Trump Signs Law Renaming Oyster Bay National Wildlife Refuge

OYSTER BAY, NY — The Oyster Bay National Wildlife Refuge on the North Shore has a slightly different name after President Donald Trump signed into law a bill that honors a former New York congressman who fought tirelessly to protect the Long Island Sound.

Trump on Monday signed into law H.R. 263, which renames the refuge as the Congressman Lester Wolff Oyster Bay National Wildlife Refuge. The bill was introduced in January 2019 by Democratic U.S. Rep. Tom Suozzi.

In a news release at the time, Suozzi said he wanted to recognize Wolff's 100th birthday and his achievements.

"The Long Island Sound is our national park and, without Lester's tenacity and willingness to stand up to powerful interests, the environmental security of the Sound would have been compromised," Suozzi said at the time.

Wolff, also a Democrat, was elected to the House in 1964 and served New York for 16 years.

Wolff fought to preserve the wetlands after state lawmakers in 1967 authorized plans to build an 8.5-mile bridge across the Long Island Sound that would connect Oyster Bay and Rye. Wolff said the plan would "despoil" the coastline's natural beauty.

Instead, he proposed establishing a restoration site. And thus, the wildlife refuge was born.

The wildlife refuge consists of more than 3,200 acres, including subtidal (bay bottom to mean high tide line) habitats, saltmarsh and a freshwater pond. It is the largest refuge in the Long Island National Wildlife Refuge Complex and receives the most public use of all the refuges.

Oyster Bay was designated a significant coastal fish and wildlife habitat. The refuge is "especially important" for wintering waterfowl, including black ducks, greater scaup, bufflehead, canvasback and long-tailed ducks, state officials said on the refuge's website. Various other waterbirds also use Oyster Bay, including shorebirds, terns and cormorants, as do other marine animals such as northern diamondback terrapins, harbor seals, sea turtles, finfish and shellfish.

People are known to visit the refuge, too, with Oyster Bay being a popular destination for fishing, animal sightseeing and photography.