November 2022 Newsletter
We have so much to celebrate this month. First, an essay written by Nick Bryan, APC board member, about the removal of a very invasive stand of bamboo at the Nany Kelley Nature Preserve and the people who made this happen.
Next, Chris Ganitsch describes a new water quality project APC is supporting.
Finally, my update on the Louse Point Stormwater Remediation and Restoration Project.
The Nancy Kelley Nature Preserve, 880 Springs Fireplace Road
(Photos courtesy of Patrice Dalton)
Back in October 2021 East Hampton Town agreed to name a preserve on Springs Fireplace Road for Nancy Nagle Kelley, a longtime advocate for land preservation and stewardship on the East End, who died in August, 2021. Ms. Kelley was the director of the Long Island chapter of The Nature Conservancy from 1999 until two years ago. Under her leadership, the chapter helped raise billions of dollars for land preservation here and around the world, her family told The East Hampton Star. She lobbied and partnered with state and local governments to preserve tens of thousands of acres of unique Long Island habitats and open spaces. According to Bob DeLuca, president of the Group for the East End, “she’s got to be in the top tier of anybody who’s made a difference in this region’ and that without her advocacy, “the overall density of this region would be more than double what it is now.”
The other day, I went looking for the Preserve. It is the former 3.2-acre Maloney CPF property at 888 Springs Fireplace Road. There is no sign or street number to denote the Preserve. I stopped by the house on the north side of the Merrill Lake Preserve and met owner Geoffrey Drummond. I asked about the Preserve, and its location, which is several hundred yards behind his home. He told me that he had from time to time done some bamboo removal there. (Some folks do plant bamboo, but it is a serious and destructive invasive). He suggested that I walk through his property to access the Preserve. I thanked him but chose to find and take the public access, which I discovered was through the path on the right side of the Merrill Lake Preserve to the first path on the left. There is a small sign for the Preserve a short walk on that path.
I later learned that Mr. Drummond was the resident catalyst in getting this project started. He made official requests to the Town Board for extensive bamboo removal and, before that (and since) he has been a part of the Adopt-a-Preserve program. In addition to cleaning up the property, he keeps in touch with the town’s Land Acquisition and Management Office regarding other Preserve needs.
Andrew Drake, Senior Environmental Analyst from that office is the lead on the bamboo removal from 0.55 acres of the property. The initial removal project was let out to bid and awarded to Jackson Dodds and completed in early April of this year. The bamboo species is Phyllostachys aureosulcata, known commonly as yellow groove bamboo. The bamboo that was removed was carted to the Recycling and Disposal by the contractor.
Since that time, Mr. Drake and colleague Andrew Gaites, Principal Environmental Analyst, have been cutting, mowing the bamboo and leaving the minimal material onsite. After the initial removal of bamboo and scraping of the area, they spread an abundance of native grass and wildflower seeds while the ground was still soft and disturbed. According to Mr. Drake, “we have since been aggressively managing the area to discourage new growth of bamboo. This growing season, we re-visited the site eleven times for removal of new shoots, using different methods. Originally, we were able to use grass whip cutters to remove the sparsely grown in thick soft shoots. As we continued this practice, the shoots began to reappear more abundantly but thinner and grass-like, so we transitioned to mowing with our brush cutter in late spring. We have also been experimenting using different ground covers to restrict new growth which we may implement in a broader way going forward”. Fortunately, the town has an open Department of Environmental Conservation tidal wetlands permit which allows for continued above ground removal of bamboo in this area until 2027.
From the Preserve, there is a stunning, placid vista of Accabonac Harbor, with Gerard Drive serving almost as a horizon. Somehow, the only human made structure that stands out is the osprey nest in the north end of the Harbor. As I stood there, I was reminded of how important the Harbor has been to me for so many years. Thank you, Nancy, and all those whose efforts have provided me with such experiences.
We at the APC herald the work of Mr. Drake and Mr. Gaites and the Office of Land Acquisition and Management, led quite capably by Scott Wilson. They are continuing the work to which Nancy Kelley dedicated her life. The Town recently acquired a number of properties on the Harbor side of Gerard Drive – former home sites, restored to their natural state, and now open the public. The land now mirrors the original Accabonac Harbor shoreline before there was a Gerard Drive, when the land was called Cape Gardiner… and before that Fireplace Beach.
We urge you to visit of these properties that are open to us, and enjoy the views of our beautiful Accabonac Harbor. Remember to silence your cell phones … and other electronic devices.
Nicholas Bryan, Member of the Board,
November 2022
Springs Presbyterian Church
Storm water runoff from surrounding roadways remains an issue in this vulnerable Accabonac marsh area, potentially bringing contaminants including bacteria, heavy metals, oil and grease into Accabonac Harbor.
We also are aware that traditional sanitary systems overburden Accabonac with excess nitrogen contributing to ecological degradation of the harbor.
In order to address this problem, APC has provided a small financial grant to the Springs Presbyterian Church to be used to develop two engineering conceptual plans designed to mitigate these problems.
These conceptual plans will then be used to pursue grant monies through the CPF water quality grant program which, if approved by the Town Board, would finance these projects.
We wish to thank our APC donors and the Springs Presbyterian Church for their efforts in moving these two important projects forward.
Chris Ganitsch, APC Vice President
Louse Point Project
In August of 2021, I wrote a letter on behalf of the APC to the Star questioning the appropriateness of a recycled asphalt material that was used to pave the Louse Point parking lot. I am very happy to report that the recycled asphalt product has been removed from the parking lot, replaced with a gravel type material.
The Department of Natural Resources defined the project plan with input from the the Nature Preserve Committee and the Accabonac Protection Committee. The objective is to minimize asphalt-related run-off into Accabonac Harbor and bolster Louse Point’s dunes and vegetation to resist the storm-related erosion that occurs each winter. The first phase included the removal of the recycled asphalt.
The construction is not over. At this time, Louse Point Road is closed to traffic past the launch ramp. The project is scheduled to be completed by early next spring. So far, it is on track to be a wonderful restoration project.
Donations
Please remember APC in your donation planning. We are a 5013C. We use all donations to achieve our mutual objectives for Accabonac Harbor and its watershed. Your donations of any amount really matter. Donating is simple. Go to our website www.accabonac.org. You can register to get our mailings, like this newsletter, or to make a donation.
Have a look at upcoming events on our calendar. There is a walk, led by Richard Whelan on Gerard Drive on Saturday November 26th. See details on our calendar.
We welcome your suggestions and comments, please send an email to accabonacprotection@gmail.com
Hope to see you around the Harbor.
Patrice Dalton, President
Accabonac Protection Committee
