For Release: Wednesday, July 28, 2004
DEC Announces Amended Wetland Maps for Westchester County
A Total of 5,750 Acres of Additional Freshwater Wetlands Added
New York State Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC) Commissioner Erin M. Crotty today announced revised State Freshwater Wetland Maps for northern Westchester County, which includes portions of the New York City Watershed.
"Wetlands are extremely critical and provide many important benefits to the overall health of our environment," Commissioner Crotty said. "These amended wetlands maps will help provide additional protection to vital natural resources that help improve water quality and provide important wildlife habitat in northern Westchester County."
Wetlands naturally cleanse and purify water by removing nutrients and other impurities and keep them from entering our streams, rivers, lakes and reservoirs, and are especially important in protecting the long-term quality of the New York City drinking water supply. Wetlands also preserve ecosystems by serving as fish and wildlife habitat, including many endangered and threatened species, and protect communities against flooding by holding back and reducing the volume and velocity of water entering streams, rivers, lakes, and reservoirs following storm events.
The amendment includes the areas of northern Westchester County that are within the New York City Watershed and those areas immediately adjacent to the New York City Watershed. The amendment consist primarily of the addition of previously overlooked and unmapped wetland areas. A total of 5,750 acres of wetlands now appear on the Article 24 Freshwater Wetland Act Regulatory Maps. Within the New York City Watershed portion of Westchester County, 3,370 wetland acres were added and an additional 2,380 acres of wetlands were added just outside the New York City Watershed.
Beginning in December 2003, DEC held three informational sessions and a public hearing to provide landowners, stakeholders and other interested citizens with an opportunity to review and comment on the draft Freshwater Wetland Maps before the amendment was finalized. The public comment period officially closed on February 15, 2004.
Copies of the revised maps depicting the additions may be viewed at local government clerk's offices, at local town libraries, at the Department's Region 3 Office located at 21 South Putt Corners Road in New Paltz, New York, or on the following website: http://www.BagdonEnvironmental.com and full size copies of the maps can be purchased from www.btimages.com/ or www.syracuseblueprint.com/
The Freshwater Wetlands Act (Act), Article 24 of the New York State Environmental Conservation Law, provides DEC with the authority to regulate the State's freshwater wetland resources. The Act regulates wetlands 12.4 acres (5 hectares) or greater in size, certain smaller wetlands identified as unusual local importance (ULI), and a 100-foot buffer area around mapped wetlands. A wetland has to be identified on the official Article 24 Freshwater Wetland Maps in order to be regulated under the Act. The Act also allows DEC to amend maps in order to add, modify or delete areas from the Article 24 Freshwater Wetland Maps. For additional information regarding the Act, please visit the DEC website.
Wetlands and other waters of the United States are also protected by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers and the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency under Section 404 of the Clean Water Act. Questions concerning the Section 404 program should be directed to the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers' New York District Office (212) 264-0184. In addition, municipalities may also regulate wetlands under local municipal law.
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