Shellfish Restoration Council
This council has been established to support and guide shellfish restoration efforts throughout the state's marine and coastal district. The council is tasked with providing recommendations on management and monitoring of restoration efforts, identifying future restoration initiatives, and coordinating training and education programs throughout our marine and coastal district.
New York State Shellfish Restoration Plan
The goal of the state plan is to provide a strategic roadmap for using shellfish restoration to help ensure the health and longevity of New York's important marine shellfish resources. Initial objectives of the plan may include:
- establishing a baseline of the status of marine shellfish and efforts to restore them;
- identifying best practices for restoration and scientific monitoring;
- improving the restoration permitting process;
- identifying opportunities for new restoration projects; and,
- building new partnerships.
The Council will develop the plan in coordination with DEC and other key organizations through a process facilitated by The Pew Charitable Trusts (leaves DEC website) and Due East Partners (leaves DEC website).
Council Members
- Dr. Christopher Gobler, SUNY Stony Brook, Co-chair
- Pete Malinowski, Billion Oyster Project, Co-chair
- Christopher Pickerell, Cornell Cooperative Extension of Suffolk County, Co-chair
- Dr. Jeffrey Levinton, SUNY Stony Brook
- Carl LoBue, The Nature Conservancy
- Dr. Emmanuelle Pales Espinosa, Stony Brook University's Marine Animal Disease Lab
- Marty Byrnes, Greater Atlantic Shellfish Farms LLC
- Shavonne Smith, Shinnecock Indian Nation Environmental Department
- Karen Rivara, Long Island Farm Bureau
- Chuck Westfall, Long Island Shellfish Grower's Association
- Susan Filipowich, Suffolk County Department of Economic Development and Planning
- Jim Lodge, Hudson River Foundation
- Elizabeth Cole, LI Regional Planning Council/Long Island Nitrogen Action Plan
- Jane Houdek, Nassau County Department of Public Works
- Adrienne Esposito, Citizens Campaign for the Environment
- Michael Kokell, Brookhaven Baymen's Association
- Derek Schleede, Ocean Rich Distributors
- William Caldwell, Southampton Baymen's Association
- DEC, Ex-Officio
Shellfish Restoration Council Meetings
The SRC hosts regular meetings to cover updates on New York shellfish restoration projects and on the development of a comprehensive, science-based, and stakeholder-driven state shellfish restoration plan.
The primary purpose of these meeting is for council members to deliberate on the organizational framework of the plan's development. There will be opportunities for public comments and questions throughout both the meeting and the plan's development process.
Previous Meeting Details (links leave DEC website)
January 17, 2023
June 7, 2022
March 25, 2021
Division of Marine Resources
123 Kings Park Blvd. (Nissequogue River State Park)
Kings Park, NY 11754
