystem health of Long Island Sound and its watershed. Over the course of seven months, we met every other week and worked through a logical process to develop a focused vision for the Clean Waters and Healthy Watershed goal. Between team meetings, four writing team leads worked to summarize meeting notes, complete action items, and prepare for the next full team meeting (in other words – these four individuals kept the ball rolling!).

The Clean Waters and Healthy Watersheds goal statement was the topic of our first meeting where we worked to develop and refine this statement. Next, we selected and prioritized the major objectives. We started with three broad categories (Nutrients, Bacteria, Emerging Contaminations). Discussion to ensure that all pressing issues will be represented and addressed resulted in name changes, splitting of one category, and the addition of a new category. The final categories are Nutrients, Watershed Health, Pathogens, Toxic Contaminants, Marine Debris. The new category, Watershed Health is improved by a combination of actions, from land protection to stormwater management and treatments applied to developed land for the purpose of water quality. Our writing team agreed that this objective is important enough to call out. We voted on all five categories and prioritized them as follows: Nutrients, Watershed Health, Pathogens, Toxic Contaminants, and Marine Debris. With that settled, it was time to prepare technical explanations, measures of success, and statements for each objective. We also worked each objective through the SMART process. This process is a goal-setting framework that stands for Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Relevant, and Time-bound. It helps with defining clear and effective goals and increases the likelihood of success, which in our case is to “Restore and Maintain Water Quality in Long Island Sound and its Watershed.” The approach required a more detailed lens which the expertise of our team contributed greatly to thus ensuring that our goal will be met. 

Moving on to preparation of the action items. The 2020 CCMP included 40 action items, and our writing team was tasked with preparing no more than 15 action items. We are proud to report that we came in under the target with a total of 14 actions!  The specifics of each action were prepared by our writing team in terms of the description, partners, funding sources and needs, and performance measures to support success in achieving the goal.

In addition to developing scientific and technical support for the Clean Waters and Health Watersheds goal, our writing team also considered clarity and significance to people throughout the watershed. We wanted to craft a triple-E plan (enlightening, encouraging, and engaging). Preparation of this living blueprint for the urban sea also included outreach events and a public comment period to hear from people all around the Long Island Sound watershed. Additionally, a website was made available for people to provide their concerns and thoughts. The writing team considered all input that was provided when preparing the living blueprint. We also reviewed all public draft comments and made changes to the draft document where appropriate. This inclusive process incorporates local concerns and works to find solutions that support the water quality goal for Long Island Sound and its watershed. 

The Clean Waters and Healthy Watersheds goal is on page 14 of the CCMP.

Streich is CT DEEP’s technical support lead for the LIS Partnership’s goal to reduce nutrients delivered to Long Island Sound under the Total Maximum Daily Load Plan and Second-Generation Nitrogen Strategy. She has worked on LIS Partnership activities for CT DEEP since 2008.