Salt marsh on road to recovery
Chafee, restoration team credited with Galilee project's success
By ELIZABETH ABBOTT
Journal Staff Writer
NARRAGANSETT -- In two years since its restoration, the Galilee Salt Marsh has made a fantastic comeback; the black duck has returned -- a sure sign of the habitat's invigorated health. So have the clapper rail and other birds, which haven't been seen in Galilee in years.
``We've seen a whole number of species come back,'' said Brian Tefft, a biologist with the state's Department of Environmental Management.
Yesterday was a celebration of the restoration of the marsh, a $2.6-million project undertaken five years ago by an array of governmental agencies and private environmental groups. At a ceremony at the University of Rhode Island's Coastal Resources Institute, the Galilee Salt Marsh restoration team received a national award and kudos from Vice President Al Gore.
``Within a year, salt marsh and estuarine habitat was restored on this 130-acre site,'' Gore wrote in a letter that was read during the ceremony.
But there was one man honored above the rest, someone who made projects like the marsh restoration his lifetime work: the late Sen. John H. Chafee.
The chairman of Coastal America, a group that espouses a collaborative approach to solving environmental problems, announced the creation of the John H. Chafee Coastal Stewardship Award.
``Over the course of many years, Senator Chafee's commitment to the environment and his contributions have been cited time and again, and this award will honor him and others distinguishing themselves in his great tradition,'' Joseph Westphal said.
Accepting the award on the late senator's behalf was his son, Sen. Lincoln D. Chafee, who was appointed by the governor to succeed his father last week.
``The Galilee project is a wonderful example of teamwork and cooperation, and I know my father applauded this effort for that reason as well as its important environmental benefits,'' Chafee told a crowd of about 50 people who attended the morning ceremony.
``Through the restoration of a vibrant salt marsh -- and all the plants and shellfish and fish and wildlife that depend on such habitat -- this project demonstrates the success of many of the laws that my father helped establish,'' Chafee said.
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