Date: 01/22/2018

 Subject: Manhasset Bay Protection Committee electronic newsletter ￿ 1^st edition!

 Welcome to our first Manhasset Bay Protection Committee newsletter. Throughout the year we will provide you with updates about our findings and projects as well as programs such as the annual Volunteer Beach Cleanup Day, Earth Day, Harborfest, and much more. We hope you find this and future newsletters helpful and informative. We thank you in advance for your support and help as everyone plays a role in protecting Manhasset Bay. Please share our newsletter and ask others to sign up at our web site:  http://www.manhassetbayprotectioncommittee.org/

 Who We Are:                                                                       

The Manhasset Bay Protection Committee is an inter-municipal organization focused on addressing water quality and coastal issues in Manhasset Bay with a coordinated, watershed-level approach. The Committee has 15 member municipalities: Nassau County, the Town of North Hempstead, and 13 Villages who all voluntarily entered into an inter-municipal agreement. The Committee￿s goals are to protect, restore, and enhance Manhasset Bay so as to insure a healthy and diverse marine ecosystem while balancing and maintaining recreational and commercial uses. Tasks that help toward these goals include the annual water quality monitoring and regular assessment of Manhasset Bay.

 Where We Are:

Manhasset Bay is one of the westernmost estuarine embayments of the north shore of Long Island, NY. The Bay is, therefore, influenced by activities in and around New York City and Long Island Sound, as well as its own watershed. According to the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation￿s (the State regulatory agency concerned with environmental issues both on the land and in the water) Priority Waterbodies List, Manhasset Bay is impaired by pathogens (as indicated by the bacteria fecal coliform and enterococcus) from stormwater runoff.

 Staying Vigilant:

Manhasset Bay is a vital resource which impacts the local and regional economy.  The Manhasset Bay Protection Committee remains committed to implementing projects and activities that facilitate an improvement in water quality toward the swimmable, fishable goals of the Clean Water Act.                                                     

 Recommendations for How Everyone Can Help:

Listed below are some examples of simple changes to everyday activities that will have a positive impact on Manhasset Bay, even in areas seemingly far from the Bay.

￿         Clean up after pets: dog (and even cat) waste that is left on the ground can be picked up by rain water and transported to Manhasset Bay, increasing bacteria counts.

￿         Do not put anything down a storm drain, ever. This water is not treated, but instead flows directly to Manhasset Bay.  As a reminder, look for medallions like the one pictured at right on storm drains.

￿         Clean up spills of fertilizer and pesticides: like pet waste, these spills can be picked up by rain water and transported to Manhasset Bay, where they can have adverse impacts on water quality.

￿         If you have a cesspool or septic tank, get pumped out regularly.  Visit http://www.getpumpedli.org for more information.

￿         Don￿t feed ducks, geese, or other birds: there is a bounty of food that nature provides which is better than anything people feed them (and human food can actually be harmful). Also, feeding birds tends to concentrate them in an area, leading to more bacteria entering the water from their droppings.

￿         Don￿t flush anything unless it passed through you first, with the exception of toilet paper. Foreign objects, even those that claim to be ￿flushable,￿ can clog sewer and cesspool systems, causing leaks of untreated or poorly treated sewage.

￿         Don￿t fertilize before a rain storm and consider getting your lawn tested to learn how much fertilizer it needs. Also consider leaving grass clippings in place after mowing: they break down quickly and naturally fertilize the soil.

￿         Do not pour grease and oil down the sink and be sure to report to the Town or Village if you see anyone doing just that. Similar to flushing the unflushables, grease and oil cause clogs and are often the cause of sewage spills.

￿         Connecting downspouts to the sewer system is illegal. Remove these hook-ups and notify the Town or Village where you live if you see someone else doing this. Consider alternatives, such as rain gardens, for your downspout discharge.

￿         Volunteer for a beach clean-up! Trash un-intentionally gets blown away and ends up in Manhasset Bay.  Help combat this problem at the source by properly disposing of your garbage and on the beach by volunteering.

Visit http://www.ManhassetBayProtectionCommittee.org for more information.

The Committee members are:

Nassau County Town of North Hempstead Baxter Estates Flower Hill Great Neck Kensington Kings Point Munsey Park Manorhaven Plandome Plandome Heights Plandome Manor Port Washington North Sands Point Thomaston

Thank you for reading this first installment.

We want to hear from you!
Please send us any comments, questions, etc. on this newsletter or the Bay
E-mail:  mbpcExec@gmail.com
Telephone 516-866-7893
 15 Vanderventer Avenue, Port Washington, NY  11050

Copyright 2018 Manhasset Bay Protection Committee