What’s at risk: Benson Reserve

Is a nearly million-dollar project disguised as a "habitat restoration" in a dune system that is already healthy and stable warranted for better views?

A small group of private property owners sought to enhance views along Old Montauk Highway at the Benson Bathing Reserve. Initially, they considered a cost-effective and less invasive approach by trimming vegetation. However, to secure government funding from the DEC and Suffolk County, they engaged CCOM and a only one consulting firm, which deviated from the usual practice of consulting three firms for comprehensive proposals. Montauk citizens should rightfully demand three proposals.

The proposal had to align with grant goals and benchmarks to secure government funding. To comply, it suggests replacing invasive plants in the dune system with native ones to improve vistas and the coastal habitat for birds along Old Montauk Highway and enhance the scenic road experience. While the desire for a better environment and improved aesthetics is admirable, these efforts will create dune destabilization and displacement of the current wildlife. In addition, the Audobon Society states that the lack of coastal birds is due to climate change, not invasive species in the Benson Reserve. CCOM is diverting essential and finite DEC grant funds from critical Montauk water quality initiatives and shifting focus from important issues.

Additionally, the proposal included language on coastal resilience and water quality despite the absence of any of these issues in the Reserve.

A significant concern is the Town Board's focus on a cost-free solution for them, possibly at the expense of the environment and Montauk residents' well-being. They appear to favor a public/private partnership to address project challenges. The Town should have been responsible for maintaining this property over the past 25 years. However, property owners across the street are accountable for keeping pathways accessible to the public.

The community faces the idea that this potentially influential group of politically charged and wealthy citizens may prioritize clear water vistas over this reserve's stability and well-being.

There are several reasons for opposing the Benson Reserve project

State the Facts

• After reviewing 70 years of aerial maps, the consultant Rusty Schmidt publicly admitted that there has been little to no erosion in the Reserve, therefore deeming it STABLE.

• This firm or others cannot point to successfully implementing of a similar project on the East Coast.

• The Reserve will experience destabilization for 3-5 years, during which seeds will replace hardy invasives in hay without irrigation.

• Seeds cannot be expected to grow without irrigation.

• Native plants will likely not take to the current PH of the soil

• Even if some seeds take root, the deer will eat native plants over invasive plants

• Removing weeds often causes significant uncontrollable proliferation.

• The project will not be deemed a success until the 3- 5-year mark, leaving it vulnerable—we simply do not have time.

• The only barrier between property owners and the fierce ocean is the Benson Reserve.

• Insurance providers are already giving property owners a hard time with renewals on Old Montauk Highway.

• According to the Audobon Society, the decline in the coastal bird habitat is not due to invasive species but climate change.

• The absence of monarchs is not due to a lack of goldenrods or milkweed in the Benson Reserve but to changes in their overwintering habitat in Mexico, which affects their flight patterns.

• The Town Board should require three environmental proposals (not only the one from Nelson Pope Vorhees.

  Legal Grounds

• The introduction of barns and fences to contain goats violates the covenants and restrictions placed on the Benson Reserve to protect its natural state. They could opt to do it without the goats. Should the Town move forward with this project using Goats, Montauk residents will be forced to file an Article 78.

  Understand the Biology

When a dune system has a long history of coexistence between native and invasive plants for many decades, like the Benson Reserve (70) years, it can lead to changes in the soil's biota and ecological dynamics that may favor invasive species over native ones. This phenomenon is often called "legacy effects" or "legacy impacts."

Here's how it works:

• Altered Soil Microbial Communities: Over time, invasive plants can change the composition and function of soil microbial communities. These changes may favor the invasive species, as they often have specific relationships with certain microbes that enhance their growth and competitive advantage. Native plants, on the other hand, may not thrive in this altered soil environment.
  

• Nutrient Cycling: Invasive plants can alter nutrient cycling processes in the soil. Some invasives are known for nutrient accumulation or "mining" from the soil, which can affect the availability of nutrients for other plant species, potentially disadvantaging native plants.
  

• Allelopathy: Some invasive plants produce chemicals (allelopathic compounds) that inhibit the growth of neighboring plants, including natives. Over time, these allelopathic compounds in the soil can make it less hospitable to native species.
  

• Altered Soil Structure: The root systems of invasive plants can change the soil's physical structure, making it more difficult for native plants to establish or compete for resources.
  

• Seed Bank Changes: Invasive species can alter the composition of the seed bank in the soil. This can lead to a higher proportion of invasive plant seeds in the seed bank, making it challenging for native plants to regenerate naturally.
  

• Lack of Natural Enemies: Invasive plants may not face the same level of herbivory or predation as they would in their native range. This lack of natural enemies can allow invasive plants to thrive and reproduce unchecked.

As a result of these factors, the presence of invasive plants over many decades can create a self-perpetuating cycle that hinders the establishment and growth of native species, creating a "novel ecosystem" where the ecological dynamics are different from the original native ecosystem.

Restoring such systems can be challenging, as simply removing invasive species may not be enough to restore the soil biota and ecological processes to their original state.

There are other options.

(1) hire a landscaping company to trim the growth to improve the vistas.

(2) Carve out a 3-acre area and execute the plan, learning and modifying over 3-5 years as facts become a reality not to jeopardize the entire dune system.

(3) CCOM must hire two independent consulting firms, a second opinion and one specializing in Ocean dune restoration on the East Coast, before accepting this proposal.

Ethics in Local Government

Transparency was notably lacking during the Town Board Work Session on August 8, 2023. During this meeting, residents learned of a resolution favoring a project without community input. In response, we expressed our opposition, called for a public hearing, and requested the resolution's deferral. Regrettably, the Town modified the resolution, eventually granting us a public hearing.

This project doesn't align with DEC-required grant guidelines, which mandate a water quality component. There are more suitable water quality initiatives in Montauk that could benefit from this grant. It's disheartening to witness the misuse of DEC grant funds totaling $649k and Suffolk County Grant funds amounting to $250k for the same purpose.

Significant funding, $200k, comes from a generous donor to CCOM and the Democratic Party, with an additional $30k contributed by a Town Supervisor from Southampton who owns property in Montauk. The same consulting firm is set to execute the project, raising concerns about a potential conflict of interest. We've urged the Town to seek alternative professional opinions and engage additional consultants to ensure a fair bidding process and a comprehensive assessment of the Reserve. Unfortunately, there has been no response.

We invite you to voice your opinion on the Benson Bathing Beach Reserve Habitat Restoration Project through the Community Survey link below.