Meeting Minutes
July 11, 2006 Meeting
On Tuesday, July 11, the Eastern Long Island Chapter of the Surfrider Foundation held their summer 2006 membership meeting. Among the topics discussed were:
Dr. Robert Nuzzi, a marine biologist from the Suffolk County Department of Health came to discuss local water quality issues. A suggestion resulting from this discussion focused on coordinating the draining of area bays, ponds & lakes into the oceans with Health Department monitoring of the water that may affect swimming/surfing beaches. We will follow up with the appropriate agencies to make sure our concerns are addressed.
Chapter Chair Tom Naro reported that our Chapter Vice Chair, Mara Hogan has accepted a position with the national office of Surfrider Foundation! Mara will soon be working on Surfrider's water quality programs. The national office has agreed to enable Mara to work from her home office, so we will be able to continue to rely on her tireless efforts to expand our Chapter’s activities & further develop our educational programs in local schools.
Mara Hogan provided an up-date on the draft East Hampton Coastal Legislation. The draft was developed with substantial input from our Chapter & can be found on the Town of East Hampton web site: http://www.town.east-hampton.ny.us/coastal.pdf . The draft legislation describes four coastal zones & contains regulations specific to each zone. Additionally, there are stringent standards for obtaining variances from the legislation. Finally, the draft contains provisions for expedited processes related to temporary/emergency structures to deal with beach erosion. The Town will hold a public hearing on Thursday, August 17, to discuss the draft legislation. We urge our members to come out to the meeting to support this coastal legislation!
The chapter's environmental director, Thomas Muse, reviewed the Chapter’s strategy regarding the Army Corps of Engineers (ACE) lighthouse revetment project. Thomas is in the final stages of drafting a Chapter position paper. He has been in contact with Congressman Tim Bishop’s senior staff to review our position & discuss the status of the funding necessary to finance the ACE’s revetment project. The Congressman’s office indicated that Surfrider is the first organization to discuss the ACE project with its senior staff. Thomas suggested that our Action Plan should include generating phone calls & letters to Mr. Bishop, our Senators, & our State legislators in support of our position, which is to re-locate the lighthouse rather than build an environmentally destructive revetment.
Former chapter chairman and current advisor Eugene Alper provided a brief up-date on our discussions with NY State Park officials regarding obtaining access for surfers to the waves on the north side of the lighthouse. He re-capped our meeting with Mr. George Gorman & Mr. Tom Dess in the spring & indicated that he has made several attempts to reach Mr. Gorman for a follow-up discussion, but Mr. Gorman has been unavailable.
Chapter Secretary Jay Levine summarized the status of our Turtle Cove initiative. Surfrider has formed a coalition with Group for the South Fork, East Hampton Trails Preservation Society, & Concerned Citizens of Montauk. The coalition has a shared objective of limiting environmental damage at Turtle Cove. The US Department of Interior has issued a comprehensive set of requirements to East Hampton regarding the Town’s Program for Utilization of Turtle Cove & the associated Environmental Assessment. The Town has yet to respond to the recent correspondence from the Department of Interior. The coalition is requesting a private meeting with selected Town officials to gauge their response to the comprehensive requirements. We hope to conduct this meeting in July.
Chapter member and local attorney Tim Behringer reported on a lawsuit brought on by ocean front homeowners in Southampton trying to limit beach access/motor vehicle access on the beaches in front of their homes. A judge recently ruled that their claims of breach of fiduciary duty against the Trustees and of public and private nuisance in relation to numerous permits and intensity of use of the easement …are warranted. Mr. Behringer informed the members that the Trustees will be meeting at Southampton Town Hall on July 17 at 1:00 p.m., and encouraged members to attend the meeting & to write letters to the Town Trustees, including those who attended our Spring Meeting: Jon Semler, Scott Strough, & Fred Havemeyer. Our Chapter’s position on beach driving is that town Trustees should institute a “Responsible Beach Driving Program” as a component of obtaining a beach driving permit.
As the meeting wrapped up, Tim Behringer informed the members about Surfer's Healing, a program that helps autistic children learn to surf and enjoy the water and asked those members interested in helping to contact him at
Thomas Muse suggested that people keep an eye out for the July 27 publication of the Peconic Baywatch Report.
Surf Movie Night IV is going to take place on Wednesday, August 9 at Guild Hall in East Hampton. We will be showing PEEL: The Peru Project by Wes Brown. The Bastards of Boom will perform live again this year, and as always, there will be raffle prizes and give aways. Anyone interested in helping out with Surf Movie Night should call me at 631-848-9927.
Have a great summer!
Tom
A date and location for our next meeting will be set shortly. Check www.surfriderli.org for details.
Meeting Minutes July 11, 2006 Meeting On Tuesday, July 11, the Eastern Long Island Chapter of the Surfrider Foundation held their summer 2006 membership meeting. Among the topics discussed were: Dr. Robert Nuzzi, a marine biologist from the Suffolk County Department of Health came to discuss local water quality issues. A suggestion resulting from this discussion focused on coordinating the draining of area bays, ponds & lakes into the oceans with Health Department monitoring of the water that may affect swimming/surfing beaches. We will follow up with the appropriate agencies to make sure our concerns are addressed.
Chapter Chair Tom Naro reported that our Chapter Vice Chair, Mara Hogan has accepted a position with the national office of Surfrider Foundation! Mara will soon be working on Surfrider's water quality programs. The national office has agreed to enable Mara to work from her home office, so we will be able to continue to rely on her tireless efforts to expand our Chapter’s activities & further develop our educational programs in local schools. Mara Hogan provided an up-date on the draft East Hampton Coastal Legislation. The draft was developed with substantial input from our Chapter & can be found on the Town of East Hampton web site: http://www.town.east-hampton.ny.us/coastal.pdf . The draft legislation describes four coastal zones & contains regulations specific to each zone. Additionally, there are stringent standards for obtaining variances from the legislation. Finally, the draft contains provisions for expedited processes related to temporary/emergency structures to deal with beach erosion. The Town will hold a public hearing on Thursday, August 17, to discuss the draft legislation. We urge our members to come out to the meeting to support this coastal legislation! The chapter's environmental director, Thomas Muse, reviewed the Chapter’s strategy regarding the Army Corps of Engineers (ACE) lighthouse revetment project. Thomas is in the final stages of drafting a Chapter position paper. He has been in contact with Congressman Tim Bishop’s senior staff to review our position & discuss the status of the funding necessary to finance the ACE’s revetment project. The Congressman’s office indicated that Surfrider is the first organization to discuss the ACE project with its senior staff. Thomas suggested that our Action Plan should include generating phone calls & letters to Mr. Bishop, our Senators, & our State legislators in support of our position, which is to re-locate the lighthouse rather than build an environmentally destructive revetment. Former chapter chairman and current advisor Eugene Alper provided a brief up-date on our discussions with NY State Park officials regarding obtaining access for surfers to the waves on the north side of the lighthouse. He re-capped our meeting with Mr. George Gorman & Mr. Tom Dess in the spring & indicated that he has made several attempts to reach Mr. Gorman for a follow-up discussion, but Mr. Gorman has been unavailable. Chapter Secretary Jay Levine summarized the status of our Turtle Cove initiative. Surfrider has formed a coalition with Group for the South Fork, East Hampton Trails Preservation Society, & Concerned Citizens of Montauk. The coalition has a shared objective of limiting environmental damage at Turtle Cove. The US Department of Interior has issued a comprehensive set of requirements to East Hampton regarding the Town’s Program for Utilization of Turtle Cove & the associated Environmental Assessment. The Town has yet to respond to the recent correspondence from the Department of Interior. The coalition is requesting a private meeting with selected Town officials to gauge their response to the comprehensive requirements. We hope to conduct this meeting in July. Chapter member and local attorney Tim Behringer reported on a lawsuit brought on by ocean front homeowners in Southampton trying to limit beach access/motor vehicle access on the beaches in front of their homes. A judge recently ruled that their claims of breach of fiduciary duty against the Trustees and of public and private nuisance in relation to numerous permits and intensity of use of the easement …are warranted. Mr. Behringer informed the members that the Trustees will be meeting at Southampton Town Hall on July 17 at 1:00 p.m., and encouraged members to attend the meeting & to write letters to the Town Trustees, including those who attended our Spring Meeting: Jon Semler, Scott Strough, & Fred Havemeyer. Our Chapter’s position on beach driving is that town Trustees should institute a “Responsible Beach Driving Program” as a component of obtaining a beach driving permit. As the meeting wrapped up, Tim Behringer informed the members about Surfer's Healing, a program that helps autistic children learn to surf and enjoy the water and asked those members interested in helping to contact him at Thomas Muse suggested that people keep an eye out for the July 27 publication of the Peconic Baywatch Report.
Surf Movie Night IV is going to take place on Wednesday, August 9 at Guild Hall in East Hampton. We will be showing PEEL: The Peru Project by Wes Brown. The Bastards of Boom will perform live again this year, and as always, there will be raffle prizes and give aways. Anyone interested in helping out with Surf Movie Night should call me at 631-848-9927. Have a great summer!
Tom A date and location for our next meeting will be set shortly. Check www.surfriderli.org for details. |
