Sunken Meadow Restoration Gains Traction with $1.5 Million Award

(December 3, 2025) - The National Fish and Wildlife Service announced nearly $12 million in grants from the Long Island Sound Futures Fund (Futures Fund) to organizations and local governments to improve the health of Long Island Sound and its wildlife populations. Audubon is proud to be the recipient of $1.5 million to restore fourteen acres of salt marsh at Sunken Meadow State Park in Kings Park, New York.

The award will enable Audubon to launch "Phase 1" of the project, moving sediment from the creek channels and placing it on the marsh platform to raise elevation, restoring 14 acres of salt marsh (4 acres of high marsh and 10 acres of low marsh). These efforts will create a more resilient marsh that improves critical habitat for nesting Saltmarsh Sparrows, and protects the community in the face of sea level rise.

The Saltmarsh Sparrow is the canary in the coal mine guiding this work. A small, rust-colored bird with a vivid orange-buff face, the Saltmarsh Sparrow's population has declined precipitously and the species is at risk of extinction. This drastic decline directs us to restore the marsh ecosystems they rely on. 

Saltmarsh Sparrows nest several inches above the high tide line on Saltmeadow Cordgrass (S. patens). Nesting in the high marsh provides protection from predators, but if the high marsh isn't actually high enough, then the nests -and chicks - can get washed out and drown.

This project addresses lingering impacts of 60+ years of severely restricted tidal flow in the creek that was alleviated by a dam failure during Superstorm Sandy in 2012. While the restored tidal flow has greatly improved ecosystem function of the site, the marsh platform is low in the tidal frame and invasive common reed (Phragmites australis) remains prevalent along the marsh interior. In addition, there has been a drastic conversion of marsh to mudflat since the 1950s.

Ultimately, this project will address these issues and improve resilience to sea level rise by restoring ~70 acres of tidal marsh habitat. Marsh habitat will be restored using a suite of techniques including elevation enhancement (Phase 1), hydrological repair (Phase 2), and invasive species control (Phase 3).

Audubon is working with Anchor QEA and partners New York State Parks, Recreation & Historic Preservation, Save the Sound, and the New York Natural Heritage Program to complete final designs (expected December 31, 2025) and will begin permitting process in early 2026.

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About Audubon

The National Audubon Society is a leading nonprofit conservation organization with 120 years of science-based, community-driven impact, dedicated to protecting birds and the places they need, today and tomorrow. Birds are powerful indicators of our planet’s health, acting as sentinels that warn us of environmental change and inspire action. Audubon works across the Western Hemisphere, driven by the understanding that what is good for birds is good for the planet. Through a collaborative, bipartisan approach across habitats, borders, and the political spectrum, Audubon drives meaningful and lasting conservation outcomes. With 800 staff and over 1.9 million supporters, Audubon is a dynamic and ever-growing force committed to ensuring a better planet for both birds and people for generations to come.