Army Corps Response to Congressional Letter
July 31, 2007 by Paul Birman · Leave a Comment
David Bergen, Southold Town Trustee, writes:
The Army Corp responded last week in writing to the [congressional] letter. They included two items in their response. First, they provided a response to US Fish and Wildlife to their required Endangered Species Habitat report. We now are waiting for a response from USF&W to this letter. Second, they provided an updated flow chart on the AC permit process for the creeks in Southold, East Hampton, Southampton and Riverhead with pending permit applications. This information was very helpful.
As I had stated in the meeting, the four East End towns agreed to develop and submit a coordinated dredging priority list to the County for their use for the upcoming dredging season. This list received support from all four towns, and has been submitted. The criteria used by the committee of the four towns was maximum public access, then environmental challenges. Maximum public access included marinas, fuel docks, pump-out stations, and launching ramps.The list is as follows: 1. North Sea Harbor, 2. School House Creek, 3. East Creek (Riverhead), 4. Hawks Creek, 5. Three Mile Harbor, 6. Jockey Creek Spur, 7. Budd Pond, 8. Meeting House Creek, 9. Noyack Creek, 10. Miamogue Creek, 11. Cedar Beach Creek, 12. Corey Creek, 13. Fresh Pond (Southampton), 14. Little Creek, 15. Fresh Pond (East Hampton). Then a second list was developed in case any problems arise which prevents any locations on the above list from being dredged. This list was: 1. Goose Creek, 2. Red Creek, 3. Richmond Creek, 4. Fosters Creek, 5. Fish Creek, 6. Far Pond.
This top tier list of fifteen includes six Southold Creeks, four Riverhead creeks, three Southampton creeks and two from East Hampton. Suffolk County DPW has assigned each of the above locations to their consultant to have Essential Fish Habitats [reports]done as soon as possible, with a deadline of August. They have also assigned the following additional Southold creeks for EFH reports to be done with a deadline of September; Brushes, Deep Hole and James. I hope that members find this information helpful.
Dave
A great step forward!
In the future, I trust that waterfront property owners will be recognized as a valid segment of “the body public”. I note that “…public access includes marinas, fuel docks, pump-out stations, and launching ramps.” I conducted an informal [non-holiday, weekday] eyes-on survey of Deep Hole Creek and counted 90 boats “on the water” [not counting any "on the beach"]. 95% could be associated with waterfront property owners. IF these had been marina based, they would represent a significant sized marina. I see no reason why these boats should not receive the same dredging priority as a similar number of marina [or launching ramp] associated boats.
Waterfront property owners are no less a part of the “public” simply because their property happens to border the water
Dan
Dave,
How does the county plan to accomplish dredging the fifteen sites in a 3-4 month window with one county dredge? Has the position of New York State DEC changed from a three week window of dredging for the entire year? If poor weather
restricts the schedule of dredging, will the work continue until completion, or will it be shifted to a later format in 2008? Do we have reapply for new permits?
In Southold, Jockey Creek Spur was given an Army Corps of Engineering Application for Permit, issued on 03/16/07, expiring after public comment on 04/16/07. Is this project approved by the Corps.? This project is on your list and in the Newsday 08/14 article. If it was approved by the Corps of Engineering, is it submitted to NYS/DEC for approval ? Mr. Levy, the County Executive, is quoted as saying, “The county is a lot better off then we were a few months ago because the Corps. is sounding more flexible.” How flexible is NYS/DEC? Will our creeks get dredged?
Thanks,
Douglas F. Rose Sr.
Board Director, SoutholdVOICE
Who’s on First? According to Dave Bergen, the 5 eastern towns set a priority list for the county. The Newsday article of 8/14 shows a list of likely to be dredged in what appears to be priority order (because it isn’t alphabetical or geographic) which removes 5 of the top 10 from the agreed list: East Creek in RVHD was #3…not listed, Hawks Creek was #4…not listed, 3mile in E.H. was #5…not listed, Budd Pond in Shold was # 7…not listed, Meeting House Ck in Rvd was #8…not listed. Sheltr Is. which had no dredging to be done, now has one. And i recall the dredging window is really less than Oct1 to Jan 15, or am I mistaken?
John Kramer
(posted by admin on behalf of Dave Bergen)
Response to questions posed above by John Kramer from Dave Bergen, Town Trustee)
I understand the confusion. What has happened is that while the east end towns worked together on the priority list which I posted for the group, the County is requiring letters of support from each supervisor for this list. The challenge is that both East Hampton and Southampton Trustees are independent of the Town Council, and hence
the supervisors. They have their own budgets, own offices, etc. So in both towns, all dredging decisions are made independent of the Supervisors.
So their Trustees are attempting to obtain the letter of support from their respective supervisors. Should each of the supervisors submit letters of support, I have been told by the County that they will use the list from the task force. To be honest, Southold wins either way as we have the majority of the projects on both lists.
Dave