Fire Island Association: Trust And Science: What Parks Can Learn From Fire Island National Seashore

Press release from Fire Island Association:

2021-12-15

By Michael Sparks

When
Hurricane Sandy opened a breach in Fire Island National Seashore, some
residents wanted it closed. Thanks to long-standing community
relationships and smart science, it stayed open. 

A punishing storm
ran up the Eastern seaboard in late-October 2012, pounding coastal
areas with drenching rains, gusting winds that downed trees, and
floodwaters that inundated many National Park System structures. At Fire Island National Seashore
in New York, Hurricane Sandy tore a gaping hole through the seashore’s
eastern side, a breach that in hindsight carried much-needed ecological
benefits and some important lessons on how park units can recover from
major damage.

Designated a national seashore by Congress in September 1964, Fire Island is a 26-mile long chain of barrier dunes and islands across the Great South Bay from Long Island that takes many storms head-on. Breaches are common on the seashore’s barrier islands. In fact, the area Sandy opened was breached before, in the 1880s, and remained open for about 60 years before naturally repairing itself, according to the National Park Service. 

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This press release was produced by Fire Island Association. The views expressed here are the author’s own.