Greenway ESC Meeting

April 3, 2009

Conference Call

Action Items/Agreements

1. Marty Doster (DEC) gave a project description and answered questions about NFTA’s  proposal entitled “Outer Harbor Bell Slip Stabilization Project.” The restoration area in Buffalo Harbor has important fishery and bird habitat.  The first restoration effort was partially completed when in January 2008, a 11 foot seiche and ice destroyed it.  Repairs were made in Spring 2008 including the use of larger stone.  There was a ribbon cutting on August 2008 although wetland plants were not completely established.  In September 2008, Hurricane Ike wiped out the wetland plantings.  The Committee raised the concern that the restoration project could be damaged again by storms.  Marty thinks the timing of two major storms so close together is atypical and the design has been modified. 
2. Ninety percent of funding for the project is from a grant from the State’s Environmental Restoration Program.  If the project does not receive matching funding, it will lose this grant.
3. Kim Minkle (NFTA) stated that NFTA plans on maintaining the project.