Welcome to SoutholdVOICE Inc., a citizen-run, non-profit 501 (c) 3 corporation. Our mission is to raise awareness among the community of Southold Town regarding issues that impact shoreline and marine resources including dredging, ecological land use, erosion control, permitting, road-runoff abatement, and to promote among the general public environmentally-sound policies regulating coastlines and waterways. Continue Reading »

NEW YORK, NY (June 23, 2008) - Attorney General Andrew M. Cuomo today
announced a lawsuit against the federal Department of Commerce for
violating federal law with its new limits on recreational catches of
summer flounder along the east coast. The suit charges that their
regulations will harm New York’s anglers and the recreational fishing
industry, without benefiting the long-term health of these popular
sport fish.

“The federal government, through its use of outdated and unfair data,
has created a perfect storm for fishermen and recreational boaters
across Long Island,” said Attorney General Cuomo. “Long Island
fishermen should not be at a disadvantage to anglers who come from a New
Jersey port. These arbitrary limits on fluke fishing are hurting our
recreational fishing industry, yet are not properly protecting our
fisheries. My office is working to ensure that New Yorkers are no
longer subject to these illegal regulations.”

Each year, the Department of Commerce, through the National Marine
Fisheries Service (NMFS), sets limits on size, daily catch, and fishing
season length for recreational catches of summer flounder - commonly
referred to as “fluke” - for the coastal waters stretching from
North Carolina to Massachusetts. The NMFS then chooses either to adopt
one “coast wide” set of regulations for the entire coast or
different regulations on a state-by-state basis. If the NMFS chooses a
state-by-state approach, federal law requires that all states are
treated fairly and that the regulations are based on the best available
scientific data.

In May 2008, the NMFS adopted state-by-state limits for regulating
summer flounder catches for the current season. In violation of the
laws governing state-by-state regulations, the new regulations subject
New York anglers to the strictest catch limits of any other state,
including neighboring states. For example, New Yorkers can keep four
fewer fish per day than New Jersey anglers. New Yorkers are also only
allowed to keep fluke over 20.5 inches — two and a half inches longer
than those that can be kept by New Jersey anglers — barring New Yorkers
from keeping most of the fish they catch. Furthermore, the NMFS based
the new regulations on a one-year survey conducted almost 10 years ago;
experts have severely criticized this survey as being scientifically
invalid. Finally, there is no evidence that the state-by-state
regulations adopted by the NMFS, properly conserves the population of
fluke, which is the ultimate goal of these regulations.

The suit filed today seeks to invalidate the new federal regulations
and to direct the NMFS to adopt the alternative “coast wide”
approach for managing recreational east coast catches of summer
flounder. The lawsuit was filed in the United State District Court for
the Eastern District of New York.

The suit is being handled by Assistant Attorney General Andrew Gershon
under the supervision of Special Deputy Attorney General for
Environmental Protection Katherine Kennedy.

ONLINE PREMIERE OF THE SOUTHOLD TOWN TRUSTEES DOCUMENTARY

Developed to give everyone a better understanding of the work of the Southold Town Trustees, this half hour program “Stewards of Our Shoreline” explains the history of the Trustees, the parameters of Trustee jurisdiction and shares some examples of wetlands code regulation. Our Trustees have been entrusted to care for our shorelines, and take their responsibility seriously. One of their goals is to inform us about what they do and why they do it. See the Trustees explaining their policies in their own words, as well as scientists and other experts in the field. Understand the science behind the laws, and hear their appeal for community support to help protect our unique and valuable shorelines in the Town of Southold. Not to be missed!

Producer: Peggy Dickerson

Director: Rory MacNish

Grant Coordinator: Heather Cusack

BBQ by the Bay

Greeenport Ferry 2008, photo courtesy of Alex Ferrone

Southold VOICE BBQ by the Bay

Southold VOICE invites members, friends and neighbors to enjoy a sunset barbecue by beautiful Peconic Bay at Claudio’s Dock in Greenport on August 21st, from 7 to 11 pm.
There will be food, drinks, music and dancing. To purchase tickets, click here.

Ticket price is $55 for Southold VOICE members; $65 for non-members. To save $10 on every ticket become a member of Southold VOICE today for just $35.

We regret that children under 21 are not permitted on the Claudio’s Dock.

Watch this space for updates! Our last event was a sell out! Mark your calendars now! Spread the word!

It was a busy schedule, with a 5:30 start and 11:15 ending. A Trustee’s primary virtue seems to be a tolerance for repetitive, off subject remarks by the public, who if listening, would have heard the answer to their questions about 8 times before they got up…..You have to admire them!

There was a discussion about the lack of an inventory of Stake and Pulley moorings in the town’s creeks. It seems there is a waiting list in some areas for a stake for a small boat, but the reality is that the existing stakes are in some instances vacant and have been for years. The solution to ending a wait list to use a vacant stake is to inventory who is on what stake and open up those not used. No dept. in the Town seems to have manpower to do this, and the Trustees may ask the CAC to do an inventory. I didn’t volunteer for our members, but it sounds as though our membership could accomplish this in a week with little effort. If anyone is up for a project, you got it, email me at southoldvoice@gmail.com

I will post information separately about the dock meeting on July 3rd.

Thoughts about some of the processes that are being discussed at these permit hearings.

Continue Reading »

Southold VOICE Annual General Meeting

We have reserved the Peconic Recreation Center on Peconic Lane, Peconic, for our annual meeting at 8:30 A.M. - 11 A.M Saturday July 19. Mark your calanders and plan to attend. Watch this space for more information! Free!

Volunteers are needed to collect data on mating horseshoe crabs for the 4 days on and near the full moon, June 18, and the new and full moons in July.
Dr. John Tanacredi of Dowling College is organizing a collection of data in order to know the numbers of this species. They are harvested for bait
and for medical purposes. Data from Maryland and New Jersey indicate that numbers are way down and those states are regulating the harvest in order to protect the species. Currently in New York State, here in Peconic Bay and in Long Island Sound people are allowed to take 200 crabs per day.

Volunteers are needed to go to bay and sound beaches at the night high
tide with a flash light and the data sheet from Dowling College. Download your copy by clicking here. Walk the beach, and count the male and female crabs, and indicate the length of beach that was monitored. The data can be given to me, Heather Cusack, or directly to Dr. Tanacredi, Dr. John T. Tanacredi, Chairman of the Department of Earth and Marine Sciences at Dowling College.

Continue Reading »

We have a need for some one to help us for about 15 minutes each month. This is a very simple little process that has to be done once each month and when I did it in May, it took 15 minutes; in June it took 10 minutes. Not a big deal but it would be great if someone would step up and volunteer. Email me with your phone number and I will call to explain. Thanks!

John Kramer, southoldvoice@gmail.com

On Saturday June 14th 2008, a kayak race from Orient to Greenport is being run by a group of local outdoor enthusiasts, residents and business owners who would like to promote the sport of kayaking on the North Fork of Long Island, New York. It’s a 10k on water race for kayaks, and there is a 100 boat limit. The weather delay date is June 15th. There will be cash prizes and a barbecue at the end of the race, which will take place at Mitchell Park in Greenport. The 2008 Greenport Kayak Race is to introduce to the public the “Nature Trail Kayak System”, which circumnavigates Greenport and Southold, proceeds to help implementation of signage at trail heads/creeks to help improve boater awareness. For further information, a downloadable racer’s application, and a map of the race course, click kayakgreenport.com

Dan and Barbara Christianson write,

The attached photographs were taken May 23rd, 2008 at Wickham Creek. A rig is setting up to dredge.

Click here to see the rest of Dan and Barbara’s photographs.