Lido Beach, N.Y. – The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service has just completed a major cleanup effort of post-Hurricane Sandy coastal debris at the Lido Beach Wildlife Management Area, located near the town of Long Beach. The operation will continue to Elizabeth A. Morton National Wildlife Refuge this week, and ultimately clean up 8 of the national wildlife refuge national wildlife refuge
A national wildlife refuge is typically a contiguous area of land and water managed by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service for the conservation and, where appropriate, restoration of fish, wildlife and plant resources and their habitats for the benefit of present and future generations of Americans.
Learn more about national wildlife refuge units on Long Island.
The Service awarded a multi-million dollar contract to Coastal Environment Group, Inc., a local, small, minority owned [8(a)/HUD Zone, MBE/DBE certified] company based in Edgewood, N.Y., to clean up the debris at these areas.
The debris field on Lido Beach included roofs, docks, boats, household chemicals and empty drums, among many other items. Coastal collected the Lido Beach debris by hand and then transferred it into marine landing craft for disposal at a facility in Hempstead in order to minimize damage to the environmentally sensitive marshes. Service biologists and independent project inspectors advised the company throughout the project.
This work was funded through the Disaster Relief Appropriations Act of 2013, which last spring furnished the Service with nearly $65 million in federal emergency funding for repair projects at national wildlife refuges and fish hatcheries along the Atlantic Coast that were damaged during the 2012 super storm. The initial contract awarded to Coastal Environment Group, Inc., for the company’s work on Long Island has a total base value of just under $4 million.
According to Refuge Manager Michelle Potter, habitat for many shorebirds, wading birds and wintering waterfowl will benefit from the debris removal. “Over 200 species of birds such as black duck and Atlantic brant winter or migrate through the Lido Beach Wildlife Management Area each year. They rely on the food and shelter they find on Long Island. Clean beaches and wetlands are important for wildlife and for people living here,” she said.
Coastal Environment Group, Inc. has experience with the federal government on major environmental projects such as the response to Hurricane Katrina and remediation at Superfund sites.
Photos and video clips of the cleanup can be accessed here, and more information about the Service’s Hurricane Sandy recovery and mitigation projects can be found at www.fws.gov/hurricane/sandy.
