Staten Island Wetlands

> > >

Credit: Seth Sherman

Staten Island's wetlands filter harmful chemicals from the water, buffer inland regions from storms, and control erosion—all while providing food and habitat for fish, birds, and other wildlife. Eighty percent of the island's historic wetlands have been lost to filling, dredging, and other human activities, making it even more important to conserve what's left. In 2003, the New York-New Jersey Harbor Estuary Program set a goal to protect 2,700 acres of New York City-area wetlands by 2009. Over the last two decades, TPL has helped protect 472 acres of land on Staten Island, including, most recently, 15 acres on Staten Island's Arthur Kill, in the summer of 2006. In 2001, TPL and the NYC Audubon Society published An Islanded Nature, highlighting critical wetland habitats on Staten Island's west shore along the Arthur Kill as important conservation priorities. TPL is currently working to acquire properties identified in the report.