NEW YORK CITYWETLANDS TRANSFER TASK FORCE

Blue Heron Park, Staten Island

Public HearingJune 7, 2006

What are Wetlands?Wetlands are areas where water covers the

soil, or is present either at or near the surface of the soil all year round or for varying periods of time during the year; including during the growing season.

Why protect Wetlands?

Wetlands provide habitat for a variety of species of plants, reptiles, birds and fish. They can also provide natural water quality improvement, shoreline erosion control and flood protection.

Over 100 square miles of wetlands historically existed within the New York City limits. Today that number has been depleted to approximately 14 square miles.

Courtesy of: Jennifer Cox (RPA), George Colbert & Guenter Vollath.

On August 31st 2005, Mayor Bloomberg signed a local law, sponsored by the City Council, to create a task force to inventory all City-owned wetlands in the metropolitan area.

Local Law #83 mandated the task force to determine the feasibility of transferring these wetlands to the jurisdiction of NYC Department of Parks & Recreation using 4 criteria: Environmental Technical Economic Legal

The Task Force is comprised of seven individuals, three appointed by the NYC Council and four by the Mayor. The sitting members are

Eugenia Flatow, NYC Soil & Water Conservation District. Randal Fong, NYC Department of Citywide Administrative

Services Dana Gumb, NYC Department of Environmental

Protection E.J. McAdams, NYC Audubon Rob Pirani, Co-chair, Regional Plan Association Doug Rice, NYC Economic Development Corporation Bill Tai, Co-chair, NYC Department of Parks & Recreation

City-Owned Wetlands by Agency

Total = 2,153 Lots

DCAS321 Lots

15%

DEP430 Lots

20%

DSBS77 Lots

4%

HPD53 Lots

2%

OTHER90 Lots

4%

PARKS1182 Lots

55%

"OTHER" Agency #LotsJ OINT 23DOT 12EDC 12EDUC 12MIXED 11NYCTA 10SANIT 8CULT 1J OP 1

22 34

189

60

693

0

100

200

300

400

500

600

700

Summary of Acreages Citywide

Total Lots = 998 22 34 189 60 693

> 50 acresBetween 10 & 50 acres

Between 1 & 10 acres

< 1 acre > 1/2 acre

< 1/2 acre

1

10

100

1000

Summary of Acreages by Borough

Total Lots in Manhattan = 11 0 1 2 1 7

Total Lots in Bronx = 149 10 12 51 15 61

Total Lots in Brooklyn = 33 1 3 12 2 15

Total Lots in Queens= 180 2 6 48 14 110

Total Lots in Staten Island = 625 9 12 76 28 500

> 50 acresBetween 10 & 50 acres

Between 1 & 10 acres

< 1 acre > 1/2 acre

< 1/2 acre

MANHATTAN

Borough CB Number of Lots

Manhattan#7 (Bronx) Marble Hill 1

#11 East Harlem 1

#12 Washington Heights,

Inwood 9

Total Lots 11

THE BRONX

Borough CB Number of Lots

Bronx

#1 Mott Haven, Melrose, Port

Morris 5

#2 Hunts Point, Longwood 18

#4 Highbridge, Concourse 4

#5 Morris Heights, University Heights, Fordham, Mount

Hope 2

#6 East Tremont, Bathgate, Belmont, West Farms 1

#7 Kingsbridge Heights,

Bedford Park, Fordham University Heights 1

#8 Kingsbridge, Riverdale,

Marble Hill, Fieldston 10

#9 Soundview, Castle Hill, Union Port, Parkchester 11

#10 Throgs Neck, Pelham

Bay, Co-op City, Westchester Square, City

Island 93#12

Williamsbridge, Baychester, Woodlawn, Wakefield, Eastchester 4

Total Lots 149

BROOKLYN

Borough CB Number of Lots

Brooklyn#1

Greenpoint, Williamsburg 1#5

East New York, New Lots, City Line, Starrett City 1

#6 Red Hook, Park Slope,

Gowanus, Carroll Gardens, Cobble Hill 1

#13 Coney Island, Brighton

Beach, Gravesend, Homecrest, Sea Gate 21

#15 Sheepshead Bay,

Manhattan Beach, Kings Highway, Gravesend 1

#18 Canarsie, Flatlands,

Marine Park, Mills Basin, Bergen Beach 7

56 1

Total Lots 33

QUEENS

Borough CB Number of Lots

Queens

#7 Flushing, Whitestone,

College Point 36#10

Howard Beach, Ozone Park, South Ozone Park 11

#11 Bayside, Douglaston,

Little Neck, Auburndale 1#13

Laurelton, Cambria Heights, Queens Village,

Glen Oaks 7#14

The Rockaways, Broad Channel 123

#83 2

Total Lots 180

STATEN ISLAND

Borough CB Number of Lots

Staten Island#1

North Island 23#2

Mid-Island 111#3

South Island 485

95 6

Total Lots 625

Economic CriteriaDoes the property fall within EDC’s Vision and/or Study area?

Is there an established development proposal for the property?

What are the economic development opportunities at the site?

Does existing zoning accommodate proposed development?

Does the property present possible limited development?

Is the proposed development well suited to the property?

Will implementation of the proposed development provide economic benefit to NYC? (jobs, tax revenue)

Is the property needed as a place to locate mitigation for some future development project?

What are other competing uses for the property?

Environmental CriteriaFlood/Shoreline Protection

Is property within the coastal zone?

Does property contain areas subject to flooding

What storm water management benefits accrue if the site is preserved?

Does the wetland provide protection from storm surges?

Habitat

Does property contain special habitat values? (endangered species, native plants or animals)

Is it an opportunity for wetland restoration?

Public Use

Is there potential for passive recreation?

Is there potential for education and research?

Is it a potential resource for stewardship within the community?

Size, Quality, and Location

Is it a large parcel?

Does it contain a large wetland (> 12.4 acres; > . 5 acres)?

Is it contiguous to parkland or other existing open space?

Does it link protected lands through greenways or biological corridors?

Regional Context / Other Studies

Has property been identified in other inventories or studies as being a conservation priority?

Is it in the Jamaica Bay Task Force’s purview as well?

Legal CriteriaLegal obligations/restrictions. (mandated hazmat cleanup, orders on

consent w/DEC to meet obligations, address violations)

Existing leases. (their duration, renewals, purchase options. Leases held by the Port Authority)

Easements. (sewer, utilities, rail/transit, restrictions within airspace flight paths)

Alienation. (City Charter prohibits sale of public waterfront to private entity in most locations)

How does the park alienation issue relate to the proposed transfer?

City regulations/procedures for agency identification and acquisition of city property to carry out agency’s mission (e.g. holds, designated jurisdiction)

Technical Criteria

Is the property adjacent to an existing City park or other open space?

Would the community, as represented by Community Boards, accept the transfer?

Does the Parks Dept. have the ability to manage/maintain the property in terms of physical site constraints?

Does the Parks Dept. have adequate budget to maintain the property?

Could some other conservation agency/organization maintain the property? (DEP/Bluebelt, NPS, NYSDEC or other not- for- profit)

Does the transfer support some existing initiative such as DEP’s Bluebelt program?

CONTACT INFORMATION

By Email

NYC Wetlands Transfer website: www.nyc.gov/parks

Keyword: wetlands

By Mail

Wetlands Transfer Task Force C/o Bill Tai, DirectorNatural Resources GroupNYC Department of Parks & RecreationArsenal North1234 Fifth AvenueNew York, NY 10029

Flushing Meadows Corona Park, Queens