Two actions supported by state Sen. Heather Somers, R-Groton, that carry local ecological implications may soon be heard in the General Assembly.
Pending legislation meant to help protect and develop eelgrass could be called in the state legislature during the next three weeks, while Somers plans to propose an amendment on an environmental bill that would require a mitigation fund to be included in any future wind energy deals made by the state.
Somers and Save the Sound’s Long Island Soundkeeper Bill Lucey noted that eelgrass beds have declined precipitously, inviting the introduction of Senate Bill 242, An Act Establishing a Working Group on the Restoration of Eelgrass.
The Environment Committee passed the bill last month with an unanimous favorable report. According to the report, the bill was intended to “establish an working group to develop strategies to restore eelgrass along the state’s shoreline.” Eelgrass, an important habitat for fish, has suffered a significant decline.
Somers stated, “Eelgrass provides the perfect bedding for small organisms and fish, but there is very little left.” “We must dedicate resources and study the possibilities for Connecticut to bring it back.
Thursday’s Lucey statement said that there is currently eelgrass in the area around Fisher’s Island, and the Little Dumpling Islands off Groton.
“There are patches of it around Plum island all the way into Stonington, Mystic and down into Niantic,” Lucey said. He also agreed with Somers’ comments that eelgrass must be “more than just maintained… It must be replaced.”
According to Lucey, there are only 10 years left to do something to save Long Island Sound’s eelgrass. “The only thing that allows eelgrass in Long Island Sound to survive is the regular flushing with cooler ocean water. But that water is warming up.”
Lucey stated that the state must also keep the Sound water clean to allow light to penetrate the Sound and reach the eelgrass.
“As the Sound heats up, we must intensify our efforts to keep it clean. Lucey stated that as the water heats up, pollution can lead to an increase in the severity of the effects.
Somers and Lucey wanted scientists and local experts “then maybe this problem can be saved,” Lucey stated.
Lucey suggested that eelgrass seeds could be planted from warmer areas in order to be more resilient for Long Island Sound. However this idea is still under review.
The legislature is now entering its final three week session with a set of bills on its wishlist, ongoing budget negotiations, as well as a few bills that are still being considered. However, it’s possible that some bills will be overlooked.
Mitigation fund
It’s Somers fourth year of putting into law legislation that would include a mitigation account in any future wind energy agreements with the state.
Somers stated that there would be a dollar amount that would be set aside in the event that wind farms are built to replace commercial fishermen. “The fund could be used by fishermen to create nesting areas or habitats for birds. They could also tap into the fund if they can’t fish in the area anymore or their gear gets caught up.”
In the past, local fishermen had difficulty getting wind developers to listen. Stonington Town Dock fishermen, along with their counterparts in the Northeast, have struggled for more than 30 years to stay afloat despite strict regulations that aim to rebuild depleted stocks. Offshore wind power has also presented a challenge.
The offshore wind industry was jump-started by the Biden administration with a plan to have offshore wind farms producing 30 gigawatts of energy — enough to power 10 million homes — by 2030. Federal approval was given last year to the Vineyard Wind I project with 62 turbines off Martha’s Vineyard.
According to the bill summary, Somers’ amendment would imitate a 2020 bill that would “compensate commercial fisherman for lost revenues associated with certain offshore wind energy project effects and require disclosure of contract and associated documents for such project.”
Somers pointed out other states have similar mitigation plans. Federal officials are leasing large tracts of ocean bottom off the Northeast coast for wind power companies, she said, ignoring fishermen’s concerns. Some of these bottoms are also in areas where fishing vessels land their catches or transit.
Lucey stated that Save the Sound supports a mitigation fund.
He said that other states have already negotiated mitigation packages with wind companies, while Connecticut has not yet. “We are all for wind farms coming into Connecticut and replacing fossil fuels for climate changes and the jobs created there, but we really want the benefits to that as well as any potential impact on wildlife to that occur to be properly accounted.”