LIPA Vs. Endangered Salamanders On The Pike

By April Gonzales

In a recent interview with Andrew Sabin, President of the board of the South Fork Natural History Museum and Nature Center, another side of the LIPA power line project came to light. Area residents have been highly focused on the height of the additional telephone poles and their visual impact on the landscape. The public discussion, however, has yet to address the environmental impact of the expansion of the substation off of the Bridgehampton Sag Harbor Turnpike. Sabin wants to draw attention to the ponds and wetlands in the area where the new substation will be built. Sensitive habitats in that area may include those of tiger salamanders and fringed orchids.

The proposed expansion of the existing substation will double the present output of 69 kilovolts. The plan will need to be reviewed by the NYS Department of Environmental Conservation according to Aphrodite Montalvo, a DEC spokesperson. To date the agency has not received a permit application, which is necessary if there is to be any construction within 100 feet of a fresh water wetland. LIPA will not be exempt from any state mandate and a permit from the DEC would be necessary if any wetlands and salamander habitat are involved.

An environmental review has to be done to see if the project is suitable for the location. The wildlife division of the DEC would do a survey to see if there are any protected species in the area. AKRF Inc. was hired by LIPA to prepare an environmental impact statement for the site. Ecologists and environmental biologists have visited the area for a preliminary survey, but more investigation is necessary.

So, will it be the substation or the salamanders? Sabin, clearly on the side of the salamanders, has contacted both the DEC and the Town of Southampton in his efforts to protect their natural and historical breeding grounds. In his opinion this is prime salamander territory. "My concern is the salamander and the destruction of virgin habitat," he said, adding, "You ought to join me on one of my salamander walks."

If you've ever encountered one of these delicate creatures while grubbing around in the garden in early spring, you may understand Sabin's devotion. The creatures are adorable and your kids will love them. But leave them where you found them - they are an endangered species.

Sabin's commitment to the safety of the salamander is certainly warranted - not just because they're cute. These amphibians lay their eggs in vernal pools, a seasonal body of water that dries up periodically but is usually wet in late winter or early spring, when the salamanders spawn. If they laid their eggs in the ponds across the street, fish would eat them, so fresh water wetlands are critical to their survival.

Although there are at least 100 known populations of tiger salamanders on Long Island, Jeremy Feinber, a herpetologist who studied them at Brookhaven lab, said they are now limited to central and Eastern Suffolk County - no where else in the state. The salamanders just happen to have survived in a hot spot for real estate development, making them one of the most prominent of New York State's endangered species.

When a random tiger salamander was found in an unusual place, say a basement or crossing a road, Feinbar and his colleagues would plot a direct line from the location to the nearest body of water. It was not unusual to find them 1,000 feet as the crow flies away from a water source.

These protected amphibians are "in the middle of the food chain," Feinbar explained. "They're eaten by birds, raccoons and snakes, and I've seen a bull frog eating the young." In turn, salamanders' young eat waterborne invertebrates like mosquito larvae. They live in burrows often dug by small mammals and spend most of their time underground. On warm wet evenings, any time of year, they come above ground to feed. Tiger salamanders breed between November and April, moving from the forests or upland areas down to the water.

But there's another discovery that sounds like the stuff of a sci-fi flick. "There is possibly a cannibal morph, certain individuals that like to eat their brothers and sisters -rather than eat with their brothers and sisters. These salamanders stay in the water longer and grow distinctly larger." (OK, he said as big as your forearm, but backpedaled a little when I challenged that). Although there is no reason to fear that they will grow to the size of small Komodo dragons, the presence of these tiger salamanders may affect how the substation off of the Bridge/Sag Turnpike evolves.

If the tiger salamander is found, then what? This isn't the first, and certainly won't be the last time that salamanders and development have collided. But does it still need to be a battle? Fortunately, the result has not always been disastrous for either development or the environment. Conservation easements, re-vegetation zones, wetland setbacks, etc., are all local and state regulations that help to protect habitat. And that is in part thanks to white knights like Sabin, who has spent decades fighting for the salamanders, as well as officials in the Town Environmental Planning Department and the DEC who recognize the importance of preserving fresh water wetlands and adjoining open space for migration.

As far as the 100-foot setback from a fresh water wetland, herpetologists think they may need ten times that amount. Good planning is another answer. Recently, the landscape architecture firm EDAW designed an award-winning plan to reconfigure a housing development that allows plenty of space for salamander migrations.

Alex Felsom, EDAW project manager, and Feinberg plotted their range throughout the land parcel in an extensive site survey. The survey determined that the salamanders lived up to 750 feet away from the water. Once Felsom's team determined the salamanders' migratory pattern, they could plot the road layout and housing locations, leaving wide buffer zones for the salamanders to travel through.

EDAW literally designed the new neighborhood around their research findings regarding the salamanders. Their studies led to a win/win situation for the salamanders and the developer, who gained an additional six housing lots by extending the road into a low impact area with quality views over the wooden vernal pools.

Can LIPA top that with their plan for the new substation? Andrew Sabin hopes so.

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