Empathy List Archives

CR

Craig Repasz

Thu, Oct 11, 2018 1:27 PM

Hello
We have received some exciting news, the Northeast Region of the National Wildlife Refuge System is considering installing a boardwalk at the Great Meadows Unit of the Stewart B McKinney Refuge in Stratford. This boardwalk will start at the current barricade just beyond Warehouse Pond and extend out into the marsh giving views of Long Beach and the salt marsh. This area protects a rare plant species and is barricaded to keep foot traffic and ATVs out of the area. The boardwalk will allow for access for birders, people with wheelchairs while prohibiting ATVs.

It is important that Refuge Management hears from Connecticut citizens n support of the proposal. Below is a letter with some talking point you can use in an email to Wendi Weber the Regional Director. Feel free to use it or parts of it at your discretion.

Thank you

Craig Repasz
Friends of Stewart B McKinney
Steering Committee Chair

wendi_weber@fws.gov mailto:wendi_weber@fws.gov

Dear Director Weber
The Steering Committee for the Friends of Stewart B McKinney were very pleased to hear that you are considering putting in a boardwalk giving protect access to a sensitive salt marsh area at the Great Meadows Unit in Stratford CT.
Great Meadows is a popular destination for birders and nature lovers, not only from Stratford but for people throughout New England and New York. GM is just over the city line from Bridgeport, CT's largest city. This is a truly urban unit of the Refuge, and we could attract very diverse audiences there. Great Meadows was once considered by Roger Tory Peterson as one of the best coastal birding areas in the U.S., with over 270 species.
Visitors come to Great Meadows because it is one of the largest remaining wetlands left in CT. The refuge already offers 1.5 miles of trails with viewing platforms and informational panels, open 365 days/year. Refuge management has spent the past three years making minor improvements to the appearance and accessibility of Great Meadows for all visitors.
The proposed boardwalk, as we understand, would be designed to allow access while providing excellent habitat protection. It would allow viewing of ponds with potentially different and more diverse wildlife species and it would offer magnificent views of the marsh, Long Beach and the water. We hope there would be ample space and areas for people to set up scopes and cameras. New visitors, not just birders and other traditional users, would be drawn to such an attraction.
Previously, illegal ATV use on this trail was prevalent. Opening as a boardwalk would eliminate the ability of ATVs to access it. Furthermore, a boardwalk would take further steps to making this unit of the refuge fully accessible to people in wheelchairs and with other mobility problems.
Thank you for the consideration. We hope that this boardwalk becomes a reality.

Hello We have received some exciting news, the Northeast Region of the National Wildlife Refuge System is considering installing a boardwalk at the Great Meadows Unit of the Stewart B McKinney Refuge in Stratford. This boardwalk will start at the current barricade just beyond Warehouse Pond and extend out into the marsh giving views of Long Beach and the salt marsh. This area protects a rare plant species and is barricaded to keep foot traffic and ATVs out of the area. The boardwalk will allow for access for birders, people with wheelchairs while prohibiting ATVs. It is important that Refuge Management hears from Connecticut citizens n support of the proposal. Below is a letter with some talking point you can use in an email to Wendi Weber the Regional Director. Feel free to use it or parts of it at your discretion. Thank you Craig Repasz Friends of Stewart B McKinney Steering Committee Chair wendi_weber@fws.gov<mailto:wendi_weber@fws.gov> Dear Director Weber The Steering Committee for the Friends of Stewart B McKinney were very pleased to hear that you are considering putting in a boardwalk giving protect access to a sensitive salt marsh area at the Great Meadows Unit in Stratford CT. Great Meadows is a popular destination for birders and nature lovers, not only from Stratford but for people throughout New England and New York. GM is just over the city line from Bridgeport, CT's largest city. This is a truly urban unit of the Refuge, and we could attract very diverse audiences there. Great Meadows was once considered by Roger Tory Peterson as one of the best coastal birding areas in the U.S., with over 270 species. Visitors come to Great Meadows because it is one of the largest remaining wetlands left in CT. The refuge already offers 1.5 miles of trails with viewing platforms and informational panels, open 365 days/year. Refuge management has spent the past three years making minor improvements to the appearance and accessibility of Great Meadows for all visitors. The proposed boardwalk, as we understand, would be designed to allow access while providing excellent habitat protection. It would allow viewing of ponds with potentially different and more diverse wildlife species and it would offer magnificent views of the marsh, Long Beach and the water. We hope there would be ample space and areas for people to set up scopes and cameras. New visitors, not just birders and other traditional users, would be drawn to such an attraction. Previously, illegal ATV use on this trail was prevalent. Opening as a boardwalk would eliminate the ability of ATVs to access it. Furthermore, a boardwalk would take further steps to making this unit of the refuge fully accessible to people in wheelchairs and with other mobility problems. Thank you for the consideration. We hope that this boardwalk becomes a reality.

PC

Patrick Comins

Tue, Oct 23, 2018 3:01 PM

Thank you Craig:
I just wrote the following letter to Director Weber on behalf of the Connecticut Audubon Society. I hope everyone who birds this area will follow suit:

Dear Wendi:

I hope all is well with you. It has come to our attention that the Service is considering installing a boardwalk at the Great Meadows Unit of the Stewart B McKinney Refuge in Stratford. The Connecticut Audubon Society strongly supports this proposal. The Great Meadows Unit of the McKinney Refuge is a natural treasure in the highly urbanized landscape of Fairfield County. To improve public access to this area, which simultaneously protecting the sensitive plant resources that occur here would greatly enhance the opportunity for the public to connect to the National Wildlife Refuge System in Connecticut. It is particularly important from a public access perspective in light of its proximity to Connecticut's largest city, Bridgeport.

We greatly appreciate the increased access that has already been provided through Rick Potvin's leadership of the Refuge in the past few years. The area in question would greatly enhance the nature experience available to residents of the Milford/Stratford/Bridgeport area. I had the good fortune of doing bird surveys in this area when I worked for as a biological technician for the Connecticut Audubon Society and McKinney Refuge in the 1990's and to this day some of my best birding experiences in Connecticut have been from this place and time. You never knew what you would find flitting around the wet woodland on a spring or fall morning.

While there are many places to observe birds in migration in Connecticut, this particular trail will always be a special and unique place because its function as a habitat oasis in a highly suburbanized landscape. Few other places that I am aware of offer the opportunity to see eye-level views of species such as Cerulean, Cape May and Bay-breasted Warblers, or Scarlet Tanagers fly catching inches from your head, a Sedge Wren flitting in the reeds, Long-billed Dowitchers or Stilt Sandpipers foraging in a drying pond in the fall or Least Bitterns sitting motionless at the edge of the water awaiting their next meal. It is truly a special place and one which the Connecticut Audubon Society looks forward to more fully utilizing as a tool to inspire more people to conserve the nature of Connecticut in the Future. I sincerely hope this comes to pass. Thank you so much for the opportunity to provide input to this very important process.

Founded in 1898 and representing more than 7,000 members statewide the Connecticut Audubon Society is an independent organization that conserves Connecticut's environment through science-based education and advocacy focused on the state's bird populations and habitats.

Sincerely,

Patrick

Patrick M. Comins
Executive Director, The Connecticut Audubon Society

314 Unquowa Road
Fairfield, CT 06824
203-259-0416 x107
www.ctaudubon.org
Follow us on Twitter
Like us on Facebook

-----Original Message-----
From: CTBirds [mailto:ctbirds-bounces@lists.ctbirding.org] On Behalf Of Craig Repasz via CTBirds
Sent: Thursday, October 11, 2018 9:28 AM
To: 'ctbirds@lists.ctbirding.org' ctbirds@lists.ctbirding.org
Subject: [CT Birds] Northeast Region NWR proposed Boardwalk at Stewart B McKinney Great Meadow Stratford

Hello
We have received some exciting news, the Northeast Region of the National Wildlife Refuge System is considering installing a boardwalk at the Great Meadows Unit of the Stewart B McKinney Refuge in Stratford. This boardwalk will start at the current barricade just beyond Warehouse Pond and extend out into the marsh giving views of Long Beach and the salt marsh. This area protects a rare plant species and is barricaded to keep foot traffic and ATVs out of the area. The boardwalk will allow for access for birders, people with wheelchairs while prohibiting ATVs.

It is important that Refuge Management hears from Connecticut citizens n support of the proposal. Below is a letter with some talking point you can use in an email to Wendi Weber the Regional Director. Feel free to use it or parts of it at your discretion.

Thank you

Craig Repasz
Friends of Stewart B McKinney
Steering Committee Chair

wendi_weber@fws.gov mailto:wendi_weber@fws.gov

Dear Director Weber
The Steering Committee for the Friends of Stewart B McKinney were very pleased to hear that you are considering putting in a boardwalk giving protect access to a sensitive salt marsh area at the Great Meadows Unit in Stratford CT.
Great Meadows is a popular destination for birders and nature lovers, not only from Stratford but for people throughout New England and New York. GM is just over the city line from Bridgeport, CT's largest city. This is a truly urban unit of the Refuge, and we could attract very diverse audiences there. Great Meadows was once considered by Roger Tory Peterson as one of the best coastal birding areas in the U.S., with over 270 species.
Visitors come to Great Meadows because it is one of the largest remaining wetlands left in CT. The refuge already offers 1.5 miles of trails with viewing platforms and informational panels, open 365 days/year. Refuge management has spent the past three years making minor improvements to the appearance and accessibility of Great Meadows for all visitors.
The proposed boardwalk, as we understand, would be designed to allow access while providing excellent habitat protection. It would allow viewing of ponds with potentially different and more diverse wildlife species and it would offer magnificent views of the marsh, Long Beach and the water. We hope there would be ample space and areas for people to set up scopes and cameras. New visitors, not just birders and other traditional users, would be drawn to such an attraction.
Previously, illegal ATV use on this trail was prevalent. Opening as a boardwalk would eliminate the ability of ATVs to access it. Furthermore, a boardwalk would take further steps to making this unit of the refuge fully accessible to people in wheelchairs and with other mobility problems.
Thank you for the consideration. We hope that this boardwalk becomes a reality.

This list is provided by the Connecticut Ornithological Association (COA) for the discussion of birds and birding in Connecticut.
For subscription information visit http://lists.ctbirding.org/mailman/listinfo/ctbirds_lists.ctbirding.org

Thank you Craig: I just wrote the following letter to Director Weber on behalf of the Connecticut Audubon Society. I hope everyone who birds this area will follow suit: Dear Wendi: I hope all is well with you. It has come to our attention that the Service is considering installing a boardwalk at the Great Meadows Unit of the Stewart B McKinney Refuge in Stratford. The Connecticut Audubon Society strongly supports this proposal. The Great Meadows Unit of the McKinney Refuge is a natural treasure in the highly urbanized landscape of Fairfield County. To improve public access to this area, which simultaneously protecting the sensitive plant resources that occur here would greatly enhance the opportunity for the public to connect to the National Wildlife Refuge System in Connecticut. It is particularly important from a public access perspective in light of its proximity to Connecticut's largest city, Bridgeport. We greatly appreciate the increased access that has already been provided through Rick Potvin's leadership of the Refuge in the past few years. The area in question would greatly enhance the nature experience available to residents of the Milford/Stratford/Bridgeport area. I had the good fortune of doing bird surveys in this area when I worked for as a biological technician for the Connecticut Audubon Society and McKinney Refuge in the 1990's and to this day some of my best birding experiences in Connecticut have been from this place and time. You never knew what you would find flitting around the wet woodland on a spring or fall morning. While there are many places to observe birds in migration in Connecticut, this particular trail will always be a special and unique place because its function as a habitat oasis in a highly suburbanized landscape. Few other places that I am aware of offer the opportunity to see eye-level views of species such as Cerulean, Cape May and Bay-breasted Warblers, or Scarlet Tanagers fly catching inches from your head, a Sedge Wren flitting in the reeds, Long-billed Dowitchers or Stilt Sandpipers foraging in a drying pond in the fall or Least Bitterns sitting motionless at the edge of the water awaiting their next meal. It is truly a special place and one which the Connecticut Audubon Society looks forward to more fully utilizing as a tool to inspire more people to conserve the nature of Connecticut in the Future. I sincerely hope this comes to pass. Thank you so much for the opportunity to provide input to this very important process. Founded in 1898 and representing more than 7,000 members statewide the Connecticut Audubon Society is an independent organization that conserves Connecticut's environment through science-based education and advocacy focused on the state's bird populations and habitats. Sincerely, Patrick Patrick M. Comins Executive Director, The Connecticut Audubon Society 314 Unquowa Road Fairfield, CT 06824 203-259-0416 x107 www.ctaudubon.org Follow us on Twitter Like us on Facebook -----Original Message----- From: CTBirds [mailto:ctbirds-bounces@lists.ctbirding.org] On Behalf Of Craig Repasz via CTBirds Sent: Thursday, October 11, 2018 9:28 AM To: 'ctbirds@lists.ctbirding.org' <ctbirds@lists.ctbirding.org> Subject: [CT Birds] Northeast Region NWR proposed Boardwalk at Stewart B McKinney Great Meadow Stratford Hello We have received some exciting news, the Northeast Region of the National Wildlife Refuge System is considering installing a boardwalk at the Great Meadows Unit of the Stewart B McKinney Refuge in Stratford. This boardwalk will start at the current barricade just beyond Warehouse Pond and extend out into the marsh giving views of Long Beach and the salt marsh. This area protects a rare plant species and is barricaded to keep foot traffic and ATVs out of the area. The boardwalk will allow for access for birders, people with wheelchairs while prohibiting ATVs. It is important that Refuge Management hears from Connecticut citizens n support of the proposal. Below is a letter with some talking point you can use in an email to Wendi Weber the Regional Director. Feel free to use it or parts of it at your discretion. Thank you Craig Repasz Friends of Stewart B McKinney Steering Committee Chair wendi_weber@fws.gov<mailto:wendi_weber@fws.gov> Dear Director Weber The Steering Committee for the Friends of Stewart B McKinney were very pleased to hear that you are considering putting in a boardwalk giving protect access to a sensitive salt marsh area at the Great Meadows Unit in Stratford CT. Great Meadows is a popular destination for birders and nature lovers, not only from Stratford but for people throughout New England and New York. GM is just over the city line from Bridgeport, CT's largest city. This is a truly urban unit of the Refuge, and we could attract very diverse audiences there. Great Meadows was once considered by Roger Tory Peterson as one of the best coastal birding areas in the U.S., with over 270 species. Visitors come to Great Meadows because it is one of the largest remaining wetlands left in CT. The refuge already offers 1.5 miles of trails with viewing platforms and informational panels, open 365 days/year. Refuge management has spent the past three years making minor improvements to the appearance and accessibility of Great Meadows for all visitors. The proposed boardwalk, as we understand, would be designed to allow access while providing excellent habitat protection. It would allow viewing of ponds with potentially different and more diverse wildlife species and it would offer magnificent views of the marsh, Long Beach and the water. We hope there would be ample space and areas for people to set up scopes and cameras. New visitors, not just birders and other traditional users, would be drawn to such an attraction. Previously, illegal ATV use on this trail was prevalent. Opening as a boardwalk would eliminate the ability of ATVs to access it. Furthermore, a boardwalk would take further steps to making this unit of the refuge fully accessible to people in wheelchairs and with other mobility problems. Thank you for the consideration. We hope that this boardwalk becomes a reality. _______________________________________________ This list is provided by the Connecticut Ornithological Association (COA) for the discussion of birds and birding in Connecticut. For subscription information visit http://lists.ctbirding.org/mailman/listinfo/ctbirds_lists.ctbirding.org

PC

Patrick Comins

Tue, Oct 23, 2018 6:37 PM

Apparently no more individual letters are required on the boardwalk issue. They have been overwhelmed by responses.

Please still vote yes on Question 2 though!

Patrick

Patrick M. Comins
Executive Director, The Connecticut Audubon Society

314 Unquowa Road
Fairfield, CT 06824
203-259-0416 x107
www.ctaudubon.org
Follow us on Twitter
Like us on Facebook

Apparently no more individual letters are required on the boardwalk issue. They have been overwhelmed by responses. Please still vote yes on Question 2 though! Patrick Patrick M. Comins Executive Director, The Connecticut Audubon Society 314 Unquowa Road Fairfield, CT 06824 203-259-0416 x107 www.ctaudubon.org Follow us on Twitter Like us on Facebook

CR

Craig Repasz

Fri, Oct 26, 2018 2:17 PM

From Andy French:

Thank you for your recent correspondence regarding the construction of a visitor boardwalk on the Great Meadows Unit (GMU) of the Stewart B. McKinney National Wildlife Refuge (NWR) in Stratford, CT. We agree this type of project would benefit people of the Bridgeport area and beyond, as they look for ways to better connect with nature and the outdoors.

The GMU boardwalk project was under consideration by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (Service) for funding during fiscal year 2018, which ended September 30th. However, the project was not selected for funding due to the very limited amount available and the very competitive nature of projects submitted for this limited opportunity within the Region.

The GMU boardwalk project is an intriguing and seemingly very beneficial project and we strongly suggest that an innovative approach to finding a way to fund the project be considered. As such, I have asked Rick Potvin, Refuge Manager at Stewart B. McKinney NWR, to reach out to you and others to organize a meeting this fall regarding this project. There are many ways in which you can collaborate with him and others to give the project additional resolution and specificity for a partnership approach. Further, there may be outside grants available which could be combined with federal funds from the Service. Perhaps volunteers could contribute in-kind services such as preliminary engineering work and project cost estimates as matches for a grant submission. You should expect to be contacted by Rick Potvin to discuss possible funding and implementation strategies in an effort to move this concept toward a reality as a community based asset.

If you or others have questions, comments, or a desire to become involved, please contact Rick Potvin at 860-399-2513 or via e-mail at Richard_Potvin@fws.gov. Once we have a more detailed project proposal, we can better engage the public and other stakeholders and consider a range of viable alternatives to making this project a reality.

Thank you again for your interest in the Stewart B. McKinney NWR. We look forward to working with you and other stakeholders on this project.

Andrew C. French, Project Leader
Silvio O. Conte National Fish and Wildlife Refuge
Stewart B. McKinney National Wildlife Refuge
John Hay National Wildlife Refuge
103 East Plumtree Road, Sunderland, MA 01375
Cell: (413) 313-8682 Fax: (413) 548-9725
Refuge Website: www.fws.gov/r5soc

-----Original Message-----
From: CTBirds ctbirds-bounces@lists.ctbirding.org On Behalf Of Patrick Comins via CTBirds
Sent: Tuesday, October 23, 2018 2:38 PM
To: 'ctbirds@lists.ctbirding.org'
Subject: Re: [CT Birds] Northeast Region NWR proposed Boardwalk at Stewart B McKinney Great Meadow Stratford

Apparently no more individual letters are required on the boardwalk issue. They have been overwhelmed by responses.

Please still vote yes on Question 2 though!

Patrick

Patrick M. Comins
Executive Director, The Connecticut Audubon Society

314 Unquowa Road
Fairfield, CT 06824
203-259-0416 x107
https://eur04.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=www.ctaudubon.org&data=02%7C01%7C%7Ca2d1d3aa10324a1e410808d63917edba%7C84df9e7fe9f640afb435aaaaaaaaaaaa%7C1%7C0%7C636759172259045112&sdata=pSk5vpprV%2FFX7n1rtXsD6eW33CnG%2BjvwS0570rAl8XA%3D&reserved=0
Follow us on Twitter
Like us on Facebook

This list is provided by the Connecticut Ornithological Association (COA) for the discussion of birds and birding in Connecticut.
For subscription information visit https://eur04.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=http%3A%2F%2Flists.ctbirding.org%2Fmailman%2Flistinfo%2Fctbirds_lists.ctbirding.org&data=02%7C01%7C%7Ca2d1d3aa10324a1e410808d63917edba%7C84df9e7fe9f640afb435aaaaaaaaaaaa%7C1%7C0%7C636759172259045112&sdata=UFzjj0gOpU8JlAAr2dkMohJgVzcgTa0MdBoTSM4goIY%3D&reserved=0

>From Andy French: Thank you for your recent correspondence regarding the construction of a visitor boardwalk on the Great Meadows Unit (GMU) of the Stewart B. McKinney National Wildlife Refuge (NWR) in Stratford, CT. We agree this type of project would benefit people of the Bridgeport area and beyond, as they look for ways to better connect with nature and the outdoors. The GMU boardwalk project was under consideration by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (Service) for funding during fiscal year 2018, which ended September 30th. However, the project was not selected for funding due to the very limited amount available and the very competitive nature of projects submitted for this limited opportunity within the Region. The GMU boardwalk project is an intriguing and seemingly very beneficial project and we strongly suggest that an innovative approach to finding a way to fund the project be considered. As such, I have asked Rick Potvin, Refuge Manager at Stewart B. McKinney NWR, to reach out to you and others to organize a meeting this fall regarding this project. There are many ways in which you can collaborate with him and others to give the project additional resolution and specificity for a partnership approach. Further, there may be outside grants available which could be combined with federal funds from the Service. Perhaps volunteers could contribute in-kind services such as preliminary engineering work and project cost estimates as matches for a grant submission. You should expect to be contacted by Rick Potvin to discuss possible funding and implementation strategies in an effort to move this concept toward a reality as a community based asset. If you or others have questions, comments, or a desire to become involved, please contact Rick Potvin at 860-399-2513 or via e-mail at Richard_Potvin@fws.gov. Once we have a more detailed project proposal, we can better engage the public and other stakeholders and consider a range of viable alternatives to making this project a reality. Thank you again for your interest in the Stewart B. McKinney NWR. We look forward to working with you and other stakeholders on this project. Andrew C. French, Project Leader Silvio O. Conte National Fish and Wildlife Refuge Stewart B. McKinney National Wildlife Refuge John Hay National Wildlife Refuge 103 East Plumtree Road, Sunderland, MA 01375 Cell: (413) 313-8682 Fax: (413) 548-9725 Refuge Website: www.fws.gov/r5soc -----Original Message----- From: CTBirds <ctbirds-bounces@lists.ctbirding.org> On Behalf Of Patrick Comins via CTBirds Sent: Tuesday, October 23, 2018 2:38 PM To: 'ctbirds@lists.ctbirding.org' Subject: Re: [CT Birds] Northeast Region NWR proposed Boardwalk at Stewart B McKinney Great Meadow Stratford Apparently no more individual letters are required on the boardwalk issue. They have been overwhelmed by responses. Please still vote yes on Question 2 though! Patrick Patrick M. Comins Executive Director, The Connecticut Audubon Society 314 Unquowa Road Fairfield, CT 06824 203-259-0416 x107 https://eur04.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=www.ctaudubon.org&data=02%7C01%7C%7Ca2d1d3aa10324a1e410808d63917edba%7C84df9e7fe9f640afb435aaaaaaaaaaaa%7C1%7C0%7C636759172259045112&sdata=pSk5vpprV%2FFX7n1rtXsD6eW33CnG%2BjvwS0570rAl8XA%3D&reserved=0 Follow us on Twitter Like us on Facebook _______________________________________________ This list is provided by the Connecticut Ornithological Association (COA) for the discussion of birds and birding in Connecticut. For subscription information visit https://eur04.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=http%3A%2F%2Flists.ctbirding.org%2Fmailman%2Flistinfo%2Fctbirds_lists.ctbirding.org&data=02%7C01%7C%7Ca2d1d3aa10324a1e410808d63917edba%7C84df9e7fe9f640afb435aaaaaaaaaaaa%7C1%7C0%7C636759172259045112&sdata=UFzjj0gOpU8JlAAr2dkMohJgVzcgTa0MdBoTSM4goIY%3D&reserved=0