Hello!

Thank you for joining us in our mission to ensure a sustainable future for Montauk.

Warm regards,

CCOM is seeking an Environmental Advocate to help lead CCOM's environmental advocacy and communications. This is a full-time position in a hybrid workplace. Salary and title are contingent upon level of experience. For more information, please visit our online careers page.

Following the winter storm damage at Ditch Plains and CCOM's request for support, it was encouraging to see East Hampton Town commit to restoring the dunes at Ditch Plains Beach with plans for depositing clean compatible beach sand, stabilizing the dunes, planting native vegetation, and installing sand fencing. This work has progressed with their engagement of both a coastal surveyor and coastal morphologist and an April bid-request deadline to design and engineer a dune restoration project along approximately 2,500 linear feet of beach at Ditch Plains beach. A final plan is expected shortly.

Last year, East Hampton Town's Land Acquisition and Management Dept. began measuring bluff erosion rates at Shadmoor State Park. Those results, using data from the past 60 years and GPS monitoring, demonstrated an erosion rate of approximately one foot/year. Results from the past 12 months have shown an average annual loss of 0.6 feet of bluff across all six measured locations at Shadmoor State Park. This has left portions of the hiking trail dangerously close to the bluff edge, and the Town was again forced to re-route the trail in March. These results highlight the very real impact of coastal erosion and the importance of proactive coastal adaptation planning.

We are pleased to announce another of our coastal resiliency community meetings on Sunday, June 9th, 4:00 - 5:30 PM, at the Montauk Library. Further details about the event, including how to register and a list of our panel of coastal experts, community leaders and elected officials, will be available shortly. We are again thrilled to help further the community collaboration and proactive planning required to ensure coastal resiliency and sustainability of Montauk for generations to come. 

Work has begun at the South Lake parking area at Lake Montauk with the installation of an innovative alternative septic system, a restored permeable parking lot, and a dry stream bed to manage storm water runoff, as previously reported in CCOM's January newsletter. This project is one of several planned to improve the water quality of Lake Montauk and will be followed by other improvements in the area to protect this sensitive and important natural feature. More details are available at the EH Town Natural Resources Dept. South Lake Montauk Park Revitalization proposal.

Did you know that an adult oyster filters upwards of 50 gallons of water a day? Oysters also help control harmful algal blooms by removing algal cells before they accumulate to harmful levels. 

If you own a dock, bulkhead or underwater land you may grow your own oysters! Contact Barley Dunne at the East Hampton Shellfish Hatchery or watch this informative LTV session to learn more about East Hampton Shellfish Education and Enhancement Directive (EHSEED) and to participate in the Oyster gardening program. For those who don't own waterfront property, you can still join the Hatchery's Oyster Garden at 159 E. Lake Dr. It’s not too late. Oyster Gardening Application for a NEW GARDENER or for RETURNING GARDNER.

Food waste has become a problem on Long Island and throughout the U.S. In 2021, the Environmental Protection Agency produced a report offering a comparison of what resources go into a year of food waste in the U.S. The report showed that

The Food and Drug Administration provides tips on how to reduce food waste.

Composting is one of the ways you can help reduce food waste, and various local groups have helped establish the East Hampton Community Food Scrap Drop-Off Program, with support from East Hampton Town. More details, including food scrap drop-off locations, are available here. East Hampton Compost is a good resource to use if you are interested in learning how to compost.

On May 9 from 6:00 PM - 7:30 PM. East Hampton Library In Conjunction with the Concerned Citizens of Montauk & the Accabonac Protection Committee will screen "The Story of Plastic" an Emmy - winning film depicting one of the world’s far reaching global environmental issues. The screening will be followed by a discussion led by the Surfrider Foundation. To register: Call 631.324.0222 Ext. 3 or email the Adult Reference Desk.

More than 40 of our supporters enthusiastically participated in CCOM's GREAT MONTAUK CLEANUP on Sunday, April 21^st, focusing on all areas of Montauk. Our roadways and beaches from Napeague to Montauk Point benefited from the hard work of all who contributed to this annual event, removing trash and debris and filling the dumpster kindly provided by Mickey's Carting. Thank you, all.