Metropolitan Waterfront Alliance  4-8-09
 WATERWIRE            Your Waterfront. Your Voice.
      
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EVENTS


Co-sponsored or sponsored by MWA
  
April 22, 6-8pm
The New Erie Canal: Tourism, Transportation, and Economic Development
A forum about New York's best-kept secret hosted by SCOW and MWA.
Park Avenue Armory,
643 Park Avenue



May 8, 12pm

Spring Clean for Big G
Come help MWA get our trusty launch boat Big G ready for the many people who will get on this water this summer.
Shipyard Marina

1301 Sinatra Drive
Hoboken, New Jersey



Alliance Partners' Events

April 11, 8am
Early Morning Birding
Join the Urban Park Rangers for this weekly Ranger-led birding walk of the Salt Marsh Nature Trail. Salt Marsh Nature Center, Marine Park, E. 33rd St and Avenue U, Brooklyn


April 11, 9:30am
Queens and Kings West Shore Walk
Walk from the Queensboro Bridge to the Brooklyn Bridge following the East River shore. Detour to cross Newtown Creek. Meet at 2nd Avenue and 59th Street


April 11, 10am Environmental Bike Tour of the South Bronx & Randall's Island
A leisurely bike tour that includes natural wonders of the waterfront, community gardens and art, and historic places. Meet at the Bronx Park, 141 Street and Brook Avenue, Bronx, under the cherry blossoms.


April 11, 12-4pm
Earth Day at South Street Seaport Museum
Celebrate Earth Day! Enjoy crafts, activities, games and storytelling and meet the many sea critters who live in the Museum's Living Harbor Wet Lab.
South Street Seaport Museum, 12 Fulton Street


April 15, 1-3pm
Watershed Academy Webcast Seminar
EPA's Watershed Academy sponsors free monthly Webcasts for watershed practitioners from around the globe.
epa.gov/watershedwebcasts


April 15, 6:30-8:30pm PlaNYC: Innovations and Legacy
Join Dan Doctoroff, former Deputy Mayor for Economic Development and the originator of PlaNYC, for a discussion of the relationship of PlaNYC to the history of urban planning.
Museum of the City of New York, 1220 Fifth Avenue


April 16, 5:30-7:30pm
Audubon New York 2009 Sound Guardian Award
Honoring Congressman Tim Bishop and NY & NJ Port Authority Executive Director Chris Ward.
The Water Club,
500 E 30st at FDR Drive


April 17, 8am-3pm
America 2050: Building the Next EconomyRegional Plan Association's Regional Assembly
Featured speakers: Governors Paterson of NY and Rendell of PA, and Mark Zandi of Moody's and Economy.com.
Waldorf Astoria
301 Park Avenue


April 18, 8:53am -7pm
Scouting Hike along Bear Trail
Shorewalkers will walk from and to Bear Mountain. Meet at 8:53 am at Manitiou Metro North Railroad Station


April 18, 10am-3 pm
Plum Beach Clean Up
Join American Littoral Society for a marsh, beach, and dune cleanup and planting at Plum Beach, Jamaica Bay.
Meet at the parking lot just off the eastbound lane of the Belt Parkway between Knapp Street (Exit 9) and Flatbush Avenue (Exit 11).
Brooklyn


April 19, 12pm
Dedication of New Dock and Ramp at Sebago Canoe Club
Sebago Canoe Club Paerdegat Basin at Foot of Avenue N
1400 Paerdegat Avenue North, Brooklyn


April 23, 6:30pm-8pm
New York Harbor: Created and Obliterated
Follow the wake of Hudson's 1609 exploration of the river that now bears his name through this illustrated talk.
South Street Seaport Museum, 12 Fulton Street


April 23, 7-9pm
East River C.R.E.W. Benefit Party honoring Carter Craft
Ship of Fools Grill
1590 2nd Avenue


April 24, 9am-5pm
Restoring the Urban Oyster 2009NY/NJ Baykeeper's Second Oyster Restoration Conference
See WaterWire story. Pershing Hall
Governors Island


April 24, 6pm
Governors Island Park and Public Space Master Plan: On the Drawing Board
Adriaan Geuze, founder of West 8, will present the West 8 team's design ideas for the Governors Island Park and Public Space master plan.
Center for Architecture
536 LaGuardia Place


April 25, 11am-12:30pm
1625: Dutch New York
Walking tour along the shoreline of 1625. Visit sites - and some extant remains - of the original Dutch settlement of New Amsterdam.
$20. Meet on the steps of the National Museum of the American Indian.


April 25, 11am-1pm
Rockaways Beach Clean-up
Join Rockaway Waterfront Alliance for a clean up off Beach 29th street and the boardwalk in preparation for our Earth Day event the following weekend. 
Beach 29nd Street at Beach Boardwalk
Far Rockaway, NY


April 25, 6pm
Celebrating Karen Volava's Leadership
Join East Coast Greenway for a reception and buffet dinner to honor Karen Votava as she retires as the first executive director of the East Coast Greenway Alliance.
The Arsenal, 64th Street &5th Avenue, Central Park

April 25, 10pm
Time's Up Riverside Bike Ride
Share the tranquility of Central Park plus the lovely tree canopy and grand vistas of the Hudson River from Riverside Park.
Meets at the Columbus Circle entrance to Central Park, Central Park South and Central Park West


May 2, 7:30am-7pm
The Great Saunter

Shorewalkers annual Great Saunter - a 32-mile walk around Manhattan's rim.
Meet at 7:30 am at Fulton and South Streets, in front of Heartland Brewery near the South Street Seaport.



May 2, 10am
Future Brooklyn Waterfront Greenway Bike Tour
Join Brooklyn Greenway Initiative for a 10-mile ride at a family pace, starting in Greenpoint and ending at Red Hook's spectacular waterfront. Meet at the northern end of Manhattan Avenue in Greenpoint, Brooklyn.


May 2, 12-4pm
Earth Day Rockaway
Come enjoy a day of fun at the Rockaway beach boardwalk with free activities intended to raise environmental awareness though art, science and technology.
160 Beach 29th Street
Far Rockaway


May 5, 10:30am
Dioxins in the Passaic River
A seminar series on scientific issues related to the environmental quality and resource management of the New York/New Jersey Harbor Estuary.
Hudson River Foundation
17 Battery Place, Suite 915


May 9, 10-11:30am
Columbia Greenway Clean-Up
Lend a hand at BGI's monthly cleanup along the new Columbia Street section of the greenway. These cleanups are held in cooperation with the Columbia Waterfront Neighborhood Association, in order to keep the newest section of the Brooklyn Waterfront Greenway free of trash and other debris.
BGI's office
145 Columbia Street


May 28-June 2
Planning & Management of Urban Waterfronts
Five-day course in which students learn about sustainable waterfront development, climate change impact, infrastructure, environmental considerations, recreation, transportation and more. 4 credits. NYU's Robert F. Wagner School of Public Policy. Email [email protected].



Quadricentennial Events

May 1, 2009
The Glory of Dutch Bulbs: A Legacy of 400 Years
Opening day of a new exhibition of rare Dutch bulbs at the NY Botanical Garden.


May 1, 2009
The New Amsterdam Trail
First day of multi-platform, self-guided walking tour sponsored by Henry Hudson 400, with the Dutch National Archives and the National Parks of New York Harbor Conservancy at Federal Hall.


Save the Date!

September 9-10, 2009
H209: A Water Forum
Business, environmental and government leaders explore solutions to the water challenges of coastal cities. H209 is organized by the Henry Hudson 400 Foundation in cooperation with Liberty Science Center, Metropolitan Waterfront Alliance and the Netherlands Water Partnership.

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DonateNow

Please help build a blue movement in the region and lay the foundation for a strong MWA and the greatest waterfront in the world. Financial contributions made to the Waterfront Alliance, a 501(c)(3) organization, are tax-deductible to the fullest extent of the law. 

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A PEARL OF A PROGRAM
oystersOyster Gardening Flourishes In Metro Waters
"Restoring the Urban Oyster" Conference Set for April 24
Baykeeper Oyster Sites
Students in Bayonne, families in Red Hook, educators on the Lower East Side, scientists at Rutgers; anyone can be an oyster gardener as long as you commit to monitoring your adopted bivalves for at least a year.

"We have many non-scientists in this program," said Debbie Mans, executive director of NY/NJ Baykeeper, the organization that is overseeing the reintroduction of oysters to local waters in partnership with the River Project and the NY Harbor School. "In Sea Bright, for example, the local senior citizens take care of the oysters."

This year, there are approximately 50 oyster gardening groups in New Jersey and 45 in New York, up from a few scattered efforts a decade ago. The Oyster Gardening Program was formalized by Baykeeper in 2005. "We're trying to standardize methodology for how to collect data," Ms. Mans said. "We want people to understand why there are water quality problems, and we're working on ecosystem habitat restoration."

The ultimate goal is the return of a sustainable oyster reef system throughout the estuary. Oysters improve the health of the estuary by providing habitats for fish and by filtering impurities from the water. Once abundant in the waters surrounding New York and New Jersey, oysters were killed off by pollution and overfishing around the turn of the century.

Today, "oysters tend to do well wherever we put them, especially in the East River," said Katie Mosher-Smith, who is coordinating the New York half of Baykeeper's oyster gardening program. "And they attract a lot of other marine life."

They attract human attention, too. Environmental learning centers such as the Harlem River Ecology Center or Solar One on the East River "tend to show off their oysters and invite the public in," said Ms. Mosher-Smith. "People learn a lot about the estuary through oyster gardening."

Complementing the program is a free monthly lecture series on the history, science and restoration of oysters that takes place at Hudson River Park's Pier 84 Classroom (next is "Global Shellfish Reefs at Risk" on May 14; see events listing at left), and a major conference on "Restoring the Urban Oyster," to be held April 24 on Governors Island. The lectures and conference ($50; $30 for students) are open to the public.
     
DumpingCity Council Investigates Illegal Dumping
Waterfronts Committee finds biggest problem is abandoned boats

"The water is our office," said Ed Kelly, president of the Maritime Association of the Port of New York and New Jersey, "and we don't like it when people make a mess of our office."

Mr. Kelly was testifying at a hearing on illegal waterfront dumping convened by the Waterfronts Committee of the City Council on March 27. "We are primarily concerned with hard floatables and submerged debris. We routinely have vessels damaged," he told committee chair Michael Nelson, describing local navigational hazards and environmental problems posed mostly by abandoned boats.

It's not just a problem in the NY/NJ region; boats are being abandoned in greater numbers around the country's coast, as a recent story in The New York Times made clear. Many officials expect the problem to get worse, saying boats are luxuries that people are finding they can no longer afford.

Locally, Jamaica Bay is an especially popular area for abandoned boats and barges, as John Rudikoff from the Clean Bay Task Force told the Waterfronts Committee. He and others at the hearing offered these suggestions to deter dumping: Post signs saying the area is under video surveillance, increase security patrols, increase rewards for reporting illegal dumping, promote waterfront awareness and increase public access.

abandoned boatsTheresa Scavo, chairperson of Community Board 15 in Brooklyn (Sheepshead Bay area), is seeing more abandoned boats, jet skis and construction detritus in her waterfront district. "The maintenance of our waterways should be paramount," she told the committee, lamenting the fact that only three people are assigned to the city's Dockmaster department, and must monitor 580 miles of shoreline without a boat.

Ms. Scavo offers the toll-free number of a national company that will pick up cast-off boats and cars -- 1-800-237-5714 -- to any caller who says he can no longer pay insurance, gas and docking fees. "Don't abandon it!" she'll admonish him.
     
Jersey City Plan for Waterfront Parks
MorrisBridges the Mouth of the Morris Canal

 
Jersey City waterfront proposal

The goal of the Jersey City Waterfront Parks Conservancy, formed in 2007, was to connect shoreline land parcels to create one contiguous waterfront park for Jersey City. On March 24, the Conservancy presented a master park plan created by StarrWhitehouse Landscape Architects with NArchitects to 130 people, including the mayor of Jersey City, Jerremiah T. Healy. Among other features, the proposal bridges the Little Basin of the Morris Canal. As seen in the photo below, the "Little Basin" of the Morris Canal -- the inlet where the historic canal once connected to the Hudson River -- is immediately north of the "Big Basin," home to Liberty Harbor Marina bordering Liberty State Park.
 Jersey City waterfront today
By bridging the Morris Canal's Little Basin, a continuous waterfront walkway would stretch from Exchange Place past the Goldman Sachs building to the marina. Along the way, the master plan proposes
gardens, children's slides and swings, a dog run, pavilions and access to the water. The steel bulkhead would be replaced by a more natural edge of riprap boulders.

"The feedback has been phenomenal," said Patrick Johnson, a Conservancy spokesperson. "We've been having meetings with agencies and organizations -- such as DEP and Liberty State Park -- parallel to the public event. the next steps will be dictated by these meetings." The Conservancy has engaged a construction company to determine the cost of the plan and expects a preliminary estimate in about three weeks. 
     
DelugeAgainst the Deluge and Apres le Conference
Conclusions from the Two-Day Symposium on the Viability of
Storm Surge Barriers to Protect the NY/NJ Metro Region


Joshua Friedman of the city's Office of Emergency Management offered sobering statistics about the region's vulnerability to coastal flooding. A catastrophic storm surge, he told scientists, engineers, government officials and environmental advocates attending a two-day conference on storm surge barriers, will affect two million New Yorkers, 740,000 households, 272,000 buildings and 461miles of roadways.

The conference, "Against the Deluge: Storm Surge Barriers to Protect New York City," on March 30 and 31, was organized by Douglas Hill, an engineer and adjunct lecturer at Stony Brook University, and hosted by the Metropolitan Section of the American Society of Civil Engineers in conjunction with the Environmental Sciences Section of the New York Academy of Sciences. Day 1 addressed the question "Should barriers be built in NYC?" and Day 2 asked "Can barriers be built for NYC?"

By the end of the first day, after digesting hurricane predictions, hydrodynamic flood simulations and the lessons of Katrina, conference participants concluded that the New York region needs better analysis of future storm surges. A comprehensive risk assessment was discussed. "The great question is, who will conduct this risk assessment? No one was in charge after Katrina," noted Mr. Hill. Conference participants agreed that they need to raise awareness, and lobby elected officials to focus on the area's vulnerability to flooding.

Barrier across Narrows

Day 2 featured compelling art. After discussions on the navigation and regulatory constraints of storm surge barriers, as well as geotechnical and environmental considerations, four top engineering firms proposed conceptual designs for barriers across local water bodies. Arcadis, a firm based in the Netherlands, drew upon centuries of experience in protecting citizens in densely populated, low-lying areas, and showed a barrier spanning the Narrows (rendering above). Halcrow from the UK, which is involved in the design of a barrier across the Thames, showed a gateway that would stretch five miles from Sandy Hook to Breezy Point in Rockaway. Camp Dresser & McKee, a US firm, drew inspiration from Singapore's Marina Barrage and showed a barrier across the Arthur Kill. Parsons Brinckerhoff, also US-based, proposed a barrier across the East River.

At the end of the day, Mr. Hill said, "it had been clearly demonstrated that putting storm surge barriers around New York is technically feasible -- and the costs are not out of sight."
     
Brooklyn Brooklyn Waterfront Greenway Brooklyn Waterfront Greenway Awarded Another $2.5 Million
When completed, the landscaped, off-street Brooklyn Waterfront Greenway will run for 14 miles, through three Community Boards, from Sunset Park to Greenpoint. The $2.5 million just committed by the NYS Dept. of Transportation -- specifically for building the Greenpoint section of the route -- brings the total funds awarded to the project to $20 million.

Part of a 350-mile network of greenways envisioned for the city, the Brooklyn Waterfront Greenway will connect diverse neighborhoods long separated by transportation infrastructure to each other and to the waterfront.

According to the Brooklyn Greenway Initiative, preliminary design and engineering for the full 14-mile route is expected to begin shortly.
     
COWpartnerfair
Your Presence is Requested at the
City of Water Day Alliance Partner Fair


On Saturday, July 18, MWA and our many partners will converge on Governors Island for our second annual City of Water Day. Last year was an absolute blast with hundreds of mariners, thousands of landlubbers, and hours of fun with a purpose. Speaker Christine Quinn used City of Water Day to announce legislation to ensure a comprehensive waterfront plan every ten years in New York City. This year MWA is inviting all Alliance Partners to exhibit at the City of Water Day Alliance Partner Fair in beautiful, leafy Nolan Park on Governors Island.

Non-profit Alliance Partners may have a table at the fair for free.
The for-profit rate for exhibit space is a donation of $500, or $500 worth of give-aways.

All participating Partners can expect a table, chairs and thousands of visitors eager to learn more about the waterfront. To reserve a table, please email Jennifer Stark-Hernandez or call (212) 935-9831, x279. If you would like more information about sponsoring City of Water Day, please contact Stephanie Hill. Is your group not an Alliance Partner yet? Contact Jennifer Stark-Hernandez about that as well.
     
H209competitionH209 New Generation Competition
College students are challenged to present innovative
solutions to the water challenges facing coastal cities


Calling all undergrads specializing in marine and environmental studies, engineering, oceanography, urban design and planning, policy planning and public health: here's a chance to win a little fame, some cash and the gratitude of shoreline residents. Present your ideas for an innovative coastline project in the Sustainability for Coastal Cities Competition at the H209 Forum this September, and you could win $5,000, $3,000 or $2,000. Widespread media coverage is expected, and winners are guaranteed internships at major companies.

The H209 folks even start students off with a few ideas (flood protection, water quality, waterfront development...). Deadline is April 30 for the initial one-page presentation, which will be judged on clarity, innovation and practicality. Students who make it to Round 2 will be asked to forge a connection with Dutch students, in keeping with the Dutch/American theme of the H209 Forum and entire Quadricentennial celebration. Click here for more details. 
     
scow MWA PARTNER SPOTLIGHT 
From the paddlers of the Sebago Canoe Club on Jamaica Bay to the International Shippers of the New York Shipping Association, nearly 400 organizations dedicated to a healthy, shared and vibrant harbor make up the Waterfront Alliance. Together these hundreds of organizations and hundreds of thousands of people create a diverse and powerful voice for a better waterfront. Below, read about the State Council on Waterways (and don't miss SCOW's forum, co-hosted by the MWA on April 22: "The New Erie Canal: Tourism, Transportation, and Economic Development." See listings at left for details). If you'd like to see your waterfront group in the SPOTLIGHT, email [email protected]

State Council on Waterways (SCOW)
NJ MeadowlandsThe State Council on Waterways (SCOW) and the Metropolitan Waterfront Alliance (MWA) are cousins with common goals-improving our waterways, enhancing access to them, and educating the public about why they are so important.  MWA focuses on the metropolitan area. SCOW concentrates its efforts upstate, with primary emphasis on the state canal system.

The Erie Canal is one of New York's best kept secrets. History lovers, of course, know that the opening of the Erie Canal in 1825 shaped our nation's future by making it possible to transport goods from New York Harbor to points west for a tiny fraction of the cost and less than half the time of land-side transportation. It was, in fact, the original blue highway, and it turned New York Harbor into the busiest port in the nation.

What many people don't realize is that the Erie and its sister canals - the Champlain, Oswego and Cayuga-Seneca - thrive today as attractive waterways that are home to recreational boats and freight-moving tugs and barges. The canal system is also a National Heritage Corridor and a tourist destination that is vital to New York State's economy. Ever since SCOW was chartered as a not-for-profit corporation in 1986, its mission has been to teach people about this wonderful canal system and to provide access for them see and travel on it.

In the 1990s under the leadership of the late Captain Schuyler M. Meyer Jr., SCOW operated the 1901-built, state-owned tugboat Urger as a floating museum and educational platform that traveled across the state, Meyer at the helm and a bagpiper on the bow. Thousands of elementary school children from across the state came on board to learn about the canal.

The New York State Canal Corporation now runs the Urger program, but SCOW has continued its on-the-water educational programming aboard the Erie Canal Boat, a 42-passenger former U.S. Coast Guard vessel that the organization purchased in 2002. Using the boat to take canal visitors through canal locks, SCOW runs an educational program for fourth-graders and offers boat rides to the public at canal festivals and events. More than 18,000 people, many of whom had never been on a boat before, have seen the canal from the deck of the Erie Canal Boat in its six years of operation.

Erie Canal Boat

SCOW has also played a significant role in public policy discussions about the management and future of the canal by hosting public forums throughout the state and testifying at hearings and before the state legislature.

This month SCOW, with the help and support of MWA, will host a forum in New York City - The New Erie Canal: Tourism, Transportation and Economic Development.  It will take place Wednesday, April 22 from 6 to 8:30 p.m. at the Park Avenue Armory, 643 Park Avenue (between 66th and 67th Streets), Manhattan. Featured speakers will include: Carmella Mantello, director of the New York State Corporation, Capt. John Callaghan, a tugboat captain, freight transportation expert and managing director at Knickerbocker Consulting, LLC; and Capt. Peter Wiles Jr., a tourism professional and president of the Canal New York Marketing and Business Alliance.

The presentation is free and open to the public. Reservations are a must as seating is limited. Call or email Capt. Mary Pat Driscoll at 201-857-2127 or [email protected].
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A Hearty Welcome to These New
Metropolitan Waterfront Alliance Partners!


I BOAT NY HARBOR - informational web site for recreational boaters. "The goal of this website is to educate recreational boaters on boat handling, wakes mitigation, emergencies and security in a mixed-use urban harbor."

White Cap Marine Rescue Services Inc. - towing and salvage company based in Brooklyn. "We offer removal of abandoned vessels in New York and New Jersey. We also donate our time and are members of the Environmental Task Force Operations. We are available for hire on any waterfront operation."

LightWheels - bike and boat share concession in Flushing Meadows/Corona Park. "Our mission is to create a stage for new and exciting transportation developments and to introduce people to the water through unique boating opportunities. We hope that people who come through our facility will gain the skills and appreciation needed for more advanced boating opportunities including interaction with the NY/NJ Waterfront."

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Recent Waterfront News 

It's Alive! Step Right Up and See for Yourself!
April 3, 2009

More Use of Waterways Urged for Fun and Travel
Brooklyn Daily Eagle, April 1, 2009

Sailing Round Manhattan on the Sludge Boat
WNYC, April 1, 2009

The Brooklyn Navy Yard
Daily News, April 1, 2009

Poldering New York
Regional Plan Association, March 31, 2009

Last-Minute Deal Comes Through For Governors Island
NY1, March 30, 2009

Newark biofuel spill 'greases' miles of Passaic River
The Star-Ledger, March 26, 2009

Environmental officials again crack down on truck emissions on Staten Island
Staten Island Advance, March 25

Landmarks approves park, cafe and boats for Pier 15
Downtown Express, March 20, 2009