Hello!

The signs of summer’s imminent arrival are here! The morning fog, the reopening of businesses, and busier streets and sidewalks. Montauk is bustling again and CCOM has been hard at work preparing for a busy summer season. 

Earlier this month, we were joined by 50 amazing volunteers who helped install our floating wetlands in Fort Pond just in time for the summer growing season. Our water-quality monitoring programs (both bacteria and harmful algal bloom) are ramping up for weekly testing. And our calendar is packed with many wonderful opportunities to engage with us - the South Lake Water Quality Open House, Fort Pond Paddle, and Montauk Farmer’s Markets, just to name a few. 

We look forward to seeing you all this summer!

On May 21st, 50 volunteers joined Concerned Citizens of Montauk (CCOM) to install floating wetlands in Fort Pond. Over 7,000 native plants were planted and secured into custom floating mats. The plants help reduce the overall nutrient load in the pond and help lessen the extent and severity of harmful algal blooms (HABs), which have plagued Fort Pond for years.

CCOM embraces a science-based comprehensive watershed-driven approach to reduce pollutant loadings to Fort Pond. The floating wetlands are just one piece of the puzzle.

CCOM has been sampling Fort Pond for bacteria for nearly a decade, and harmful algal bloom concentrations and toxicity for the last 5 years.

CCOM has targeted and worked with Fort Pond watershed property owners to encourage and facilitate nitrogen-reducing septic system upgrades and with the Town’s Downtown Montauk Wastewater Committee to reduce the overall septic effluence from the Downtown commercial district.

Additionally, CCOM successfully lobbied to remove direct stormwater discharges into the pond - most recently a New York State Department of Transportation outfall from Route 27 near Puff n Putt and 7-11, and we're working to remove more.

CCOM has also effectively advocated for the acquisition of priority land parcels in the Fort Pond watershed, which will ultimately prevent additional pollutant loadings into the Pond.

This year’s installation was made possible with in-field assistance from East Hampton Town's Shellfish Hatchery, Marine Patrol, and Volunteer Ocean Rescue; Mickey's Carting generously donated a dumpster again this year and of course our wonderful volunteers.

To view all the photos from the wetlands install, please visit our website's photo gallery.

This month, CCOM President Laura Tooman joined the Town’s Natural Resources staff in presenting the draft Coastal Assessment and Resiliency Plan (CARP) for Montauk and East Hampton to the Town Board. The presentation at the 5.17.22 East Hampton Town Board Work Session can be viewed HERE.

As noted in last month’s newsletter, the CARP assesses key coastal risks that our Montauk community currently faces, points to the expected drastic increase in the severity of these risks, and calls for urgent implementation of resilience projects and policies.

CARP looks in depth at five vulnerable areas in Montauk: downtown Montauk, Fort Pond, Ditch Plains, Montauk Harbor, and Culloden / Sound View Drive. The plan outlines site-specific recommendations for each area, among them, managed relocation of structures/infrastructure, beach and dune restoration, green infrastructure projects, and elevating structures. Additional public outreach is planned in the coming months. 

CCOM is working with the Town of East Hampton to resolve a long-standing water quality issue at the Surfside Place Outfall Pipe. We have been testing the water coming from this pipe for many years and have detected high levels of bacteria on several occasions.

Earlier this month the Town installed new Helix Filters in the Surfside Place outfall pipe as a short-term solution to reduce bacteria levels in the stormwater that exits onto Downtown Montauk beach. To further improve water quality, the Town will be implementing long-term recommendations based on the results from an engineering study of the drainage area. As usual, CCOM will be monitoring bacteria levels weekly throughout the summer at the outfall pipe and Montauk beach.

This month, CCOM awarded 28 certificates to 28 students in grades 3-8 who placed during the 2022 School Science Fair, which was previously held on April 1, 2022. Additionally, CCOM President Laura Tooman delivered $700 in cash prizes to the top performing students in grades 5-8 and another $300 in complimentary CCOM family memberships to the six first- place winners / teams in grades 5-8.

“These students are the future of our community and creating true environmental stewards should be a top priority. CCOM looks forward to working with these incredible students as they continue to expand their scientific understanding and appreciation of this incredible place we call home.”

Long before we had any notion that over a million of our fellow Americans might die of the COVID pandemic, we lost Montauk’s own Joan and Ed Porco to the virus in March of 2020.

On Saturday, May 14, 2022, family, and friends gathered on one of Joan and Ed's favorite beaches to honor them and celebrate their lives. The couple were passionate advocates for environmental causes: Joan authored Holding Back the Tide, the book that tells the story of the formation of Concerned Citizens of Montauk and the start of our local land preservation movement; Ed was a long-serving board member of CCOM and served briefly as president. The memorial was a moving testament to lives devoted to friends, family, and the community they loved.

CCOM greatly appreciates the family’s request that donations to their memory be used to further our environmental work in their names.

Wednesday, July 13th | 6-8 PM | Ticket info coming soon!

Visit the CCOM Tent at the Montauk Farmer’s Market! 6/9, 7/14, 8/25 & 10/8

Just in time for the busy summer season, our new merch is ready for purchase!

Check out our website's SHOP PAGE!