Re: [CPEO-MEF] REUSE, BIOLABS: "Tell President Biden to Protect Plum Island" (NY)

On Wed, Jul 27, 2022 at 7:56 PM Lenny Siegel <LSiegel@cpeo.org> wrote:

I received this message today. Plum Island, NY is home to the federal Plum Island Animal Disease Center, slated for closing in 2023. Reportedly in the past it conducted biological warfare research.

LS

Begin forwarded message:

From: "Julie Tighe" <info@nylcv.org>

ACTION ALERT

Write President Biden to urge him to make Plum Island a National Monument>>>
Dear Lenny,

Ecologically a gem, the 822-acre island Plum Island is located 100 miles east of New York City in the Long Island Sound. It is home to the largest seal haul-out (gathering) site in New York, and one of the largest in southern New England.

Approximately 228 bird species have been sighted there—nearly a quarter of all known in North America, north of Mexico –and over 111 species of conservation concern have been documented.

In addition, the island is home to nationally significant artifacts and historic buildings, including the National Register of Historic Places Plum Island Lighthouse (1869) and the National Register of Historic Places Fort Terry (1897) army barracks and weapons batteries.

The island also is highly valued by the descendants of local Indigenous people as part of their cultural heritage. For more than a decade, the 120 member organizations of the Preserve Plum Island Coalition (PPIC) has worked to save Plum Island from development.

In 2020, Congress heard our voices removing Plum Island from the auction block allowed for a new, permanent protection solution.
Take Action
Now the Preserve Plum Island Coalition wants to make sure the right federal agency steps up to preserve this ecological gem with its rich history and deep cultural significance.

This would include:
Ecological conservation: management and stewardship; field studies/research; ecosystem restoration
Cultural heritage and historical preservation: preserving and telling the stories of Plum Island’s uses throughout the ages
Education and managed, equitable public access: offering internships/volunteer opportunities; providing interpretive signs/activities; and creating a visitor center at the Orient Point ferry site; visitor ship managed for ecosystem sensitivity.
Tell President Biden why Plum Island is so important>>>

The coalition is asking the President of the United States to proclaim Plum Island a National Monument. A national monument would involve ownership by an agency in the Department of Interior, such as the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service or the National Park Service.

Now is the time to ask our President to use his executive and administrative powers to create a national monument or any other measure to ensure comparable, permanent protection for Plum Island.

Thank you for your unyielding support for permanent preservation of Plum Island!

Click to send a message to President Biden directly >>>

Thanks,
Julie Tighe
President, NYLCV

P.S. Just in case you need a reminder of what’s at stake, here is the link to the Plum Island video.
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New York League of Conservation Voters
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—

Lenny Siegel
Executive Director
Center for Public Environmental Oversight
A project of the Pacific Studies Center
LSiegel@cpeo.org
P.O. Box 998, Mountain View, CA 94042
Voice/Fax: 650-961-8918
http://www.cpeo.org
Author: DISTURBING THE WAR: The Inside Story of the Movement to Get Stanford University out of Southeast Asia - 1965–1975 (See http://a3mreunion.org)

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