GREEN BIRDS

April 30th, 2008

Commissioner Pete Grannis

New York State Department of Environmental Conservation

625 Broadway

Albany, NY 12233- 4500

Re: Calverton Grasslands/ Enterprise Park at Calverton (EPCAL)

Dear Commissioner Grannis:

The existence of grasslands, particularly in the northeastern United States, is facing its greatest crisis today. Fast disappearing grass landscapes are frequently targeted for development because local municipalities and private developers see them as cheap property lots to develop infrastructures, a result of poor land planning and ill-advised, neglected "smart growth". With this grassland destruction comes a tragic price: the permanent loss of natural biodiversity, for animal, bird, and plant species; the diminished quality of life for visiting and local citizens desiring a place to enjoy natural beauty or standard of living impacted by heightened population crunch. Furthermore, the strain and negative impact of developmental complexes with its resulting pollutants, waste byproducts, over reliance on public services and energy sources, along with excessive human disturbances upon the surrounding protected watersheds and ecological areas as we have evidently seen throughout the United States, is dramatically pronounced. An excellent example now is Suffolk County’s Calverton Grasslands (formerly the old Grumman Navy property) / Enterprise Park at Calverton (EPCAL) threatened by an indifferent and headstrong Riverhead local municipality thinking development.

Long Island is, in a true sense, overdeveloped. At one time, vast farms, open spaces and natural habitats with wild plant cover dominated the landscape. But at an accelerated pace, all these viable, rich natural spaces fell under the bulldozer to become developedproperties. Given its 2900-acre size, Calverton Grasslands is the last remaining large contiguous grassland habitat in all of Long Island. Look at Nassau County: no large grasslands exist, lost forever to over development. The contention that the Calverton grassland property when developed for a trivial water theme park resort proposal, retail entities and extensive residential complexes bringing in more revenue for the Riverhead communities, will instead create more nightmarish headaches regionally. It becomes an endless detrimental cycle. More traffic (which leads to the need for wider expensive roads), heavy congestion, and engine idling on few accessible rural roads creates more pollution; greater energy use by proposed larger population centers decreases air quality (with release of more Carbon Dioxide, Methane, and Mercury by energy facilities); more reliance on water drains water supplier or aquifer resources and impacts the protected nearby Peconic and Pine Barrens watersheds, ecology, and ecosystems as well; increased sewage endangers those same Pine Barrens and Peconic watersheds. There are projections of an increased 1.5 million people upon this already crowded, scenic area. No doubt, governmental budgets will be stretched beyond the limit. What is the overlooked but tragic cost? The overall drastic loss of natural biodiversity and natural space, decreased quality of life standards and increased costs unfairly passed on to New York State citizenry. Most local citizens would certainly oppose any development at Calverton Grassland when given the hard facts, misrepresented by the few thinking otherwise.

I visited Calverton Grasslands this recent early April. Like many eager visitors, I wanted to see the renowned endangered Short-eared Owls that hunted the grounds. Numerous Eastern Meadowlarks, American Kestrels, Northern Harriers, Field Sparrows, and Eastern Bluebirds were some of the species that enlightened my experience that day. That same experience I felt can be shared by the many after me if EPCAL is saved. I was astounded by Calverton Grassland’s beauty; at the same time, I also felt discontentment when I envisioned the proposed development destroying all the EPCAL property. As I watched the sun drenched golden grasses, I was told by a local birder that nearly fifty-two species bred here besides the numerous migratory species, including raptors, owls and other noted endangered species. Checking those facts, through the NYSDEC records, I found block 6853C of the Breeding Bird Atlas 2000-2005 revealing eighty-seven bird species observed or confirmed breeding within Calverton Grasslands/EPCAL’s boundaries, an astounding avian number for any grass location. Of those eighty-seven species, seventy-four are accorded "protected species" by NYSDEC with a decent number designated "threatened or special concern". It has me thinking: if the Riverhead local municipality and its town council representatives went forth with its destructive plans, where will all these species go? Simply put, they will all vanish: displacement of native species or extirpation is absolutely unacceptable. It’s not just about rare species: it’s about the whole ecosystem and aggregation of all different interrelating species using this rich critical location.

Commissioner Grannis, I commend and thank you for issuing the stop work order your agency imposed on the Riverhead proposal and construction plan. As the state’s lead conservation agency, only an objective body with integrity can assert jurisdiction of this prime natural open space, initiate a State Environmental Quality Review Act (SEQRA) review of the site to render a stringent environmental judgement that is the best course protecting rare habitats and living species within. As a resident of Brooklyn, I have seen what has happened with Kings County’s Floyd Bennett Grasslands Field with its growing fragmentation and human disturbances. I would like nothing more then to raise the alarm of what can happen to other pristine grass habitat areas threatened by development. Birds use any kind of habitat suitable to their liking but are finding it difficult every year to visit, rest, and feed in diminishing open and forested habitats needed for their survival in downstate New York, particularly grasslands. This is the case with the Short-eared Owls needing winter open grounds full of prey; the fact that this species (and even threatened Northern Harriers with several other owl species) using these grasslands in any season is evidence of Calverton/ EPCAL grasslands' critical necessity; on the basis of its rich wildlife and its proximity to a NY State "Bird Conservation Area" (the David Sanoff Long Island Pine Barrens), Calverton Grasslands highly qualifies for special designation as an Important Birding Area which it lacks. It is my hope that Calverton Grasslands doesn’t get developed and instead become an extraordinary place –hopefully a preserve—a wildlife area and scenic landscape for all to visit for the grand experience. Essentially, particularly in downstate New York State, we really do need to conserve and save wild places for our rapidly declining birds and wildlife, with an adoring public to enjoy them.

Yours Sincerely,

Peter Dorosh

President

Prosbird@aol.com

Brooklyn Bird Club

CC: Honorable Governor David Paterson

CC: Honorable Senator Charles E. Schumer

CC: Honorable Senator Hillary R.Clinton

CC: Congressman Tim Bishop

CC: Congresswoman Yvette D.Clarke

CC: Suffolk County Executive - Steve Levy

CC: Suffolk County Legislator Ed Romaine

CC: Assemblyman Marc Alessi

CC: Assemblyman Fred W. Thiele, Jr

CC Assemblyman James Brennan

CC: State Senator Kenneth LaValle

CC: State Senator Eric Adams

CC: Honorable Judith Enck, Secretary for the Environment

CC: DEC Director Peter Scully