Jamaica Bay-Rockaway Parks Resilience Institute and Conservancy Formed for Restoration of Jamaica Bay, Queens

Jamaica Bay

Today Mayor Bloomberg and US Secretary of the Interior, Sally Jewel, announced the creation of a Jamaica Bay Science and Resilience Institute led by the City University of New York, and the formation of a public-private Jamaica Bay-Rockaway Parks Conservancy. New York City and the US government collectively manage 10,000 acres of federal and city-owned parks at and near Jamaica Bay.

According to the press release,

The Institute will be a top-tier research center promoting an understanding of resilience in urban ecosystems and their adjacent communities through an intensive research program focused on the restoration of Jamaica Bay.

The institute, which will be formally established in the fall in a temporary space at Brooklyn College, will be a consortium of research organizations and non-profits which will work with the community and public agencies involved with Jamaica Bay. Its first event will be a symposium on October 17th entitled “Urban Resilience in an Era of Climate Change: Global Input for Local Solutions.”

NYC Parks Commissioner Veronica M. White speaks of the project in terms of its community value and its role in Hurricane Sandy recovery:

The creation of a beach grass nursery, establishment of a community partnership, presence of hard-working Jamaica Bay-Rockaway Parks Restoration Corps employees, and addition of new concessions, will not only help Jamaica Bay and Rockaway Parks recover from Sandy but also establish it as a premier destination for New Yorkers and visitors.

The Science and Resilience Institute is part of the overall effort to make New York City more resilient, as outlined in the comprehensive plan, “A Stronger, More Resilient New York,” released in the city in June.

Untapped Cities previously covered how to kayak Jamaica Bay with the Sebago Canoe Club.