Suffolk County has received nearly $4 million in federal funding for a new saltwater marsh restoration project.
The money comes from a Federal Emergency Management Agency grant.
The county’s Coastal Resiliency Plan, which studied Suffolk County’s nearly 1,000 miles of coastline, will focus on 140 acres of marshland at Scully Marsh, East Islip Preserve and Cupsogue Beach Marsh.
Suffolk County Executive Ed Romaine, alongside other elected officials, announced the first of three phases to restore high-priority wetland sites. Romaine said this is the first step to confront overlooked conditions that threaten their ecosystem.
“This is the start,” Romaine said. “We are planning to take a look at a dozen salt marshes that we can restore the natural balance to, that will make a huge difference in our coastal resiliency and prepare us for the next, and the next storm is coming.”
Saltwater marshes protect coastal communities from flooding and storm surges and serve as a home for many protected and endangered species, according to South Shore Estuary Reserve Director Chris Clapp.
These ecosystems also serve the area's economy, as well as the greater health of the Great South Bay.
“We have to recognize that we live on an island and a lot of our economic engine is driven by the fact that this is an island,” said county Legislator Trish Bergin. “We are heavy on tourism, the boating industry, restaurants, and we need clean water, and restoring these marshlands is so important in achieving that goal.”
