Piermont Marsh Fact-Finding

Meeting 4, May 21, 2015

Photo: Erik Kiviat/Hudsonia, 1982

Update: Where are we in the process?

3. Plan
Development

1. Goal Setting

What are the objectives

and approaches for
achieving goals?

What are the goals for

marsh management?

2. Fact Finding
What do we know, and
what do we still need to
find out?

4. Plan
Implementation
and adaptive
management as needed

Fact-Finding Topics
Piermont Marsh habitats and biological diversity (9/30/14)
Water quality and the marsh (11/13/14)
The marsh and storm protection (1/7/15)
Marsh vegetation management (5/21/15)
Presentations available at: www.hrnerr.org

Meeting 4: Agenda

What do we know about methods of managing marsh vegetation?

6:00 6:05

Welcome Betsy Blair, Mayor Sanders

6:05 6:20

Marsh management considerations Betsy Blair

6:20 6:50

Conspectus of Phragmites management techniques Erik Kiviat

6:50 7:20

Restoration of marshes along the Delaware Estuary Gary Bickle

7:20 7:50
Case Studies
7:20 7:35
Constitution Marsh David Decker
7:35 7:50
Ramshorn Marsh Chris Zimmerman
7:50 8:25

Questions for the speakers (from audience and from index cards)

8:25 8:30

Next steps

Next Steps
Make available a meeting summary and the presentations on the HRNERR
website (www.hrnerr.org/piermont-marsh/)
Use the information presented at this meeting to inform the development
of the draft marsh management plan objectives and approach
Continue the dialogue about marsh management

Photo: Dorothy Peteet, 1998

Piermont Marsh Management Considerations

Long-term marsh management goals

Sustain native marsh communities
Promote marsh resiliency to sea level
rise
Maintain or enhance storm protection for
Village
Increase scientific knowledge and public
understanding of marsh

Key take-home messages

Only envision small-scale pilot projects followed by monitoring &
assessment, adaptation, and where appropriate, modest scaleups
Not thinking about any activity that would at any time involve all
or large parts of the marsh
Minimal work at north end, if any would not be visible from
Village
Now considering many options beyond just Phragmites
management

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Planning approach
Convene fact-finding meetings to explore larger topics
Continue to explore the context for management: current
conditions, trends, threats, and opportunities
Hone in on desired outcomes more specifically
Evaluate many management options to achieve these
outcomes
Continue to talk with the community and regional experts

11

Context

Variable salinity, brackish to fresh

Nutrient enrichment in Tappan Zee
Sea level rise rate is inch/year
Piermont is a globally rare marsh,
unique on Hudson River

12

Marsh erosion at east edge

13

Lots of storm debris & wrack

14

Diminishing salt meadows

15

Conservation targets what do we mean?

- Habitats (e.g., salt meadows)
- Species (e.g., terrapins or rare plants)
- Ecosystem services (e.g. wave attenuation to
buffer Village)

16

Conservation targets (draft, partial list)

- Salt meadows & shallow pools persist
- Rare plants persist
- Diamond-back terrapin use of marsh &
environs enhanced?
- Wave energy on marsh edge buffered?
- All of above need more detail on what,
how much, & when

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Wide range of management options to

achieve conservation targets
Restore marsh vegetation
Expand marsh to east and south
Add constructed habitats to support wildlife and serve as
protective barriers, potentially including oysters where
conditions permit
Restore marsh vegetation

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Potential Constraints
Long-term funding, agency resources, public support
Short-term all of above, plus consistency with bridge
permit requirements
Regulatory regulations may preclude certain actions, such
as marsh creation where none previously existed
Feasibility conditions may not be right, for instance oyster
growth is limited by low salinity

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Opportunities
High public interest in marsh
Many partnership opportunities for stewardship & education
Growing research infrastructure in place
Source of funding in place to launch long-term marsh
restoration
We are much more aware of climate impacts, and have a
chance to take action to benefit both our natural and human
communities

20

Last thoughts
We have by no means settled on where or how we might
seek to control Phragmites at Piermont Marsh.
Tonight is intended to provide an overview of marsh
vegetation management approaches, and to look at two
local examples of Phragmites control.

21

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Next Steps
Make available a meeting summary and the presentations on the
HRNERR website (www.hrnerr.org/piermont-marsh/)
Use the information presented at this meeting to inform the
development of the draft marsh management plan objectives and
approach
Continue the dialogue about marsh management and refine draft
plan