Alison Branco : The Peconic Estuary is out at the east end of Long Island where the bay
in between the two forks at the end of Long Island. One impact we’re expecting
to see from climate is not an increase so much in the amount of precipitation but in
the patterns. We’re expecting it to come in much larger but less frequent events, so
much greater storminess. We’re seeing rapidly rising sea levels, which is impacting wetlands
as well as ground water. We’re seeing rising water temperatures, which is impacting sea
grass, which is a really important habitat in our estuary, a nursery for fish and shellfish,
especially our iconic scallop population.
Shavonne Smith: With the increased intensity of the storms, we’re more concerned about
even more of the shoreline washing out into Shinnecock Bay. We’re going to lose more
of the trees that are around. If there’s going to be stronger wave energy coming, more
rain, the sea level rise, you know, what’s going to happen to our cemetery? This is where
our ancestors are located.
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NARRATOR: FACED WITH CLIMATE CHANGE IMPACTS THAT ALREADY THREATEN SHORELINES, DRINKING
WATER SUPPLIES AND FISHERIES, THE PECONIC ESTUARY PROGRAM IS CONDUCTING A
VULNERABILITY ASSESSMENT OF THE RISKS THEY FACE FROM CLIMATE CHANGE.
Alison Branco: As we’re assessing our vulnerability to sea-level rise and storminess, salt-water
intrusion into our aquifer, if we can quantify what those impacts will be and how soon we
expect to see them, that will help us to justify funding to provide living shorelines, protect
habitats at the shoreline, make room for wetlands to migrate inland, things like that.
NARRATOR: EPA’S “BEING PREPARED FOR CLIMATE CHANGE” WORKBOOK IS GUIDING THEM THROUGH
THE VULNERABILITY ASSESSMENT PROCESS. THE WORKBOOK WILL HELP THEM IDENTIFY, ANALYZE
AND PRIORITIZE CLIMATE CHANGE RISKS TO DEVELOP AN EFFECTIVE ADAPTATION STRATEGY.
[Meeting: Are kind of our core group ...]
Alison Branco: The climate change vulnerability assessment workbook is really a great tool
because it lays out very clearly the steps that are necessary to do this risk-based vulnerability
assessment that we need, so that we can incorporate climate change into all of our goals as we’re
updating our comprehensive conservation and management plan.
NARRATOR: THE PECONIC ESTUARY PROGRAM IS ALSO WORKING ON CLIMATE CHANGE PLANNING
WITH THE SHINNECOCK INDIAN NATION. THIS COLLABORATION WILL HELP EACH OF THEM PRODUCE
A BETTER ASSESSMENT AND FIND WAYS TO ACT ON CLIMATE CHANGE RISKS.
Shavonne Smith: Doing the climate change vulnerability assessment is important to the Shinnecock
Indian Nation because it’s going to give us the opportunity to revise the climate change
adaptation plan that we have, strengthen it, and actually get more community involvement.
It’s not so much about controlling Mother Nature. It’s about identifying and acknowledging
that change is coming, and how are we going to plan, so that we can remain here, so that
our children’s children will always have Shinnecock.
NARRATOR: AS IMPACTS ACCUMULATE AND KNOWLEDGE INCREASES, THE BENEFITS OF ACTING
NOW BECOME APPARENT. WHILE THEY CONDUCT THEIR PROGRAM-WIDE VULNERABILITY ASSESSMENT,
THE PECONIC ESTUARY PROGRAM IS ALREADY IMPLEMENTING PROJECTS TO REDUCE CLIMATE
CHANGE RISKS.
Alison Branco: On the islands where we’re placing dredged material to enhance marsh
island growth, we’re also trying to plant plants to give those wetlands a head start.
We’re reconnecting a formerly connected area to tidal flow to restore wetland, and
this area has berms, old historical berms from dredge deposit drainage, and we’re
going to break holes in those berms so that we’re not restoring the wetlands all the
way upland, but as sea-level rises, making holes in those berms will allow the wetlands
to migrate inland on their own.
Nate Woiwode: Really at the end of the day what it comes down to is making sure that
the decisions that people are making in the face of a changing climate are starting to
account for the fact that having a natural coastline, having a healthy and natural estuary,
is something that our communities value. That our communities will want to be a part of.
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