Paddling for Plum Island Preservation

More than 40 kayakers and one standup paddleboarder hit the water Saturday, August 18, for a feat of endurance and activism in support of the campaign to preserve Plum Island. The first Paddle for Plum Island kayaking event brought together the Long Island Paddlers kayaking group and Plum Island conservation enthusiasts to raise awareness and funds to support Save the Sound’s work to preserve Plum Island from commercial sale and development.

www.eastendbeacon.com/paddling-for-plum-island-preservation/

Feds To Prepare Further Environmental Review for Plum Island Sale

The federal government announced Friday that it plans to complete further environmental review ahead of its planned sale of Plum Island, a federally owned island that is home to an animal disease research laboratory that is being relocated to Kansas.

https://www.eastendbeacon.com/feds-to-prepare-further-environmental-review-for-plum-island-sale/

How to Help Save Plum Island with Letters

Here's an important way to add your voice to the Preserve Plum Island campaign. Please help.

The U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) has abruptly halted tours to Plum Island this year. Is your group one of the many organizations whose members are deeply disappointed because your tour was BOOKED and then CANCELED? Perhaps you still were hoping to book a tour this year, or loved your previous tour and have been recommending others go see Plum Island themselves.

Not only have tours been canceled, but natural history field work, such as bird counts and investigations of rare, threatened, and endangered species, and historical and archaeological research on the island has been stopped by DHS, who is giving seemingly flimsy excuses as to its rationale.

Please read the two articles below and consider writing a letter to the editor on behalf of your organization. It needn’t be long. You might give your group’s unique perspective on why halting the tours makes no sense.

Keeping Plum Island in the news and showing your strong interest helps the preservation cause! Please take a moment to read the articles below and weigh in on this important issue.

1.      http://suffolktimes.timesreview.com/2018/06/82582/plum-island-group-tours-halted-by-homeland-security/

Write your letter to: joew@timesreview.com or use the online form at http://timesreview.com/write-the-editor/.

2.      http://easthamptonstar.com/Government/2018628/Plum-Island-Tours-Ended

             Write your letter to: letters@easthamptonstar.com

Thank you for helping to save Plum Island!

Louise Harrison
New York Natural Areas Coordinator

P.S. Send us your letter and with your permission we'll share it on social media so we may spread the word even further. Even if you don’t wish it shared that way (let us know that), it would be great to see your letter. You are important in keeping our campaign strong!

For more action items, please visit www.preserveplumisland.org.