[Congressional Record Volume 142, Number 68 (Wednesday, May 15, 1996)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E807]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




    AUTHORIZING ACQUISITION OF PROPERTY FOR INCLUSION IN AMAGANSETT 
                        NATIONAL WILDLIFE REFUGE

                                 ______


                               speech of

                         HON. MICHAEL P. FORBES

                              of new york

                    in the house of representatives

                         Tuesday, May 14, 1996

  Mr. FORBES. Mr. Speaker, as a young man growing up on Long Island I 
have known of and visited Shadmoor. Purchasing this property is of 
great importance to me and my neighbors on Long Island.
  The Shadmoor property consists of 98 acres of dramatic oceanfront 
property at Montauk, in the town of East Hampton, NY. Shadmoor supports 
one of the largest and most viable populations of the endangered and 
federally listed sandplain gerardia, New York State's rarest plant. 
Once widespread along the Northeast coast, sandplain gerardia is now 
known to inhabit fewer than 10 sites in the world, 5 of those on Long 
Island.
  This important population of sandplain gerardia grows on privately 
owned property. The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service [USFWS] targeted 
this site for acquisition in its 1991 Northeast Coastal Areas Study. 
But so far, money has not been provided. Meanwhile, the property owners 
are very close to obtaining final approval for a subdivision that would 
lead to development of home lots at Shadmoor, effectively ending years 
of effort to save this population of sandplain gerardia.
  H.R. 1836 is a bill authorizing the Fish and Wildlife Service to 
include Shadmoor in the Amagansett National Wildlife Refuge. Shadmoor 
is currently threatened by creeping development at its edges and if 
action is not taken promptly it could be lost.
  Over the last 20 years, Long Island, and New York State, have 
received almost no Federal dollars for the acquisition of lands to 
protect endangered species. Nationally, few Federal dollars have been 
used to protect the habitat of critically imperiled plant species, 
while tens of millions have been spent for other purposes. Saving this 
property would go a long way toward correcting this inequity.
  Shadmoor represents a unique combination of habitat for federally and 
State endangered species, offering a half mile of Atlantic Ocean 
coastline and having historical significance. Adjacent to 17 acres of 
East Hampton Town Parkland, the Northeast Coastal Areas Study prepared 
by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service [USFWS] in 1991 targeted the 
Shadmoor property for protection.
  The USFWS believes it is critical for local entities to contribute to 
our important effort and recently the Town Board of East Hampton passed 
a resolution supporting the Federal acquisition of Shadmoor and 
agreeing to consider appropriating town money to help acquire the 
tract. The Nature Conservancy has also pledged funds to help purchase 
Shadmoor.
  Mr. Speaker, I would like to take this opportunity to thank Sara 
Davison and Stuart Lowrie of the Nature Conservancy, Carol Morrison of 
the Concerned Citizens of Montauk, and Cathy Lester supervisor of the 
town of East Hampton for all of their hard work to protect Shadmoor.
  Mr. Speaker, I would also like to bring to your attention H.R. 2005, 
the bill I introduced to make technical corrections in coastal barrier 
resources systems map that is also being considered today as an 
amendment to H.R. 1836. H.R. 2005 is a bill of great importance to the 
residents of the Point O'Woods community on Long Island. It passed the 
House under unanimous consent on October 29, 1995. This legislation 
corrects the mapping error that designated private property on Fire 
Island as an otherwise protected area on the coastal barrier resources 
system [CBRS] map of the Fire Island national seashore, making 
individuals ineligible for flood insurance for new constructions or 
relocated houses. This designation prevented the Point O'Woods 
community from proceeding with their 30-year land use plan.
  There was never any reason to believe that the mapping error was 
anything but inadvertent. In any event, common sense and equity 
dictated that this error be corrected and because CBRS boundaries 
cannot be adjusted without congressional approval, this legislation 
solves the problem.
  Point O'Woods is a unique community in that it has worked with the 
town of Brookhaven and FEMA to move up to 17 houses from the beach, and 
to permit the rebuilding of the dunes for future protection of the 
community.
  Mr. Speaker, H.R. 1836 and H.R. 2005 are very important to the 
residents of Long Island and I want to thank you, Chairman Young of the 
Resources Committee, Chairman Saxton of the Resources Subcommittee on 
Fisheries, Wildlife and Oceans for your support of these bills and for 
bringing them to the floor expeditiously for a vote.

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