Staten Island wetlands and forests have disappeared
Prior to European settlement, Staten Island was almost entirely covered with forests and wetlands—the Raritan Lenape First Peoples called it Aquehonga Manadnock, the “Island of the Woods.” As of 2019, less than 20 percent of the island’s landcover was forest or wetland (7,230 acres).
Ecosystems are at risk in the Northwest Coast: Graniteville and Old Place Creek
Credit: Henry Fair, LightHawk Conservation Flying
In 2021, 18 acres of freshwater wetlands and 1,800 mature trees were destroyed for the South Avenue Retail Project, future home to a BJ’s Wholesaler. The Graniteville site had included seasonal wetlands appreciated for their wildlife and aesthetic beauty.
With plans for the Matrix Global Logistics Park West Campus, at least 72 acres of wetlands are now at risk across a 261-acre site that is part of a larger wetland complex along Old Place Creek. These projects are sited near socially vulnerable communities in the North Shore.
Wetlands and forests help to mitigate flooding, while providing other services such as carbon sequestration and storage, water capture and supply, and recreation. For example, during Hurricane Sandy in 2012, the Graniteville Wetland reduced flooding in adjacent neighborhoods. Once the forest and wetlands were destroyed, the community experienced flooding during 2021’s Hurricane Ida for the first time in many residents' memories.
Destroying wetlands and forests is a loss to communities
Earth Economics collaborated with the Staten Island Coalition for Wetlands and Forests (an Anthropocene Alliance member) to quantify the value of the Graniteville wetland and forest areas that were destroyed for development. We found that replacing most of the forests and wetlands with impervious surfaces leads to an annual loss of over $423,000 in benefits to the community. This is a conservative estimate, as it does not account for benefits and economic impacts such as flood mitigation, avoided hospitalizations, flood insurance premiums, or flood damages to buildings and infrastructure.
It is more costly to restore natural areas than to protect them
Staten Island’s forests and wetlands provide benefits at little to no cost to the community, unlike technological replacements that would be necessary to mitigate their loss. If these wetlands and forests are protected, they can provide these benefits in perpetuity. Protecting natural areas is often less expensive than operating, maintaining, and eventually replacing built infrastructure to manage stormwater and coastal flooding.
Anthropocene Alliance