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Testimony of Thomas R. Baptist
Executive Director
Audubon Connecticut
In Support of Land and Water Conservation Funding for
Additions to Stewart B. McKinney National Wildlife Refuge and Silvio O. Conte
National Fish and Wildlife Refuge
U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service
House Appropriations Subcommittee on Interior and Related Agencies
The Honorable Norman Dicks, Chairman
The Honorable Todd Tiahrt, Ranking
March 12, 2008
Mr. Chairman and Honorable Members of the Committee:
Audubon Connecticut appreciates the opportunity to testify on behalf of funding through
the Land and Water Conservation Fund to support the addition of three significant habitat
areas to the National Wildlife Refuge (NWR) system in Connecticut. A total $6 million is
being requested for additions to the Stewart B. McKinney National Wildlife Refuge and
$5.065 million for additions to the Silvio O. Conte National Fish and Wildlife Refuge.
Audubon Connecticut, the state organization of the National Audubon Society with more
than 12,000 members statewide, works to protect birds, other wildlife and their habitats
using science and conservation, education, and legislative advocacy for the benefit of
people and the earth’s biological diversity. The NWR system in our state protects key
habitat areas for birds, wildlife and plants, and provides opportunities for scientific
research, environmental education, and fish and wildlife-oriented recreation. These
refuges, the Stewart B. McKinney National Wildlife Refuge along the coast of Long
Island Sound and the Silvio O. Conte National Fish and Wildlife Refuge covering the
watershed of the Connecticut River, represent two of our nation’s most unusual and
important Refuges located in a densely populated and highly developed four-state region
including Connecticut, Massachusetts, New Hampshire and Vermont.
The Stewart B. McKinney National Wildlife Refuge is dedicated to protecting migratory
bird habitat along sixty miles of Long Island Sound shoreline in Connecticut. The Refuge
is used by more than 300 species of birds including raptors, waterfowl, shorebirds and
Neotropical migratory landbirds. Several individual units are recognized as Audubon
Important Bird Areas, part of a global network of sites that are essential to birds at some
Testimony of Audubon Connecticut
House Subcommittee on Environment and Interior
March 7, 2008
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point in their life cycle. The Stewart B. McKinney NWR provides critical habitat for
federally endangered Roseate Terns, federally threatened Piping Plovers, and a globally
significant nesting population of Salt Marsh Sharp-tailed Sparrows, listed by the State of
Connecticut as a Species of Special Concern and as Globally ‘Vulnerable’ by BirdLife
International.
The Silvio O. Conte National Fish and Wildlife Refuge - the nation’s only Fish and
Wildlife Refuge - consists of approximately 180,000 acres in 48 identified “special focus
areas” within the 7.2 million acre watershed of the Connecticut River in Connecticut,
Massachusetts, New Hampshire and Vermont. These areas contribute substantially and in
unique ways to supporting natural diversity in the watershed and provide habitat for
numerous species of birds including our nation’s symbol, the Bald Eagle. Two individual
units in Connecticut are recognized as Audubon Important Bird Areas. The areas
currently proposed for acquisition would constitute only the second acquisition of
property in the State of Connecticut by the Conte Refuge.
Audubon Connecticut strongly supports the following 2008 Land and Water
Conservation Fund requests:


$6 million for phase I of a multi-year effort to acquire the Long Beach/Pleasure
Beach project in Stratford and Bridgeport, Connecticut that would conserve a 70acre barrier beach adjacent to the state’s largest city, a distressed and targeted
community. This will be first of several phases for this project. The beach
shelters the 700-acre estuarine system of the Stratford-Great Meadows Unit of the
Stewart B. McKinney National Wildlife Refuge, and represents the most
important remaining block of nesting habitat for the federally threatened Piping
Plover and state threatened Least Tern in Connecticut. Long Beach and Pleasure
Beach represent 20% of Connecticut’s remaining undeveloped coastline. More
than 270 bird species utilize this area, and the addition of the Long
Beach/Pleasure Beach property to the Refuge would create one of the premier
birding areas in all of New England. Acquisition of this area by the USFWS will
simultaneously improve public access, improve resource management for
federally listed species and provide a new amenity to Connecticut’s largest city,
Bridgeport. With both municipalities willing to sell their sites to USFWS, this is
a unique opportunity to conserve critical bird habitat while also providing high
quality wildlife-oriented recreation opportunities in an urban environment.
$2 million for acquisition of the Elm Camp/Johnson property, three (3) parcels
that would add a total of 389 acres along the pristine Salmon River, a tributary to
the Connecticut River, to the Salmon River Division of the Silvio O. Conte
National Fish and Wildlife Refuge, as well as $3.065 million (a total request of
$5.065 million) for additional properties in Massachusetts, New Hampshire and
Vermont as part of a four-state coalition effort to permanently protect key areas in
this unique Refuge that runs through the four-state region and spans the watershed
of New England's longest river. The Salmon River Division in Connecticut
Testimony of Audubon Connecticut
House Subcommittee on Environment and Interior
March 7, 2008
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represents critical wintering habitat for Bald Eagles and nesting habitat for
American Black Ducks, Wood Ducks, and Mallards, along with critical wetland,
forest and shrubland habitat for many other species of conservation concern. The
Elm Camp/Johnson property would represent only the second unit of the Refuge
in Connecticut and the first addition to the Salmon River Division. The property
contains 3,360 feet of frontage on Pine Brook, a high-quality stream that provides
outstanding cold-water fish habitat, as well as 1,440 feet on the west bank of the
Salmon River where there have been extensive state and federal efforts to restore
anadromous fish runs, including the Atlantic salmon. Pine Brook is the only
major Salmon tributary free of artificial barriers to migratory fish.
The acquisition of these parcels by the US Fish and Wildlife Service will continue efforts
to protect bird habitat along the highly developed coastline of Long Island Sound and
watershed of the Connecticut River. If funding is not made available in FY 09, there is a
strong possibility that these parcels could be developed and Connecticut would lose more
of the already-rare salt marsh and riverine habitats found on the subject properties. On
behalf of Audubon Connecticut, I respectfully request your support in the FY 09 Interior
Appropriations bill to ensure the success of these important conservation projects that
will benefit the people of our state and our nation for generations to come.
Thank you for your consideration of these requests.
Audubon Connecticut, the state organization of the National Audubon Society with more than
12,000 members statewide, works to protect birds, other wildlife and their habitats using science
and conservation, education, and legislative advocacy for the benefit of people and the earth’s
biological diversity. Through our network of nature centers, protected wildlife sanctuaries, and
local volunteer Chapters, we seek to connect people with nature and inspire
the next generation of conservationists.
Testimony of Audubon Connecticut
House Subcommittee on Environment and Interior
March 7, 2008
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