SoundBites Fall 2023: Annual Report Edition

SoundBites

Annual Report 2023 Edition Doug’s Legacy: A Champion of Nature and Save the Sound A Park 60 Years in the Making Beyond Pollution Patrol Impacting Overburdened Communities

Doug’s Legacy: A Champion of Nature and Save the Sound

Honoring the lifelong journey of determination, conservation, and inspiration Embodying the principles of a true conservationist throughout his life, Douglas Campbell, Jr. believed in minimizing waste, utilizing resources efficiently, and conserving the environment he cherished. His young adventures included the summer work of his college years with friends, such as road building in Alaska and hitchhiking to follow the seasonal harvest in the Midwest. After serving his country in the Korean War, he eventually settled in New York City, where he met his beloved wife of 63 years, Elizabeth. They and their family ultimately moved to Riverside, Connecticut, where Doug’s love for sailing found a lifelong home on the Sound.

His conservationist values extended to Save the Sound, where he served as a board member and adviser. “Doug always brought thoughtful analyses to our meetings,” recalls Don Strait, former president of Save the Sound. “He was cheerful, kind, considerate, and funny—these qualities also contributed to our board’s sense of camaraderie and fun.” He used his considerable investment experience to assist in organizational decisions and was a driving force behind the merger of Connecticut Fund for the Environment and Save the Sound, pivotal in launching water quality monitoring initiatives Sound-wide.

Doug’s life was a testament to his “it can be done” philosophy. He was the first to envision the organization as a regional powerhouse, akin to the Chesapeake Bay Foundation. Doug’s passion and foresight were instrumental in shaping Save the Sound into the force it is today.

In memory of Doug, we celebrate his enduring legacy of determination, unwavering commitment, and love for the environment.

His belief that “it can be done” lives on as an inspiration to us all. Doug, your impact on Save the Sound and the environment will be felt for generations to come.

Subaru of New England’s Dedication to the Environment A Habitat Hero sponsor for the Connecticut Cleanup program

In the past two decades, as Save the Sound has led the Connecticut Cleanup program, we have been immensely grateful for the generous sponsors, cleanup captains, and volunteers that make this effort possible. Since 2018, Subaru of New England has been a shining example of commitment among our sponsors, elevating their annual support to the $10,000 Habitat Hero level.

Subaru, with 15 retailers across Connecticut, has actively engaged community members and inspired hundreds of their staff to remove trash from our parks, rivers, and beaches. Their dedication to our environment is not just about cleanups or sponsorships; it’s deeply embedded in their corporate ethos as part of the Subaru Love Promise. This commitment emphasizes treating all individuals with love and respect, taking meaningful actions to make the world a better place, and being “More Than a Car Company.”

Through the Subaru Loves the Earth initiative, they have diverted over 11 million pieces of trash from landfills. Their commitment to sustainability extends to their zero-landfill manufacturing plant, LEED Platinum-certified headquarters, TerraCycle recycling stations, and the introduction of the all-electric 2023 Subaru Solterra.

Subaru of New England’s partnership in the Connecticut Cleanup program remains instrumental in preventing additional trash from reaching Long Island Sound. We are deeply thankful for their support over the last five years. Together, we are making a significant difference in preserving and protecting our region’s environment.

1 Save the Sound 2023

Welcome!

Hello Neighbors, 2023 was a crucial year for Save the Sound as we grew our efforts to protect and restore the land, air, and water we all love. I’m excited to share, in this Annual Report, our achievements that would not have been realized without you, our dedicated supporters. Thank you.

This year we brought down a dam to open 10 miles of habitat for fish and help restore the Norwalk River; piloted an eelgrass planting effort in New York that could bring these critical underwater meadows back to the Sound after decades of loss; celebrated major wins for living shorelines and environmental justice in the New York and Connecticut legislatures respectively; took on the fossil fuel industry to fight climate change and polluters to clean up our rivers and beaches; and convinced a water company to preserve 5,000 acres of land in Northwest Connecticut. And those are only the highlights…!

Simultaneously, we began to put tactics into motion to achieve our five-year strategic plan, which is designed to have backyard results with Sound-wide impact: Protect Bays and Harbors: One of our priorities is to shield 15 bays and harbors from the perils of sewage, stormwater, and plastics. Through innovative solutions and people power, we will ensure these vital marine ecosystems thrive for generations to come.

Revive River Systems: We have our eyes and efforts trained on the rivers that feed the Sound. Restoring six river systems will breathe new life into habitats and fish runs. These efforts will not only benefit fish, birds, and other living creatures but also provide increased recreational opportunities for you, and the thousands of others who enjoy fishing, swimming, kayaking, or simply soaking in views of these waters.

Restore Healthy Shorelines: We are determined to restore the resilience of 12 shorelines, offering safe havens for wildlife while bolstering neighborhood defenses against flooding. Our nature-based and engineered solutions will strike a harmonious balance between mother nature and the built environment.

Conserve Watershed Lands: In collaboration with partners, we will conserve 12,500 acres of Long Island Sound’s watershed lands, creating a shield against, and filter for, pollution while preserving the area’s natural beauty for generations.

Empower the Community: Harnessing the power of one million individuals, we will foster a grassroots movement that ignites widespread awareness and active participation. By empowering local residents, we aim to create a lasting legacy of environmental stewardship.

These ambitious yet achievable goals demonstrate our commitment to safeguarding Long Island Sound’s ecological integrity. We invite you to join us in this journey towards a cleaner, healthier, and more resilient backyard.

Thank you for your continued support and partnership. Together, we can create a brighter and more sustainable future for all of our communities.

With gratitude,

Leah Lopez Schmalz President

Right: Boy plays by the Mill River, New Haven, CT. Photo: Marina Piedade.

Save the Sound 2023 2

Protecting water Taking legal action Safeguarding endangered lands

After nearly a decade in federal court, Save the Sound and Peconic Baykeeper finalized a settlement with the State of New York to reduce pollution into Long Island Sound and the Great South Bay from sanitary systems at five waterfront state parks on Long Island.

The agreement will improve water quality for millions of beach and park users by abating discharges of nitrogen and pharmaceuticals into coastal waters from State-owned sanitary systems.

This ends a 2013 lawsuit against New York State Parks by our organizations after we filed a notice that operation of septic tanks and cesspools in Robert Moses, Sunken Meadow, Wildwood, Heckscher, and Belmont Lake State Parks was violating three federal environmental laws: the Clean Water Act, the Safe Drinking Water Act, and the Resource Conservation and Recovery Act. The reductions in nitrogen resulting from the agreement will move the Great South Bay and Long Island Sound closer to meeting water quality standards and reduce hypoxia and harmful algal blooms.

Goodwin Dam gatehouse and the West Branch, or “Hogsback,” Reservoir (picture at right) are part of 5,500 acres that are closer to permanent protection after an agreement between Save the Sound and the Northwest Connecticut Land Conservancy (NCLC) and The Metropolitan District (MDC). The land is located on the watershed tributary to the Colebrook Reservoir/West Branch Reservoir system, including 4,300 acres of open space land surrounding the Colebrook River Reservoir in Connecticut, and an additional approximately 1,200 acres in Massachusetts.

A Park 60 Years in the Making Newhall, a historically Black neighborhood in Hamden, CT, has been deprived of access to nature. Six Lakes Park may be the answer to this problem.

The Six Lakes Park Coalition has been working for several years toward turning this 102acre parcel, also known as Olin Powder Farm

(it’s owned by the Olin Corporation), into a public park, open to all, and part of a larger network of green space and trails.

With your support, Save the Sound helps to coordinate the coalition’s steering committee.

that it “shall support the environmental remediation and the conversion of the former Olin Powder Farm site to public access and public use as envisioned by the people of Southern Hamden.”

In 2022, a resolution passed unanimously by the Hamden Legislative Council states

This neighborhood doesn’t have a ton of open space.

So, allowing people to have a public place to be in nature I think is just really restorative, and important for relaxing and not constantly being in an urban environment.”

– Justin Farmer, councilperson on the Hamden’s Legislative Council and former Save the Sound board member.

3 Save the Sound 2023

Protect Many residents of Westchester County don’t realize that poorly maintained sewer pipes are a main reason why beaches are closed after rain and harvesting clams or oysters in local bays and harbors is prohibited.

In 2015, Save the Sound sued the violator municipalities and Westchester County for Clean Water Act transgressions. As a result, the towns and county have been studying their systems and making repairs. So far, nearly 1,000 miles of pipes are being repaired and over 74,000 defects fixed.

So far, we have settled with all municipalities other than New Rochelle, Town of Mamaroneck, Village of Larchmont, and Pelham Manor and are proceeding to litigation with the these towns with trial likely in 2024.

“

It is a magical speck of land. This island and its history, when you think about it, is a microcosm of what America was and is.”

– Thomas Halaczinsky to The Express Magazine.

Plum Island. Photo: Kierran Broatch.

253 Acres Saved!

You helped save 253 acres at Deer Lake in Killingworth, CT which is part of our strategic goals to preserve 12,500 acres of Long Island Sound’s watershed lands by 2027.

undertook a powerful fundraising campaign to beat a developer’s offer and purchase the property from the Connecticut Yankee Council of the Boy Scouts of America.

Save the Sound joined other conservation organizations and elected officials in a grassroots campaign to save the land from development. The nonprofit organization Pathfinders, which has led a summer camp on the property for decades,

Nearly 400 of Save the Sound’s members and supporters responded to our calls for action and helped spread the word and apply the pressure needed to make this sale possible. Go Save the Sound team!

Thomas Halaczinsky is a filmmaker from Greenport who has created several short videos about Plum Island for the Preserve Plum Island Coalition.

The Coalition is working with the New York and Connecticut senators and representatives, campaigning for the president of the United States to proclaim Plum Island a National Monument.

Save the Sound 2023 4

Restore

Restoring rivers Creating living shorelines Ensuring clean water in bays and harbors

Save the Sound is building an inventory of barriers to fish passage—such as dams and culverts—along rivers and streams throughout the portion of Westchester County that drains to Long Island Sound.

Barriers like low-head dams and undersized or misaligned culverts block migratory and resident fish from accessing their spawning grounds.

By prioritizing which barriers need to be removed or updated within Westchester County, we can better direct funding and energy to improve fish runs and biodiversity in our region.

Beyond Pollution Patrol In addition to the Soundkeeper’s pollution patrols, our boats are on the water researching and restoring our marine environment.

The Eelgrass Restoration Project involves harvesting eelgrass seeds, gluing them to the shells of clams, and deploying them into Smithtown Bay, on Long Island. After six months, our Associate Soundkeeper Emma DeLoughry and Rob Vasiluth, our partner from SAVE Environmental, found the first evidence that the project works: a new eelgrass plant in Smithtown Bay. This may be the first one in decades!

Our team is also a driving force in the Long Island Sound Lobster Trap Removal and Assessment Partnership (consisting of Save the Sound, Project Oceanography, The Maritime Aquarium at Norwalk, Cornell Cooperative Extension Program – Marine Program, and a handful of lobster boat captains). In 2023 alone, we removed more than 500 longabandoned traps from the bottom of Long Island Sound that were capturing all kinds of sea life like tautog, sea bass, and lobsters.

RIght: Associate Soundkeeper Emma DeLoughry hauled in another 19 abandoned lobster pots off the floor of Long Island Sound.

Abandoned pots keep trapping fish and killing marine life.

5 Save the Sound 2023

DAMS! Thanks to your continued support, Save the Sound is always investigating the possible removal of barriers on rivers in Westchester, Long Island, and Connecticut.

This fall we completed the removal of Dana Dam, aka Strong Pond Dam, in the Norwalk River, in Wilton, CT. This reconnected a 14mile stretch of free-flowing river with Long Island Sound.

Fish once again are able to

swim upriver to their historic spawning grounds, restoring an integral part of Long Island Sound’s food web and ecosystem.

In Rye, NY, we initiated a dam removal feasibility study for a dam on Blind Brook at Rye High School.

This dam removal has the potential to reconnect 3.5 miles of migratory fish habitat for river herring and American eel along Blind Brook as it is the first barrier.

“

Fighting climate change Creating resilience Requiring accountability

Impacting Overburdened Communities Save the Sound coordinates the CT Coalition for Climate Action, comprised of environmental advocates, health experts, labor and municipal representatives, and others advocating for climate action in Connecticut.

This year, with the coalition, we helped pass Senate Bill 1147, An Act Concerning the Environmental Justice Program of the

Department of Energy and Environmental Protection.

The bill protects families’ health and the environment by enhancing the State’s environmental justice statute and providing the Department of Energy and Environmental Protection (DEEP) and the Connecticut Siting Council with the ability to deny permits for facilities that would worsen pollution in alreadyoverburdened areas.

Transforming the Hutchinson River Watershed The Hutchinson River, which runs through Westchester County and the Bronx, is in desperate need of watershed planning.

Save the Sound and Westchester County are working closely with local stakeholders to develop the Hutchinson River Watershed Plan:

a comprehensive process of assessing the current health of a river and all of the lands that drain to it, as well as identifying possible interventions to eliminate sources of pollution or bolster ecosystem and community well-being. With your support, we will transform this whole region.

Transform

Passage of SB 1147 marks an important step in expanding health protections for our most vulnerable communities.

Numerous health problems including asthma, heart disease, and some cancers are associated with environmental hazard exposures. Limiting these exposures is a win for Connecticut.”

– Dr. Sanjiv Godse, chair of the Connecticut Health Professionals for Climate Action, member of the CT Coalition for Climate Action.

Tax-Savvy Giving to Save the Sound Many retirees wish to give back to their communities through charitable donations, but questions often arise regarding the best way to do so. One possibility is a qualified charitable distribution (QCD), a tax-savvy method to reduce your taxable income and maximize your donations, whether you itemize deductions on your tax return or not.

You can avoid taxes while simultaneously protecting the land, air, and waters that you love.

We hope you will consider Save the Sound as one of your qualified charitable distributions this year.

Explore the Complete Annual Report 2023 Online!

We deeply appreciate you, our dedicated supporters, for your generosity, advocacy, and hands-on involvement. YOU make a real difference.

To read the unabridged version of the Annual Report 2023 and view the list of all donors who contributed at a membership level or above during our 2021-22 Fiscal Year (from October 1, 2021, to September 30, 2022), please visit savethesound.org/financials or scan the QR code.

Save the Sound 2023 6

Non-Profit U.S. Postage

PAID

127 Church St, 2nd Floor New Haven, CT 06510

Permit No. 403 New Haven, CT

To read the unabridged version of the Annual Report 2023, visit savethesound.org/financials.

Published November 2023 by Save the Sound. All rights reserved.

127 Church St, 2nd Floor, New Haven, CT 06510 • 1385 Boston Post Road, 2nd Floor, Larchmont, NY 10538 • savethesound.org Articles in this newsletter may be reprinted with permission • 203-787-0646 • ajames@savethesound.org Newsletter team: Amanda James, Laura McMillan, Anne Urkawich, Josh Garskof, Alicia Sullivan Front Cover: Sailboat in Long Island Sound by kickstand • Back Cover: Hutchinson River Watershed