Protecting & Restoring Long Island's Peconic Bays
Government and non-governmental agencies that work with PEP on Peconic protection issues and programs.
Our partners are invaluable to the success of PEP, see below for quotes from partners:
See here for the full list of quotes from the 2020 CCMP Press Release.
“Since 2000, EPA has invested approximately $12 million to support the preservation of the Peconic Estuary. The restoration of this critical ecological resource and the protection of its water quality are important for the aquatic life, ecosystem and communities who utilize the estuary for commercial and recreational purposes. This updated Comprehensive Conservation and Management Plan demonstrates our commitment to build on the progress of the Peconic Estuary Partnership and further revitalize the economic health and vitality of this important watershed.” — EPA Region 2 Administrator Peter Lopez
“With the completion of The Peconic Estuary Partnership’s management plan, we now have a roadmap for combatting the many threats facing the Peconic Watershed. With ever increasing nitrogen levels, annual algal blooms, and climate change, it is imperative that we invest in the research to fully assess these threats to our coastal areas. We must then follow the science and build sound policy at the federal, state, and local level to preserve our ecological resources for future generations.” -– U.S. Senator Charles Schumer
“The Peconic Estuary is a vital natural and economic resource, and we must do everything we can to protect this natural treasure. Thanks to the full federal funding secured for the EPA”s National Estuary Program, in partnership with every level of government and local non-profits and businesses, the Peconic Estuary Partnership has outlined the future of how we continue to protect this vital estuary. I look forward to continuing to work with all Long Islanders to preserve and restore this critical waterway.” -– Congressman Lee Zeldin
“The Peconic Estuary is a critical habitat for numerous species and provides essential feeding, spawning, and nursery grounds for our state’s diverse marine life. DEC has worked with the Peconic Estuary Partnership for more than 25 years to conserve, restore, and protect this critical habitat. As New York continues to combat the effects of climate change, the updated Comprehensive Conservation Management Plan will further ensure the protection of species that rely on this habitat, improve coastal resiliency, and safeguard water quality in concert with the Long Island Nitrogen Action Plan.” — New York State Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC) Commissioner Basil Seggos
“Suffolk County is proud to stand together with the Peconic Estuary Partnership in its release of the 2020 CCMP. Development of the CCMP was executed through a robust, transparent and thoughtful public process, resulting in a sustainable Plan that will be owned and embraced by the PEP, stakeholders, and the public alike. The new CCMP addresses many critical environmental issues confronting our region, including excess nutrients, harmful algal blooms, and climate change. This strong new plan will dovetail effectively with Suffolk County’s Reclaim Our Water initiative to leverage resources to address water quality degradation from cesspools and septic systems, and will benefit residents of Suffolk County for decades to come.” –Suffolk County Executive Steve Bellone
“Since its inception, the Peconic Estuary Partnership has worked diligently to protect our water, habitat and wildlife, and to support coastal resiliency projects throughout the estuary. The work of the Peconic Estuary Partnership in protecting water quality on the East End has been unmatched, and I have been proud to have been a part of its success from the very beginning. As we continue to see the impacts of climate change on our coastal community, the stakes have never been higher. I am pleased that the 2020 CCMP has been approved, and I look forward to continuing my partnership with the Peconic Estuary Partnership to achieve the outlined goals and protect our water quality.” –New York State Assemblyman Fred Thiele
“The work and influence of the Peconic Estuary Program has become ever more important, in light of climate change and other threats to our natural resources. The CCMP is the result of community partnerships and fact-based science, and so as a County Legislator, I value it as an invaluable resource. The work of PEP is important not only to support our natural environment but also our tourism-based, coastal economy in eastern Suffolk County. The 2020 CCMP will offer a guide for the next decade to help protect our valuable estuary system.” –Suffolk County Legislator Bridget Fleming, 2nd District
The Peconic Estuary Partnership’s valued partners are highlighted in the 2020 CCMP and shown below!
The Peconic Estuary Partnership is just one of Long Island’s watershed protection programs.
Learn more about Long Island’s watershed protection programs!
The organizations below are just some of our valued partners working within their own missions to help us implement the Comprehensive Conservation and Management Plan for the Peconic Estuary.
Association of National Estuary Programs – ANEP is a non-profit organization that works with NEPs to educate key stakeholders, including elected officials, about the value and importance of clean water and healthy estuaries to coastal communities and their economies.
Central Pine Barrens Joint Planning and Policy Commission – The Pine Barrens Commission is charged with protecting, preserving and enhancing the functional integrity of the Pine Barrens ecosystem and the significant natural resources, including plant and animal populations and communities. Some priorities include: protecting the quality of surface water and groundwater; discouraging piecemeal and scattered development; promoting active and passive recreational and environmental educational uses that are consistent with the land use plan; and accommodating development, in a manner consistent with the long term integrity of the Pine Barrens ecosystem and to ensure that the pattern of development is compact, efficient and orderly.
Citizens Campaign for the Environment – Citizens Campaign for the Environment (CCE) works to build widespread citizen understanding and advocacy for policies and actions designed to manage and protect our natural resources and public health. CCE engages in extensive education, research, lobbying and public outreach to help citizens increase their influence and participation in important environmental campaigns. Through such activism, the public has a stronger voice in the development of public policies and legislative agendas.
Concerned Citizens of Montauk – A non-profit organization with a mission to preserve and protect the unique environment and ecology of Montauk through education, advocacy, and grassroots citizen action. They accomplish this by advocating for coastal conservation, improving and protecting water quality, and promoting sustainable development.
Cornell Cooperative Extension – Cornell Cooperative Extension of Suffolk County assists and educates residents, businesses and professionals in a broad spectrum of topics by providing research-based information on parenting, diabetes management, nutrition and wellness, horticulture, environmental protection, marine restoration and sustainable agriculture. PEP works closely with the marine programs and sustainable agriculture and horticulture programs.
U.S. Environmental Protection Agency – EPA is a federal agency whose mission is to protect human health and the environment. PEP is part of EPA’s National Estuary Program (NEP), a place-based program to protect and restore the water quality and ecological integrity of estuaries of national significance. The US EPA is represented on PEP’s Policy and Management Committees.
Friends of the Long Pond Greenbelt – Friends of the Long Pond Greenbelt is dedicated to the preservation, stewardship, and public appreciation of the unique expanse of coastal plain ponds, freshwater swamps, wetlands, and woodlands in the Town of Southampton known as the Long Pond Greenbelt, which stretches from Ligonee Creek in Sag Harbor to Sagg Pond in Sagaponack.
Group for the East End – Group for the East End protects and restores the environment of eastern Long Island, New York through professional advocacy and education.
Long Island Clean Water Partnership – The Clean Water Partnership is a coalition of Long Island’s leading conservation organizations, including Citizens Campaign for the Environment, Group for the East End, Long Island Pine Barrens Society and The Nature Conservancy, partnering and collaborating with scientists, public officials, community members, and a number of other stakeholders in order to implement solutions to the decline in water quality on Long Island.
Long Island Native Plant Initiative – LINPI is an all-volunteer cooperative effort of over 30 non-profit organizations, governmental agencies, nursery professionals, and citizens. The mission of this organization is to protect the genetic integrity and heritage of Long Island native plant populations and thus biodiversity from a landscape to genetic level, by establishing commercial sources of genetically appropriate local (ecotypic) plant materials for use in nursery, landscaping, and habitat restoration activities.
Long Island Pine Barrens Society – The Long Island Pine Barrens Society is an environmental education and advocacy organization focusing on protecting drinking water and preserving open space, especially in Long Island’s Pine Barrens.
Long Island Sound Study – LISS is a bi-state partnership consisting of federal and state agencies, user groups, concerned organizations, and individuals dedicated to restoring and protecting the Sound. Like PEP, LISS is part of the National Estuary Program.
NEIWPCC – Established by an Act of Congress in 1947, NEIWPCC is a not-for-profit interstate agency that utilizes a variety of strategies to meet the water-related needs of its member states—Connecticut, Maine, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, New York, Rhode Island, and Vermont. NEIWPCC is represented on PEP’s Management Committee.
New York Sea Grant – Since 1971, NYSG has represented a statewide network of integrated research, education and extension services promoting coastal community economic vitality, environmental sustainability and citizen awareness and understanding about the State’s marine and Great Lakes resources.
New York State Department of Environmental Conservation – The New York State Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC) was created on July 1, 1970 to combine in a single agency all state programs designed to protect and enhance the environment. PEP’s State Coordinator is hosted in the NYS DEC’s Division of Marine Resources. NYS DEC is represented on PEP’s Policy and Management Committees.
North Fork Environmental Council – NFEC is a grassroots foundation with a mission to increase public awareness of key issues, educate the public and public officials about important environmental and quality of life issues, be an objective voice of reason, help the public’s voice to be heard, and provide input on key public policies and legislation.
Peconic Baykeeper– Peconic Baykeeper is an independent, not-for-profit advocate solely dedicated to the protection and improvement of the aquatic ecosystems of the Peconic and South Shore estuaries of Long Island. Its clean water mission is advanced through conservation and management initiatives, public education, research, monitoring and participation in the public environmental review of projects and activities that may adversely impact the ecological health of the region’s estuarine waters.
Peconic Green Growth – Peconic Green Growth (PGG) seeks to integrate the preservation and enhancement of natural resources, development of sustainable communities, and design of public space. By brokering a balance between the natural and built environment, PGG will foster both environmental sustainability and human activity in watershed communities.
Peconic Land Trust – The Peconic Land Trust is a nonprofit organization established to ensure the protection of Long Island’s working farms, natural lands, and heritage. Since 1983, the Trust has worked diligently with landowners, communities, municipalities, and partner organizations to protect nearly 12,000 acres of land, conserving more working farms on Long Island than any other private conservation organization, and securing millions of dollars from the public and private sector for land protection.
Perfect Earth Project – Perfect Earth Project is a non-profit organization, based in East Hampton, that promotes toxin-free lawns and landscapes for the health of people, their pets, and the planet.
Seatuck Environmental Association – The Seatuck Environmental Association is a member-supported non-profit organization dedicated to conserving Long Island wildlife and the environment. The organization pursues its mission by employing a multi-pronged approach to various wildlife conservation projects, and offering high quality environmental education opportunities for Long Islanders of all ages.
South Shore Estuary Reserve – Created by the NY State Legislature, the SSER Council works with for state, federal, and local governments; non-profit organizations, businesses, and academic institutions to improve and maintain water quality; protect and restore living resources; expand public use and enjoyment; sustain and expand the estuary economy, and; increase education, outreach, and stewardship in the South Shore Estuary Reserve, which extends 75 east along Long Island’s South Shore, from the Nassau County/New York City line to the Village of Southampton, in Suffolk County.
Stony Brook University’s Center for Clean Water Technology – Funded by New York State with support from Bloomberg Philanthropies, the Center’s mission is to marshal the public and private-sector resources of New York State and beyond to develop and commercialize water quality restoration and protection technologies; to realize the economic opportunity regionally that exists in creating solutions for a major environmental problem; water quality degradation; and to position Long Island as a leading center for innovation and development in water technology.
Stony Brook University – Part of the State University of New York, SBU is a public university whose students, staff, and faculty conduct research in and around the Peconic Estuary, participate on PEP’s Technical Advisory Committee, and collaborate with PEP on many projects.
Suffolk County – The eastern-most county in New York State, Suffolk County is surrounded by estuaries and collaborates with organizations like PEP to protect and restore those waterbodies. PEP collaborates with many Suffolk County departments as part of its Reclaim Our Water initiative and is hosted in the Department if Health Service’s Division of Environmental Quality. Suffolk County is represented on PEP’s Policy and Management Committees.
The Nature Conservancy – The Nature Conservancy is a global conservation organization dedicated to conserving the lands and waters on which all life depends. Guided by science, they create innovative, on-the-ground solutions to our world’s toughest challenges so that nature and people can thrive together. They are tackling climate change, conserving lands, waters and oceans at unprecedented scale, providing food and water sustainably and helping make cities more sustainable. Working in 72 countries, they use a collaborative approach that engages local communities, governments, the private sector, and other partners.
Eastern Townships
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