Restoring Wetlands at Alley Pond

U.S. Environmental Protection Agency Regional Administrator Judith A. Enck yesterday joined Mitchell J. Silver, FAICP, the Commissioner for NYC Parks, and Irene Scheid, the Executive Director at the Alley Pond Education Center, to mark progress of EPA-funded work to restore wetlands at Alley Pond, in Douglaston and Flushing, Queens.

The EPA and the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers have issued an important national “Clean Water Rule,” which will protect the streams and wetlands.

In recent years, protection for many of the nation’s streams and wetlands has been confusing, complex, and time-consuming as the result of Supreme Court decisions in 2001 and 2006.

The EPA and the Army Corps took this action to provide clarity on protections under the Clean Water Act after receiving requests for over a decade from members of Congress, state and local officials, industry, agriculture, environmental groups, scientists, and the public for a rulemaking.

“Wetlands provide enormous environmental benefits, from flood prevention to protecting water quality,” said EPA Regional Administrator Judith A. Enck. “The outstanding work being done at Alley Pond is helping restore urban waterways that will be enjoyed for years to come.”

“Through restoration projects like the ones happening at Alley Pond Park, our Natural Resources Group is committed to protecting our wetlands and ensuring long-term resilience of our open spaces,” said NYC Parks Commissioner Mitchell J. Silver, FAICP.