History

About 30 years ago, the view of Hempstead Harbor was much different from what it is today.

The harbor was suffering from air, water, and land-based problems that resulted from past industrial activities along its shores. These problems were the impetus for the formation of a citizens' activist group in 1986, the Coalition to Save Hempstead Harbor. CSHH established Hempstead Harbor's Citizens Water-Monitoring Program in 1992 and initially funded the program through membership support, grants from local foundations and businesses, and volunteer services. The program became widely recognized by other groups around Hempstead Harbor and Long Island Sound and quickly was able to garner support from local municipalities and government agencies. As the program continued, positive changes were occurring not only on the landscape around the harbor, but also on the political landscape, as citizens and government learned to work collaboratively to achieve environmental goals.

In 2006, the Hempstead Harbor Protection Committee, a municipal organization formed in 1995, was able to step up to fund the harbor's water-monitoring program through a Long Island Sound Study grant administered by the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation. The grant enabled the completion of an EPA-approved Quality Assurance Project Plan (QAPP) in 2006, which further enhanced the credibility of the monitoring program and enabled the HHPC to obtain future federal funds for the program.

During 2007, a copy of the QAPP, water-quality data, and other information from the water-monitoring program were requested for two separate shellfish-related projects. The information was used to help fill out the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation’s (DEC’s) data on the level of pathogens in Hempstead Harbor and to determine whether the harbor could be opened to shellfish harvesting in the near term. The results of the DEC's rigorous water-quality testing showed that dramatic water-quality improvements had been achieved in Hempstead Harbor. On June 1, 2011, the efforts of all parties that worked for years to improve conditions in the harbor culminated in the reopening of 2,500 acres of shellfish beds for harvesting in the northern portion of the harbor–a success story that has been highlighted all around Long Island Sound and beyond.

 THROUGHOUT THE YEARS

  • 1986

    Founded and organized against mass-burn incinerator in Port Washington and other air, water, and land-based problems.

  • 1988

    Commissioned Non-Incineration Solid Waste Management and Recycling Plan.

  • 1991

    Advocated to close the Port Washington landfill and for the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation to temporarily close the Glen Cove incinerator.

  • 1992

    Launched Citzens Water-Monitoring Program; began hosting annual International Coastal Cleanup.

  • 1994

    Co-chaired Long Island Tungsten Task Force.

  • 1996

    Led charge resulting in final closure of Glen Cove incinerator

  • 1998

    Published Hempstead Harbor: It’s History, Ecology, and Environmental Challenges.

  • 2001

    Earned Clearwater Award

  • 2002-2009

    Continued participation on advisory committees for revitalization and restoration plans, municipal task forces, hearings regarding SEQRA, and environmental protection work groups

  • 2011

    2,500 acres of shellfish beds reopened for harvesting in the harbor; led local emergency cleanup of plastic disks from Mamaroneck STP

  • 2015

    Continued opposition to Glen Cove Waterfront Development Plan; humpback whales sighted in Hempstead Harbor; pushed for microbead-ban legislation

  • 2016

    Selected as one of two organizations to pilot Long Island Sound Unified Water Study

  • 2018

    Awarded Patagonia grant for Glenwood Landing habitat restoration project. Received New York State Outdoor Education’s Environmental Impact Award.

  • 2019

    Awarded NCSWCD grant to monitor Tappen Marina water quality for TOBAY’s first-ever Hempstead Harbor aquaculture project.

  • 2020

    Awarded second NCSWCD grant to monitor Tappen Marina; continued programs and operations throughout COVID-19 shutdown and subsequent challenges

  • 2022

    Launched inaugural community oyster gardening program, raising 30,000 spat-on-shell oysters at three sites around Hempstead Harbor for habitat restoration and community education.