Huntington, NY (December 9, 2024) – Crab Meadow, the focal point of Huntington’s waterfront and home to the 250-acre Jerome A. Ambro Memorial Wetland Preserve, is gearing up for an exciting refresh. Over the last few decades, Crab Meadow’s large wetland preserve has lost a significant amount of wildlife habitat due to sea level rise, development, pollution, nutrient runoff, and invasive species. Thanks to a $429K award from the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation’s Long Island Sound Futures Fund, the Town of Huntington, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, and Audubon’s Connecticut and New York office will complete a comprehensive, permit-ready design plan to improve the marsh. Sign up here to stay updated on the project.
In 2011, the Town of Huntington and its partners received funding from the Long Island Sound Futures Fund to develop a comprehensive watershed management plan for the Crab Meadow Watershed. The Final Draft Crab Meadow Watershed Hydrology Study and Stewardship Plan, associated research, and community buy-in have provided an incredible head-start to restoration planning at the Crab Meadow marsh.
Research has been ongoing at the site in the meantime. Data shows that water flow is slightly restricted at the main channel, and that the composition of plants growing at the site is changing significantly due to sea level rise. An astonishing 62% of high marsh habitat was lost between 1974 and 2005 and today just an estimated 3% of the entire marsh is true high marsh habitat. This ultimately impacts the fish, shellfish, and birds of the marsh as well. Just one female Saltmarsh Sparrow was identified over 18 hours of surveying at the site, indicating very limited breeding is taking place there. This species is facing rapid population declines due to increased nest flooding and habitat loss and could benefit greatly from high marsh restoration.
In this first project phase, Audubon will hire an environmental consulting firm to assess and analyze the site and develop comprehensive, permit-ready design plans for the 250-acre complex. A Project Advisory Committee composed of regional and local tidal marsh experts will provide advice on proposals and design options. Members of the community will be engaged through public meetings, tabling events at Crab Meadow Beach, and print and digital media. Sign up here to stay updated on the project.
The future of Crab Meadow’s marsh is looking bright, and we foresee that the next few years of restoration planning and implementation will have a decades-long positive impact on the local community and the wildlife we cherish.
“Habitat loss, exacerbated by climate change, is driving bird declines across the hemisphere. Fueled by science, and in collaboration with local communities and partners, Audubon is working to reverse this crisis on Long Island by focusing on coastal restoration and resilience. Crab Meadow is a high priority site for the rapidly declining Saltmarsh Sparrow, and we look forward to making the habitat healthier and safer in ways that benefit both our birds and the local community,” said Victoria O’Neill, Director of Coastal Resilience for Audubon Connecticut and New York.
“The Town is very grateful and excited to be awarded this National Fish and Wildlife Foundation Long Island Sound Futures Fund grant for the study and preservation of the Crab Meadow Watershed and salt marsh. Special thanks to our partners at the National Audubon Society's Connecticut and New York office and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service for their ongoing efforts and contributions that helped make this award possible. The Crab Meadow watershed is an important economic, ecological and recreational resource for the Town of Huntington. This grant will play a huge role in helping to keep the marsh viable and healthy for years to come," said Town Supervisor Edmund Smyth.
MEDIA CONTACT: Sharon Bruce, sharon.bruce@audubon.org, 914-263-3083
