Klee quoted on Long Island Sound ecosystem health survey
first-ever ecosystem health report card released today shows Long Island Sound earning grades of very good for water quality in Eastern Long Island (an “A”) to very poor for water quality in the Western Narrows (an “F”) near New York City.
The evaluation covers the entire Long Island Sound, a vast watershed home to 9 million people that includes about 1,300 square miles and close to 1 million acres of open and coastal waters. The report card assessment was conducted by scientists at the University of Maryland Center for Environmental Science.
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Robert Klee, Commissioner of Connecticut’s Department of Energy and Environmental Protection (DEEP), said: “Anyone who lives near the Sound, or who takes advantage of the Sound for fishing, boating, swimming and other outdoor activities, is a witness to the positive response we have made to the major environmental challenges we have faced over the last 20 years. The challenge now is to build on the success we have achieved. This report card format translates detailed scientific data into clear grades that can help us galvanize people and communities to protect the sound and their local harbors and assess progress. Long Island Sound is a unique and valuable natural resource. We are blessed with its presence but also obligated to do all in our power to make certain we leave a Sound that future generations are able to enjoy.”