Anti-Restoration Faction Misleading on Piermont March

To the Editor:

The “letter” by Scott Rosenberg which you published appears to be the same statement which he made at the public meeting held by the project managers from the DEC and NYS Parks regarding possible restoration of Piermont Marsh, at Piermont Village Hall on April 22.  

At that meeting, Betsy Blair of the DEC stated their commitment to  “transparent and inclusive” planning which, she pointed out, is about one fourth into a ten-step process.  Edwin McGowan of NYS/PIPC then offered a power-point presentation on the problems faced when fragile and rare wetland habitats like our marsh are overrun by a monoculture of invasive species like phragmites australis, the common reed which is crowding out the last vestiges of cattail, cordgrass, and other native plants.  Mr. McGowan also spoke about similar restoration projects taking place across the Northeast, and the range of techniques in use to remove invasives so that native species can return, sometimes from dormant seed banks in the marsh soil.  Ms. Blair emphasized that there is no plan yet in place for work in Piermont Marsh, although response to local concerns seems to point toward a small, experimental effort at restoration to begin in the southern end of the marsh where a few native plants are still present.  

After these presentations, public comments and questions were welcomed, with the intent of adding to the comprehensive list already compiled by the presenters at small meetings with local community groups, which was distributed before the meeting.  

This comment period was dominated by one faction which chose to treat it as an opportunity for protest, as their sole focus seems to be opposition to the use of herbicides for phragmites removal.  

While understandable, this concern was clearly included in the list compiled by the presenters, and in the end, little or nothing of substance was added to that list.
 
This same faction has used public media like Patch, Rivertown magazine, and the Rockland County Times, to disseminate partial, selective, inaccurate and misleading information.  While, as stated, their concerns are understandable and deserve consideration and response from the DEC—and will be so treated, according to Blair—their statements do not present the complete and balanced picture, and are often fear-inciting and inflammatory, as when Mr. Rosenberg says, “Don’t napalm the marsh.”

Piermont Marsh Conservancy was formed to provide an open forum where scientific studies of all perspectives could be shared, particularly those detailing the definite environmental threat posed by phragmites.  (In fact the initial impetus for its formation was the blocking and deleting of such comment from a Facebook page connected with the anti-restoration faction.)  In addition, PMC has documented ongoing and successful marsh restoration projects from Maine to Delaware to Michigan, and sponsored educational events to help everyone understand the complex issues of marsh ecology and possible strategies to save this invaluable, beautiful resource.

We want to state clearly that the anti-restoration faction does NOT speak for all Piermonters by any means.  We do not believe the facts support their stand.  We understand and share the concerns of those who want assurance that no procedures will be used that in any way endanger either residents or the environment itself, and do think it is essential that IF herbicide use is considered, we know precisely what formulation, amount, and concentration might be used, the nature of its toxicity and rate of decay, and the method of application.  We have been assured that these questions will be answered by experts as the process continues, and are optimistic that the answers will allay the fears of most people.  

It would be ideal if area journalists could provide thorough, well-researched articles alongside letters from opponents of restoration.  But if the public would like to be better informed on these issues, we encourage them to visit our website, www.piermontmarsh.org, and to scroll down deeply through our Facebook page, https://www.facebook.com/groups/199179673591474/.

John VandenOever
Grace Mitchell
John Gromada
Matthew Smith
For Piermont Marsh Conservancy