Treehugger Tuesday

National Park Service Releases Draft General Management Plan for Gateway

From New York City Audubon:

"In early August, the National Park Service released the draft General Management Plan for Gateway National Recreation Area, which includes many critical wildlife habitats including Jamaica Bay NWR, Floyd Bennett Field, Breezy Point, Fort Tilden, Great Kills Park on Staten Island, and Sandy Hook in NJ. This document provides a framework for park operations and serves as a generic environmental impact statement--and was created following a process of public comment on several alternatives that emphasized different priorities for Gateway. NYC Audubon was surprised and concerned to discover that the National Park Service has chosen alternative B, which emphasizes increasing visitation and recreational services for the park, rather than alternative C, which provides stronger protection for the birds and other wildlife that live in the critical urban oases of Gateway."

Many people in the conservation community are very concerned about the NPS not preserving these important green spaces for wildlife. You can download the drafts here and make your comments here. In addition, there are two more open houses this week:

Tuesday, September 10, 4 pm to 8 pm - Jamaica Bay Wildlife Refuge

Thursday, September 12, 3:30 pm to 7:30 pm - Sandy Hook Chapel, Sandy Hook, NJ (click here for directions)

Please take the time to make your voice heard. Gateway is not just about active recreation, it's about preserving the scarce wildlife and green habitats in our metropolitan areas.

Directions to Jamaica Bay Wildife Refuge

Location: Cross Bay Boulevard, Queens, New York (click for Google map), 718-318-4340

By Car: Take the Belt Parkway to exit 17, and go south on Cross Bay Boulevard. Follow Cross Bay Boulevard over North Channel Bridge and continue 1 1/2 miles to the Visitors Center on the right.

By Subway: Take the A train to Broad Channel station. Walk west to Crossbay Boulevard then turn right (north) and walk about half a mile to the Visitors Center.

By Bus: The Q53 and Q21 buses stop at the Visitors Center.