Town of Riverhead Press Release

Town Awarded Grant to Restore Fish Migration on the Peconic River
April 25, 2006

Riverhead, NY -- Supervisor Phil Cardinale is pleased to announce that the Town of Riverhead has been awarded a $25,000 American Rivers/NOAA Community- B ased Habitat Restoration Program Partnership grant as part of an ongoing effort to restore fish migration in the Peconic River.  “This award brings to $388,000 the amount of grant funds which the Town of Riverhead Community Development Department, with vital technical support from the Peconic Estuary Program (PEP), has procured in furtherance of the mission to reopen habitat for the American eel and alewife in the Peconic River,” emphasized Supervisor Cardinale. This is particularly important due to the severe coast-wide declines of these species; American eels are under consideration for listing on the U.S. Endangered Species List.

PEP Program Manager, Vito Minei, applauded the Town for its efforts. “The Town of Riverhead is to be commended for its leadership in restoring historic fish migratory routes on the Peconic River ,” he said. “We are pleased to be involved in this important project.”

The Peconic River Fish Restoration Commission, a group of volunteers concerned about the future of the American eel and alewife in the Peconic River , has sponsored a fish ladder installed in the north spillway in Grangebel Park every spring since 2000.  Viewed as a temporary solution, the group approached the Town of Riverhead through Councilman George B artunek to assist with the procurement and administration of grant funds for expanded fish migration activities.   

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