Fire Island National Seashore Hosts CFP Workshop

Fire Island National Seashore

Fire Island National Seashore, set on a barrier island off the coast of Long Island, New York, covers much of the 32 mile-long Fire Island. The park includes 17 vibrant communities that live among critical ocean, wetland, nearshore, and terrestrial habitats for many rare and endangered species, such as sea turtles and migratory birds. As the Climate Friendly Parks team began to learn more about the physical layout of Fire Island National Seashore, it became clear that there were many challenges ahead, including having these 17 communities inside the park, vast amounts of boat and ferry traffic, and a park headquarters on the mainland with park operations on the island (necessitating frequent marine-based travel). Recognizing the need for climate friendly action, Fire Island National Seashore held a Climate Friendly Parks workshop, during which their stakeholders came up with innovative solutions to make their seashore a greener place. These creative ideas envision a new Fire Island and have turned what looked to be their greatest hurdle to being green – the members of their 17 communities – into their greatest asset.

Fire Island National Seashore’s workshop, conducted in early July, first outlined the areas in which they could cut the most emissions, and then developed actions that fall into two broad categories: cutting emissions and educating and engaging their staff, the public, and the residents of the island. 

The first day of the workshop confirmed that the many actions that Fire Island National Seashore has already taken were on the right track. Park management has already begun to implement climate-friendly actions such as downsizing their fleet (both in numbers as well as vehicle size), exploring alternative fuel vehicles, replacing incandescent light bulbs with CFLs, and coordinating staff trips to and from the mainland to reduce fuel use. However, presentations by experts on issues such as transportation demand management, alternative energy and energy conservation, solid waste reduction and environmental purchasing, and climate friendly initiatives in other National Parks opened up new areas for action. For example, Mike Hervey of the Long Island Power Authority said that he believed that, in the near future, it is possible for Fire Island to be a net exporter of energy through solar power alone. Brad Hill of Evelyn Hill Inc., on Liberty Island, spoke about his concession’s goal of having zero waste for the coming year and showed the group how this goal is possible. 

On the second day of the workshop, the stakeholders generated creative ideas for making Fire Island National Seashore climate friendly.  Ideas included getting Fire Island National Seashore headquarters LEED certified, making alternative transportation to and from the island easier, using alternative fuel vehicles to haul recycling, and developing solar powered “eco-slips” that enable boats to be hooked up to solar power when docked.

Acting Superintendent Sean McGuinness concluded the workshop by highlighting the tremendous educational and partnering opportunities inherent in becoming a Climate Friendly Park with 17 vibrant communities inside its boundaries. The Park has since decided to inspire greenhouse gas emissions reduction actions in these communities by challenging them to do their part. Fire Island National Seashore will soon be unveiling Do Your Part! web pages for each community, on which members of the communities can sign up and pledge to take actions to reduce their emissions. Through inspiring competition among its communities, Fire Island National Seashore hopes to reduce greenhouse gas emissions from within its own boundaries, as well as to develop ties throughout the entire island.

For more information on Fire Island National Seashore, please contact Michael_Bilecki@nps.gov.