J3347-2011 Actions

• Mar 1, 2012: ADOPTED
• Mar 1, 2012: REPORTED TO CALENDAR FOR CONSIDERATION
• Feb 23, 2012: REFERRED TO FINANCE

J3347-2011 Text

 ATIVE  RESOLUTION  urging  the New York State Congressional deleg-
 to repeal those provisions of Public  Law  110-329  requiring  the
 of  Plum  Island  and  to  oppose  any sale of Plum Island for any
 e

 S, Plum Island, so named due to the abundance of beach plums grow-
 ere, is an 843-acre island situated off Long Island's  North  Fork
  Town of Southold; and
 EAS,  Plum  Island is owned by the U.S. Government and is the site
  Plum Island Animal Disease Control Laboratory at  which  research
 ducted on contagious animal diseases, first under the aegis of the
 ment  of  Agriculture but since 2003, under the supervision of the
 ment of Homeland Security; and
 EAS, The facilities of the laboratory take up approximately 10-15%
  Island, entirely in the northwestern corner of the  Island,  with
 maining areas of the Island occurring in its natural state; and
 EAS,   Plum   Island   contains  nationally  significant  natural,
 al, historic, and scenic features and resources; and
 EAS, More particularly, these natural resources include  over  140
 species  which occur in and around Plum Island including federally
 ered and threatened  species  such  as  the  federally  endangered
 e Tern and federally threatened Piping Plover; and
 EAS, The fields, forests, wetlands, and shoreline habitats of Plum
  provide habitat essential to migratory songbirds, waterbirds, and
 of-prey  including  the  presence of an active Bank Swallow colony
 ght active Osprey nests; and
 EAS, Plum Island contains the largest winter  haul  out  site  for
   pinnipeds  in  southern New England, typically involving several
 d harbor and grey seals that utilize the rocky  coastline  of  the
 's east end for this purpose; and
 EAS,  Plum  Island  contains  significant  natural communities and
 species including an extensive wooded freshwater  wetland  in  the
 estern  section of the Island and a maritime dune community, a New
 tate Natural Heritage Program ranked community which  collectively
 es  habitat  for  a  number  of  rare and endangered plant species
 ing seabeach and  slender  knotweed,  blackjack  oak,  and  spring
 ' tresses; and
 EAS,  More  particularly,  these  cultural  and historic resources
 e the Plum Island Lighthouse situated on the western edge  of  the
 ,  serving  to warn mariners of the dangers in traversing Plum Gut
 rt Terry, a fortification built for the Spanish-American  War  and
 hich remains are scattered throughout the Island including several
  batteries and a toy gauge railroad system once used to move arma-
 to these batteries; and
 EAS, Due to Plum Island's existing network of trails and roads and
 ively undeveloped character and remoteness  and  location  of  the
  Fork  at  the point where the Peconic Estuary, Long Island Sound,
 lantic Ocean meet, the Island provides unparalleled  opportunities
 e general public for passive recreational activities such as bird-
 ng and hiking and enjoying the scenic landscapes of the East  End;

 EAS,  Plum  Island  is  situated  where  the Long Island Sound and
 c Bay meet, each being estuaries that are  part  of  the  National
 y  Program,  thereby  reflecting each natural system's nationally-
 icant environmental and economic values to the  region,  and  into
 the federal government has invested hundreds of millions of feder-

 llars  over the last two decades for long-term improvements in the
 vation and management needs of each; and
 EAS,  Despite  all of the nationally significant natural, ecologi-
 istoric, cultural,  scenic,  and  recreational  values  elaborated
   in 2008 Congress approved and the President signed P.L. 110-329,
 f the Consolidated Security, Disaster  Assistance  and  Continuing
 riations  Act,  a  provision of which (Section 540) authorized the
 ary of the Department of Homeland Security to "liquidate the  Plum
  asset" if he determines the National Bio and Agro-defense facili-
 AF) be located at a site other than Plum Island; and
 EAS,  Part  of the rational for disposing of Plum Island is to use
 ds from the sale of the Island, after  decommissioning  costs,  to
 reduce  the  costs of site acquisition and construction of the new
 ed NBAF facility proposed to be sited in Manhattan, Kansas; and
 EAS, The Federal Department of  Homeland  Security  Secretary  has
 the  requisite  determination,  thus  initiating  the  process  of
 al of this  publicly-owned  Island,  that  at  the  current  time,
 es  the General Services Administration preparing an Environmental
  Statement pursuant  to  the  National  Environmental  Policy  Act
 ; and
 EAS,  The proposed disposition of Plum Island runs counter to past
 itions of federal property which  have  led  to  the  creation  of
 l  National Wildlife Refuges in proximity to Plum Island including
 s Island National Wildlife Refuge in  coastal  Massachusetts,  and
  Island  and  Satchuest  Point National Wildlife Refuge in coastal
 Island; and
 EAS, This proposed disposition runs counter to the several  decade
 ffort by state and local government on Long Island expending near-
  billion to acquire parkland possessing ecological, environmental,
 al, historic, recreational and scenic value in the New York metro-
 n area; now, therefore, be it
 LVED, That the New York  State  Congressional  delegation  be  and
   is  respectfully memorialized by this Legislative Body to repeal
 provisions of Public Law 110-329 requiring the sale of Plum Island
  oppose any sale of Plum Island for any purpose, in recognition of
 traordinary ecological, wildlife habitat, environmental, cultural,
 ic, recreational and scenic values possessed by Plum  Island;  and
 further
 LVED,  That  this Legislative Body pause further to support trans-
 g the underdeveloped portions of Plum Island to the National Wild-
 efuge system and  dedicated  as  "Plum  Island  National  Wildlife
 ", or in the event the Plum Island Animal Disease Control Facility
 rmanently  closed and the buildings and associated infrastructures
 t adaptively re-used the entire Island be so dedicated; and be  it
 r
 LVED, That copies of this Resolution, suitably engrossed, be tran-
 d to each member of the Congressional delegation from the State of
 rk.