Dear Danielle,

Season’s Greetings!

As we approach 2025, we take a moment to celebrate our environmental achievements and the unwavering dedication of our team and community. Your support has been instrumental in our journey toward a sustainable future for Montauk. 

Giving back locally creates tangible positive impacts in your community. This holiday season, we invite you to consider further support and Give Where You Live! We hope you enjoy our December newsletter, featuring some of the year's biggest highlights!

Let’s welcome a new year full of purpose. 

Warm Wishes,

Rebecca Holloway | Manager of Environmental Advocacy

Our partnership with the Blue Water Task Force in 2013 arose out of concern for declining water quality in our local waters. Eleven years later, CCOM now tests 31 sites from Montauk to East Hampton to alert our community when we detect dangerous levels of enterococcus bacteria. We work year-round in partnership with the Surfrider Foundation Eastern Long Island Chapter and Peconic Baykeeper and collect samples for the Gobler Lab at Stony Brook Southampton for harmful algal bloom (HABs) testing. CCOM engaged 28 community scientists throughout the year, many of whom have been with us since the start of 2024!

CCOM is proud to have completed an impactful first year of our Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts, and Mathematics (STEAM) Program, guiding a group of eight students from the Montauk School. The students' final project, an advocacy video highlighting the effects of erosion and the significance of the beach to them, was recognized by our state legislators. Governor Hochul invited the students to attend a special ceremony where the Town of East Hampton was awarded a $2.5 million matching grant for Ditch replenishment. Governor Hochul personally congratulated each student, praising their efforts to raise awareness about the threats facing Ditch Plains Beach!

In January, Montauk witnessed a significant milestone in our ongoing efforts to enhance coastal resiliency with the start of the 30-year, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers’ (USACE) Fire Island to Montauk Point (FIMP) project. CCOM is proud to have played a role in over a decade of advocacy to realize FIMP’s deployment. USACE brought more than 500,000 cubic yards of ocean-dredged sand to our downtown beaches, marking a critical step toward bolstering our shoreline defenses and protecting our community against the impacts of coastal erosion and sea-level rise. 

In March, we celebrated the completion of construction for South Fork Wind Farm, the first utility-scale offshore wind project in New York State, now officially online and delivering clean energy to the grid. CCOM has been a longstanding advocate for renewable energy solutions that address climate change and protect our coastal communities. This milestone marks a significant step forward in reducing carbon emissions and advancing New York's renewable energy goals. Together, we are working toward a cleaner, more sustainable future for generations to come.

During the summer of 2024, CCOM welcomed 10 high school and college student interns. The interns showcased exceptional leadership, spearheading our Blue Water Task Force field sampling, conducting laboratory water quality analysis, creating outreach and awareness, and organizing community events, including our summer beach cleanup, kids' beach cleanup and art project, and the Summer Soiree!

In June, CCOM led a successful forum: Coastal Resiliency & The Future of Our Town, bringing together experts, community members, and local leaders to discuss innovative strategies for protecting Montauk’s coastline. The forum highlighted critical issues like erosion, rising sea levels, and sustainable solutions, fostering meaningful dialogue and collaboration. It was an inspiring event that underscored the importance of community-driven action in safeguarding Montauk's future.

This fall, we joined East End Environmental partners to support over a decade of work towards the Suffolk County Water Quality Restoration Act. The Act, which establishes a dedicated fund to improve water quality in Suffolk County and unlocks federal and state clean water funding for projects, was overwhelmingly approved on election day, with 72% of the vote. Starting next year, homeowners in our town will be able to receive expanded reimbursement for clean water technology upgrades to their septic systems, making a significant impact on our water resources.

Thank you to our local media outlets for amplifying awareness of our community's environmental challenges and helping drive positive change in 2024!

"Fort Pond Drainage Project Vexes CCOM"

"CCOM Monitors East End Water Quality for Bacteria and Harmful Algal Blooms"

"Is That Water Safe? Weekly Testing Helps to Answer the Question"

"Ditch Plains Beach: Past, Present, Future"

"CCOM To Host Discussion on Coastal Resiliency and the Future of Our Town"

"South Fork Wind Whirls Into History Off Montauk"

"Ditch Plains residents plead for help from the federal government for their battered beach"

"Surfing Montauk with Debra Rose: Rell Sunn"

"The 26th Annual Rell Sunn Surf Contest & Benefit Returns to Montauk!"

Explore our full list of media coverage this year here.

Spark joy this winter and give your favorite Montauk and East End lover some CCOM gifts! Enjoy 50% off on any purchase from our gift shop with the code CCOM50. Every order comes with a free tote bag! Check out our website's SHOP PAGE.