You have probably seen our name in the paper, on social media or on signs posted around town, but you may not be familiar with who we are, what we do and what we stand for.
We are, first and foremost, an environmental conservation and advocacy organization. Our activities and decision-making are objective and driven by the best available science. Friends of the Bay’s mission is to preserve, protect and restore the ecological integrity and productivity of the Oyster Bay/Cold Spring Harbor Estuary and the surrounding watershed.
We accomplish this through:
- Environmental advocacy
- Water-quality monitoring
- Shellfish restoration
- Preparing and assisting in long-term plans for the bay and harbor
- Educational programs and outreach
- Beach cleanups and marine debris removal
- Local wildlife monitoring
Friends of the Bay is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization. Approximately 90 percent of our operating budget comes from donations and grants.
We have a staff of three paid full-time employees: an executive director, a program coordinator and a volunteer coordinator. Our board of directors is comprised of fifteen community leaders who donate their time and expertise to the organization without compensation.
Friends of the Bay was formed in1987 by a group of citizens concerned about the impact of a proposed development at the former Jakobson Shipyard site on Oyster Bay’s Western Waterfront.
The plan was ultimately defeated in 1990, and in 1997 the Town of Oyster Bay and the State of New York acquired the property. FOB then led the public process that resulted in the Land Use Plan for The Oyster Bay Western Waterfront. This included the development of a public park, boat ramp and the WaterFront Center to promote sailing and education.
FOB’s recent advocacy has included:
- Establishing shellfish sanctuaries in Oyster Bay, Mill Neck Creek and Cold Spring Harbor.
- Enacting a temporary moratorium on shellfish harvesting on the bay bottomlands formerly leased to Frank M. Flower & Sons.
We have advocated for establishing shellfish sanctuaries where harvesting would be banned in perpetuity because shellfish populations, particularly oysters, have declined dramatically.
The sanctuaries would provide a place for these bivalves to grow, reproduce and provide larvae to rebuild sustainable shellfish populations.
We believe the expiration of the Frank M. Flower & Sons town lease for most of the bay will be an unprecedented opportunity for more sustainable harvesting options.
We supported the town’s enactment of a temporary moratorium on shellfish harvesting on those bottomlands on Oct. 1 to allow for a professional scientific survey to determine what shellfish, if any, remain on the bay bottom and the best areas for shellfish restoration and sanctuaries. In the meantime, baymen and recreational harvesters will still have access to areas outside the former lease that they have always had.
FOB has supported shellfish restoration projects:
- North Shore Oyster Gardening Program.
- Oyster Habitat Restoration and Monitoring Utilizing Spawner Sanctuaries in Oyster Bay and Cold Spring Harbor, a two-year project led by Adelphi University professors.
- Putting the Oyster Back in Oyster Bay, a three-year project now in its first year led by professors from the Stony Brook University School of Marine and Atmospheric Sciences.
- Supporting Oyster Aquaculture and Restoration and S.O.A.R 2.0 administered by The Nature Conservancy and Pew Charitable Trusts.
Because we feel education and outreach are important, FOB hosts monthly beach cleanups, speaker presentations, leads kayak conservation cruises and nature walks. In 2021 FOB launched Team Terrapin to monitor the diamondback terrapin population at Centre Island Beach.
We invite you to learn even more about who we are what we do by visiting our website www.friendsofthebay.org and by following us on Instagram, Facebook and LinkedIn.
