The Saw Mill River Coalition

For Release: April 16, 2007

Ann-Marie Mitroff  (914) 375-2151, Cell: (914) 815-5872  

Think Globally–Act Locally…River Coalition and Kayak and Canoe Club Conduct Saw Mill River Clean-up

Vikki Jones, coordinator of The Hudson River and Beyond Kayaking and Canoeing Club is always looking for water-related activities. After sending out an email looking for an idea to celebrate Earth Day, she got a response from the local Saw Mill River Coalition. “We need help in cleaning up “floatables” (plastic bottles) and the trash in the river,” responded Ann-Marie Mitroff, Coordinator of the Coalition, “we can clean up for part of the day and canoe, hike, and bike the rest of the day.”  On Sunday, April 22nd, the Club and Coalition are urging local residents and groups to join them at the Lawrence Street Exit from the Saw Mill River Parkway (east side) from 9:30 am to 12:30 pm to help with the clean up.  After 12:30 pm, canoes and kayaks will be launched, and people are urged to bring their bikes, skates, or walking shoes and enjoy the results of their work along the South County Trailway.               

So far, several River RATz (Saw Mill Coalition’s Restoration Action Team members), a church group, Ardsley High School students, and volunteer vine cutters will join the effort. “We have a sustained effort with volunteers who work in the winter months cutting vines,” stated Mitroff. “It’s part of our partnership with Westchester County Parks and New York’s Adopt-A-Highway program. Working with many existing clubs and providing volunteer opportunities gets more done.”           

“Floatables,” or plastic bottles, are one of the main items to be cleared from the river. They “float” in groups, being tied up at places where logs and branches have fallen into the river. Information will be given on practices residents should take to minimize the trash that finds its way to rivers. This information is timely given the major April storms the region has seen—trash left on streets and gutters, as well as leaking fluids from cars are major producers of pollution in streams—hence the term “stormwater pollution.”  The Village of Dobbs Ferry has joined the clean-up effort as well and will support the volunteers’ work using the Public Works’ crews.           

Instruction will also be given on identifying invasive vines and how to cut them. Residents are asked to wear sturdy shoes, bring gloves if they have them, pack a lunch, and if they are under 16 have adult supervision. Site directions: access from Saw Mill Parkway exit at Lawrence St (Ardsley side), park along the frontage road to the left right after the exit. Meet at the County Trailway. For information, call Saw Mill River Coalition (a program of Groundwork Yonkers) (914) 375-2151 or cell: (914) 815-5872; or email: annmarie@groundworkyonkers.org.

We’re working with the state invasive plant folks—as many of you know who have been out cutting porcelain berry, multiflora rose, and oriental bittersweet. Well, there’s yet another very aggressive vine—mile-a-minute—which is rearing its ugly leaf.  

 This vine grows up to 6 inches a day – forming a dense mat and preventing light from reaching native plants. The concern is trying to monitor the watershed and pull it out as soon as we see it.   

This is a CRITICAL TIME, as the plant sets seed in late summer—So, we are asking those of you who can to:

Learn what it looks like — Copy & Paste this link:
http://www.nps.gov/plants/alien/fact/pepe1.htm
See mile-a-minute work sessions where you can learn how to identify it.

“LOOK” for it when you are out and about on the South or North County Trailway, in any of the parks you picnic in, etc.
Report it to us.           

It is close to us, and we want to eradicate it as soon as we see it. Here are opportunities to learn first hand and also pull the darn stuff:  

Saturdays, July 7, 11, 19, & 27 at Ward Pound Ridge 10:00AM – 12:30PM
Saturday, July 21 at Rockland Lake State Park 9:00AM – 11:00AM

Help pull before it spreads to Hook Mountain.    

New volunteers will learn how to identify mile-a-minute vine, an invasive plant which is spreading rapidly in Westchester County. 

RSVP by 3:00 Friday before to laweyene@gw.dec.state.ny.us or 845-889-4745 x115

For more information:
Laura Weyeneth
SCA Intern/Invasive Plants Educator
Hudson River National Estuarine Research Reserve
NYS Department of Environmental Conservation Norrie Point Environmental Center
P.O. Box 315256 Norrie Point Way
Staatsburg, NY 
12580845-889-4745 x115
laweyene@gw.dec.state.ny.us

Vine Cutting resumes in October!

Coalition Grants 

The Coalition has been working on four grants it has received: 

The Hudson River Estuary Program (HREP) habitat restoration assessment has looked at 2-3 sites on publicly-owned land along the Saw Mill River from Farragut Avenue to Woois working with Sven Hoeger, stream habitat specialist, to coordinate the project. River RAT (Restoration Action Team) training and field work was done May 19th. Westchester County Parks has donated staff time to complete additional flora and fauna assessments in June. Our goal is to apply for a restoration grant for 2008 to fund the actual work to revitalize and improve the river environment.   

We hope that the following two grants help us identify sections of the river that are vital to the health of the river and to work on ways of protecting them (through easements, purchase, restoration, municipal ordinances, etc.):

The Coalition’s EPA funded watershed-wide wetlands study will be used to bring together all the information on wetlands within our river towns—and share that on a watershed-wide basis. The land use survey, funded by the State’s HREP, will help us map what land is actually being used for along the river, its zoning and property ownership. A Saunders High School student is making this a senior project, and several Ardsley High School and Hastings High School seniors will also focus on this for their senior community service internship. Finally, we have a Yonkers High School student as an intern this summer to complete the work. For both grants, we hope that sharing the information amongst our villages will lead to better decisions about what properties are used for. We have begun working with the County Planning Department on these projects. 

The Saw Mill to Hudson River interpretative trail study will focus on the sections of the Saw Mill River in Yonkers that will be “daylighted”—uncovered. We’ll pull together a group of people to help us focus on cultural, historical, industrial, environmental and recreational aspects that need to be covered in interpretative signs and activities. Please let us know if you would like to join this group. First meeting will be in November 2007. Funded through  the Hudson River Foundation.

Saw Mill River Coalition

A
program of Groundwork Yonkers

6 Wells Avenue, Yonkers,
NY  10701

914-375-2151  Fax: 914-375-2153

 
For
Immediate Release:          Contact:
Wednesday, May
14, 2008                  Ann-Marie Mitroff
                                                                           Director of River
Programs: 815-5872
(cell)

Goldman
Sachs Volunteers to give Saw Mill

River a Face-lift

On May 16, 2008, twenty-five volunteers from the Goldman Sachs Community
TeamWorks program will plant over 100 trees and shrubs along the South County
Trailway and the Saw
Mill River
just north of Farragut Avenue
off of the Saw Mill River Parkway.  This project is one of several restoration
and cleanup programs sponsored by the Saw Mill River Coalition, a program of Groundwork Hudson
Valley, a non-profit environmental
organization located in Yonkers,
New York.

The Goldman Sachs Community TeamWorks
volunteers will also remove invasive vines and shrubs and put woodchips down on
an area being cleared for a future meadow restoration project and a new path leading
to the River.

 Since 1997, Goldman Sachs, a global investment
banking, securities, and investment management firm, has given its employees
one day off each year to volunteer in team based projects coordinated with
local nonprofits.      

 In addition to beautifying the Saw Mill
River, the trees and shrubs
planted by the Goldman Sachs volunteers are an important part of the
restoration of a riparian buffer in this section of the River.  As defined by the USDA Forest Service, a
riparian buffer is a vegetated area near a stream, usually wooded, which helps
shade and protect a stream from the impacts of adjacent land uses, decrease
streambank erosion and filter sediment and pollutants commonly found in runoff,
provide floodwater storage, increase wildlife habitat and provide recreation
areas.

 Established
in 2001, the Saw Mill River Coalition is a dynamic partnership of nonprofit
groups, government agencies, municipalities and businesses dedicated to
protecting the Saw Mill, a tributary of the Hudson River.  The Coalition works closely with the
Westchester County Parks Department and the New York State Department of
Transportation who are also co-sponsoring the cleanup and restoration of this
area.   

Date & Time:  Friday, May 16, 2008; 9:30 am to 4:30 pm

Rain Date:  Thursday, May 22, 2008; 9:30 am to 4:30 pm

Location: Farragut Avenue, Exit 13 North off of the Saw Mill River Parkway in Hastings-on-Hudson, New York. The restoration sites are located along the South County Trailway, approximately 1500 feet north of the parking lot.