By Forum Staff
Assemblywoman Stacey Pheffer Amato (D-Howard Beach) was joined by Assembly Speaker Carl Heastie on a tour of Bayswater Point State Park.
The purpose of the tour was to show the conservation work being done for Jamaica Bay by the State Parks Department in partnership with the Jamaica Bay-Rockaway Parks Conservancy. Pheffer Amato has secured funding for conservation and shoreline restoration efforts across Jamaica Bay.
Pheffer Amato and Speaker Heastie were shown Bayswater Point State Park by Executive Director of Jamaica Bay-Rockaways Park Conservancy Terri Carta. The three of them, along with fellows from JBRPC and employees from the State Parks Department, saw the efforts to rebuild the shoreline, the ongoing effort of removing invasive species of plants, and the wide variety of cleanups that have been ongoing in that area. In addition, the assemblywoman and speaker chatted with members of the JBRPC fellowship program about their interest in the environment. Several fellows indicated that because of this program, which is funded through Pheffer Amato’s office, they are seeking a career in environmental stewardship.
Photo Courtesy of Assemblywoman Pheffer Amato
The trio toured parts of Jamaica Bay to take a look at conservation work being done for the bay by the State Parks Department in partnership with the Jamaica Bay-Rockaway Parks Conservancy.
“I want to thank Speaker Heastie for joining me today to tour Jamaica Bay—the crown jewel of New York. The New York State Parks Department, along with the incredible volunteers from the Jamaica Bay-Rockaway Parks Conservancy, work to ensure that our shorelines and parks are safe, clean and are being restored to peak condition. I am incredibly proud to partner to also teach people about the rewarding career opportunities in environmental conservation, something that is incredibly important on this peninsula. Through these efforts we are elevating Jamaica Bay for our community and New York State,” Pheffer Amato said.
“I’m honored to be invited to tour the beautiful Bayswater Point State Park with Assemblymember Pheffer Amato,” said Heastie. “It’s incredible to see the preservation efforts in action, and I’m proud of the work the Assembly Majority continues to do to ensure these parks are just as special for the next generation of New Yorkers.”
“We’re so grateful to Assemblywoman Stacey Pheffer Amato for her support of our Wetlands Fellowship and other programs to improve public parklands and marsh areas,” added Carta. “We were thrilled to showcase our work for Speaker Heastie and appreciate his interest in building nature-based career pathways in Jamaica Bay for local communities.”
