Office of Borough President James P. Molinaro
Staten Island, New York
B.P. Molinaro and Councilmen Oddo and Ignizio hail new DEC permit conditions for fighting brush fires
Revised Permit Allows Residents to Double Their Firebreaks
STATEN ISLAND, N.Y. – Borough President James P. Molinaro and City Councilmen James Oddo and Vincent Ignizio today hailed the news that the State Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC) has agreed to revise its Staten Island firebreak permit. After several discussions with the agency since last December's South Shore public wetlands fire meeting, DEC has agreed to expand the buffer zone to protect yards and allow residents to use a wider range of motorized equipment to cut back the invasive phragmites bordering their homes.
"This is tremendous news for the residents of Oakwood, Dongan Hills, Ocean Breeze and Midland and South Beach areas," said Molinaro. "The DEC understands the gravity of our situation and has granted our request for new guidelines for firebreak permits processed through my office. The revised language greatly enhances a safety corridor for both firefighters and homeowners, and allows residents to sleep better at night knowing they are further away from the paths of potential fires."
Councilman Oddo said, "We have put a lot of time into finding near term and long range solutions to this problem. This new permit can offer some homeowners immediate help. Those folks should know, however, we are continuing to work towards far reaching and comprehensive answers to this phragmites challenge, including encouraging discussion with the United States National Parks Service, and hope to have even more help for Staten Islanders in the near future"
Councilman Ignizio said, "I am glad DEC finally saw the value of protecting people over plants. The value this agency placed on common variety invasive weeds was astounding, and it's great they changed their policy. People have a right to protect their homes and it's good that the State acknowledged that."
Combined, the Borough President and the two Councilmen held several meetings with DEC Regional Director Suzanne Mattei and her staff to make their case on the issue. Now that the DEC is revising the permit rules, the elected officials are stressing that only residents residing in certain areas designated by the DEC as "high risk" for brush fires are covered by this special permit. Individual permits can be granted as appropriate for other property owners in need of a firebreak.
Highlights of the new language include the following:
- Residents will now be allowed to use light motorized equipment that has a ground pressure of 4 pounds per square inch (4psi) or less, which will make it easier to get the job done. According to the DEC: Portable, handheld, motorized equipment is allowed without restriction to cut phragmites (weed-whackers with plate saw attachments, etc.). Walk-behind and riding motorized equipment is also allowed to be used to cut and bale phragmites, including wide-tracked brush hogs, wide-tracked tractors (also known as "swamp cats" or "marsh masters," among other brand names) equipped with cutter bars and balers, and balloon-tired tractors or trailers equipped with cutters and/or balers, so long as their pressure at the contact points with the ground ("ground pressure") is less than 4 pounds per square inch.
- Revised permit conditions will include the cutting, baling, and removal of stems, leaves and culms of the phragmites
- Residents can now create firebreaks to protect their yards as well as their houses, up to 50 feet from the property line with a maximum width of 100 feet from their homes; the previous width was only 50 feet from the house itself. In essence, the DEC is now allowing homeowners to go further past their property lines to cut more phragmites back to protect their yards.
- Individuals who wish to cut more than this width must contact the DEC. What has not changed is that residents must register with the Staten Island Borough President's Office before cutting or mowing may begin. That office will record the names and addresses of the residents, forward a copy of the permit to the resident, and then forward the names and addresses to the DEC. Residents can call the Borough President's Helpline at 718-816-2003. The permit is valid for the next 20 months, until December 2012. As with the previous permit, the geographic area covered under the agreement includes the two following boundaries:
- Oakwood – from Great Kills Park to Mill Road to Cedar Grove Avenue
- Dongan Hills/Midland and South Beach – Hylan Boulevard to Fr. Capadanno Boulevard and Jefferson Boulevard to Sand Lane
Also, as with the previous permit, the Borough President's Office will facilitate getting permission for entry onto an adjacent owner's property as needed for cutting or mowing.
While not required, DEC is recommending that, wherever the phragmites are cut or mowed down, native wetland grass species be planted. Such a replanting can begin the slow process of reducing the return of mowed down phragmites over the next several years. Residents may also contact DEC directly if they have any questions regarding the provisions of the permit. They may call DEC's Division of Environmental Permits at 718-482-4997.
The Borough President and the Councilmembers are also talking with the Parks Department, the Department of Environmental Protection, and the National Park Service (Gateway National Recreation Area) about maintaining their phragmites firebreaks.
April 14, 2011