Long Island Sound's Plum Island May Yet Be Saved, Environmentalists Hail Congressional Action After Decade of Advocacy

For environmentalists, passage by Congress this week of a federal budget package included, significantly, a long-sought repeal of a planned auction of Plum Island, in Long Island Sound.  The action, ardently advocated for nearly a decade by scores of organizations and members of Congress across the region, opens a path “for permanent protection of this unique place and its critical habitats, endangered wildlife, and cultural history,” according to the Plum Island Coalition.

Plum Island, located at the eastern end of Long Island Sound, is home to nationally significant natural and cultural resources including lands traditionally used by Indigenous nations; a historic, decommissioned Army post; and more than 500 plant and animal species, 111 of which are species of conservation concern. The federal budget package includes language repealing 2009 and 2012 bills associated with the plan to relocate the animal disease research facility on Plum Island to Manhattan, Kansas.

The President is expected to sign the legislation approved by the House and Senate late Monday.

This action will restore the normal disposal procedure for federal property instead of auctioning it off to the highest bidder. Next steps then include ensuring the island is transferred to another federal agency, state, or other body, a process that may take several years, the Coalition points out.

The Preserve Plum Island Coalition (PPIC), an alliance of 116 organizations in the region, has been fighting to save the island’s rare habitats and cultural resources. The Coalition has developed a vision for the island’s future and, if the bill becomes law, will shift its attention to implementing that vision, starting with identifying an appropriate owner for Plum Island that can ensure conservation.

For 11 years it has been at risk of being sold to private developers, which would deprive the public of all the island has to offer. Such a sale would also cause irreversible harm to wildlife, including seals and endangered roseate terns; threaten historical buildings; and risk Indigenous and American cultural history.

“We’re closer than we’ve ever been to saving Plum Island,” said Curt Johnson, president of Save the Sound, which coordinates the Preserve Plum Island Coalition. “Senator Schumer’s negotiating power, Senators Murphy and Blumenthal’s networking, and the leadership of Congressmembers Zeldin, DeLauro, Courtney, and Lowey—along with unwavering support from the entire Long Island Sound Congressional delegation—have brought us this far. With the passage and signature of this bill, the normal process for dealing with federally-owned property will be re-opened. A path to permanent conservation is within our sights and Save the Sound will be there every step of that path.”

“It is rare in conservation to get a second chance. All too often, a species becomes irretrievably lost to extinction or a forest is irreparably destroyed by development. But Congress, through repeal of the mandate directing the sale of Plum Island, is giving the island a second chance,” said John Turner, spokesperson for the Preserve Plum Island Coalition. “But this second chance is really a first step. The Coalition calls on all those who care about Plum Island to stand by as we look to the next steps in keeping it forever in public ownership.”

U.S. Senator Richard Blumenthal (D-CT) said, “we can finally and fully celebrate preserving Plum Island. This exquisite environmental treasure has been spared a headlong rush to sell to the highest bidder. We will continue to fight to preserve this special gem from future development. Plum Island is a unique environmental resource that is home to hundreds of species of wildlife and numerous important historical sites that must be preserved for future generations to enjoy. I thank Connecticut’s environmental advocates, including Save the Sound and The Nature Conservancy, for their tireless work in this effort. I also thank my colleagues from the New York and Connecticut delegations for their partnership in securing this important provision.”

“It’s taken years of work to get this done, but finally, we’ve stopped the shortsighted plan to sell Plum Island to the highest bidder,” said U.S. Senator Chris Murphy (D-CT). “Plum Island is so important, both ecologically and historically, and I’m proud to stand with my colleagues in the Connecticut and New York delegations who have worked tirelessly with me to get this repeal across the finish line.”

The most recent budget language, championed by Senators Chuck Schumer and Chris Murphy and Congressman Lee Zeldin, restores the usual disposal process for federal properties, which entails offering the property first to other federal agencies, then to the state of jurisdiction, followed by the county and municipalities, then nongovernmental organizations. This opens the path to ownership and management by a federal agency or a state body, or a partnership of such bodies.

“This is a tremendous victory for Plum Island and the people of Connecticut, and it is in large part thanks to the hard work and advocacy of the local groups fighting to protect this ecological treasure,” said U.S. Representative Rose DeLauro (CT-3). “Plum Island is home to a rare natural ecosystem that should never be up for sale to the highest bidder. Congress has an obligation to protect this island and its natural resources. That is why as a leader on the House Appropriations Committee, and now the Chair-designate, I fought to include this language in the fiscal year 2021 spending bill to preserve Plum Island and prohibit the mandatory sale of this ecological treasure. I urge my colleagues to join me in ensuring this rich environment is protected well into the future.”

Assets to be released from public sale by the repeal legislation include a 9.5-acre ferry transport parcel and harbor at Orient Point, New York. The ferry parcel and Plum Island are considered one property to be disposed of together. The legislation also provides $18.9 million for decommissioning and cleanup of the island.

In July 2020, The Nature Conservancy and Save the Sound briefed congressional staff on Envision Plum Island, a report developed at the request of congressional offices and in partnership with consulting group Marstel-Day.  Over the course of two years, Native American nations, business owners, ecologists, conservationists, historical preservationists, archaeologists, and local and state officials studied possibilities for the island. The document laid out detailed options for ownership and management which can now be explored in earnest, and a holistic vision for use of the island and ferry parcel. The Coalition has been assisted in its congressional advocacy this year by Layth Elhassani, a pro-bono legislative liaison from Covington & Burling LLP.

Added U.S. Representative Jim Himes (CT-4): “We are stewards of the natural beauty of the Long Island Sound, charged with preserving it for future generations. Preserving Plum Island ensures that we will protect it from development that may harm our region environmentally and economically in both the near- and long-term.”

PHOTOS by Robert Lorenz, Chip Dineen