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HomeMy WebLinkAbout11/2002 FISHERS ISLAND CONSERVANCY, INC. BOX 553 FISHERS ISLAND, NEW YORK 06390 Late November, 2002 Dear Fishers Islander: Since our last fund-raising letter, several disparate threads of environmental interest came together over Fishers Island, and by this years approaching end had coalesced into four main strands. These were first, the efforts of the Conservancy to save the lobster industry around the Island; second, supporting studies by ourselves and others as to knowledge of the possihle causes of lobster shell disease in regional and local waters; thirdly, by trying to protect the enviroml'ental regulations that protect the waters of Fishers Island and Long Island Sounds; and fourthly, by trying to set up a week-long program of environmental awareness events for the whole Island next summer, including a major dramatic production at the Island's movie theatre. As for further detail on these primary points, we have been trying to set up a special lobster conservation zone around Fishers Island so that our lobstermen can at least exist - even with judicially mandated com- petition (ruinous, as it has turned out) from Montauk and Connecticut lobstermen. Despite reassurance from Albany politicians, this Fishers Island Special Management Area (or FISMA) has yet to be imple- mented as of this writing, and the resultant uncertainty and near chaos has played hob with the Fishers Island lobstermen - many of whom have now taken other jobs. Our policy here is to a) do what we can to help our beleaguered lobstermen get hack on their feet by pushing to immediately set up the FISMA, and b) to follow up on our now-completed lohster study on shell disease by sharing data with other recent lobster investigations that strangely enough blame recent lobster deaths in Long Island Sound on seasonal over-warming of the salt water (e.f. New York Times. 11/0(102). Whether we agree with this thesis or not. it is noteworthy that Conservancy Board mcmher Edllornillg has taken daily water temperature readings in Silver Eel Pond (fronting on Eastern Long Island Sound) for over 20 years. As a result. I think our Conservancy will have something constructive to add to the debate currently raging as to why so many lobsters all over the Sound are afllicted With so many prohlems. evcn though healthy lohsters caught in the Fishers Island arca are still OK to cat. Will we push on. here') Of course. With all your help we will pull some irons out of the fire in 2003. Certainly the matter is still salvageable and most urgent. Another major project mentioned in this letler deals with "Environmental Awareness Week" scheduled for July 18-24. 2003. A very energetic Conservancy Committee led hy John McGillian and Barbie Riegel have scheduled a major theatrical event on the lil'c 01' environmental pioneer Rachel Carson (played by star actress Kaiulani Lee). as well as planning for several other environmentally-oriented events in ensu- ing days. As these words are written, contracts are being negotiated, and sites for the scheduled events lined up. We will keep all Fishers Islanders informed of our progress here. A great deal of planning is required here. and summer is not that far away. Lastly, and perhaps most importantly. we have received intelligence that the Connecticut Department of Environmental Protection (DEP), a longtime adversary or the conservancy under Commissioner Arthur Roque, Jr., wants to repeal the Ambro Amendment to the Ocean Dumping Act - a move that if complet- ed would deprive both us and Long Island Sound of the most crucial and vital environmental protection. Our aim here is to short-circuit these damaging plans by joining with other environmental groups bor- dering Long Island Sound to try to preserve the environmental protections we already have, and to sched- ule conferences, regional awareness sessions, etc. to alert both New York, Connecticut, and even Rhode Island residents of their peril. If we cannot save Long Island and Fishers Island Sounds from such dan- ger (particularly from an agency that should support the Ocean Dumping Act), then we will be in trou- ble indeed. We urge all Fishers Islanders, then, to support the Conservancy in these various spot-lighted environmental endeavors, in addition to those (like non-toxic mosquito control, feral cat neutering, wild geese control, and pollution control surveys) that most Fishers Islanders are already aware of. We are, in short, the Island's first line of defense in environmental matters, and your generous contributions to our efforts are most appreciated and are, as usual, tax deductible according to law. Gratefully, and for the Conservancy Board, cf~ 1~ <f John H. Thatcher. Jr. - President The Conservancy Board Mr. Barry R. Bryan Ms. Alicia H. Cleary Ms. Elizabeth Furze Mrs. W. Boulton Kelly Mrs. Harris B. Parsons Mr. Thomas Sargent Mr. C. Nicholas Spofford Mr. Robert E. Wall Mrs. James H. Carney, II Mr. Edward Crane Mr. Edwin Horning Mrs. Henry Luce, III Ms. Marguerite Purnell Mrs. Pat Downey Schiestl Mr. John H. Thatcher, Jr. Mrs. Harold Williamson Mr. George Cook Mr. Reynolds duPont, Jr. Ms. Rossie C. Hutcheson Mr. Stephen O'Neil, Jr. Mrs. Richard Riegel Mrs. William C. Scott Mrs. Paul Vartanian