Press Release: NYS, June 6, 2000

Governor Pataki today announced that a contract to identify aquatic species in the Hudson River Estuary that can be used to measure the ecological health of the waterway has been executed as part of the implementation of the Hudson River Estuary Action Plan.

The $644,231 project, to be conducted by Versar, Inc. of Columbia, Maryland, is designed to identify "biocriteria" which serve as indicators of the environmental quality of the Hudson River Estuary and to develop a monitoring program to measure the presence or absence of the recommended indicator species as a way of measuring the health of the ecosystem.

"New York State's commitment to the full restoration of the Hudson River is unwavering," Governor Pataki said. "In order to continue our many efforts to improve the quality of the River, it is critical that we gain a better understanding of the state of the Hudson River Estuary's biological health. Through this initiative, the State will gain the information needed to shape programs that protect the ecological integrity of the Estuary."

DEC Commissioner John P. Cahill said, "The identification of ecological indicators of the environmental quality of the Hudson River Estuary is another example of the innovative programs that New York State, under the leadership of Governor George Pataki, is implementing to conserve and protect of our state's natural resources. The development and use of biocriteria for the Hudson River will provide an independent assessment of the biological integrity of the Estuary which will complement ongoing monitoring of pollutants using traditional chemical analyses."

The goal of this two-year project is to develop biocriteria which will allow DEC to monitor changes in the Hudson River's ecological condition. Some of the objectives to be met to achieve this goal include:

Dividing the Estuary into habitat types based on physical conditions that affect the types of biological communities that are found there (primarily salinity);
Conducting a biological survey;
Defining appropriate biocriteria; and
Monitoring and assessing the biocriteria.

Since its release by Governor Pataki in May 1996, The Hudson River Estuary Action Plan has served as a blueprint for DEC and partnering agencies' implementation of management actions along the Estuary. The action plan was updated in 1998 and extends the plan through 2001. Development of Action Plan 2000 is currently underway and will continue to address the Estuary's most pressing needs through 2003.

Dr. William A. Richkus, Vice President of Versar, Inc. said, "The development of biological indicators and biocriteria for the Hudson River Estuary represents a geographical expansion of similar work that Versar has carried out in the Chesapeake Bay and other Mid-Atlantic estuaries. We believe that this project will put New York State in the forefront of use of biocriteria for the management and enhancement of our nation's estuaries and are very excited to be part of such a precedent-setting effort."

New York State has for nearly a decade used biocriteria for assessing impairment in the freshwater rivers of the state. However, the Hudson River Estuary supports different communities of aquatic life and subsequently requires the identification of a separate set of indicator species.

The State will continue to develop its indicators for freshwater portions of the Estuary, which includes the portion of the Hudson River between the federal dam in Troy, Rensselaer County, and the Verrazano Narrows Bridge near New York City.

Over $116 million has been approved by Governor Pataki and the Legislature for implementation of priorities in the Hudson River Estuary Action Plan, including $50 million from the Clean Water/Clean Air Bond Act for water quality and habitat restoration projects.

The Governor has also secured $12.4 million in the New York/New Jersey Port Plan to track down and clean-up toxic chemical contaminants in the Estuary and $30 million from the State Environmental Protection Fund for implementation of other commitments in the Estuary Action Plan. A total of $24.3 million has been allocated for open space preservation, state and municipal park improvements and brownfield clean-up projects.