WESTBROOK - A last-minute funding cut has left Connecticut wildlife refuges-and the students who rely on them-out in the cold.

In the final Congressional House vote on the Storm Sandy relief bill, funds were approved to help homeowners and municipalities repair storm damages-but at the last minute, an amendment proposed by a Louisiana congressman removed $9.8 million dedicated for Storm Sandy-related repairs in the Stewart B. McKinney National Wildlife Refuge based in Westbrook.

The refuge is comprised of 11 units that are stretched across 70 miles of Connecticut's shoreline; Westbrook houses its headquarters at the Salt Meadow Unit.

After the House vote, Congressman Joe Courtney said, "Given the fact that the proponent of the amendment comes from a state that received $71 million in wildlife restoration funds in the wake of Hurricane Katrina, this amendment is a bitter pill for a state like Connecticut."

If substitute funding cannot be found, the cuts mean that storm debris that now obstructs bird nesting areas will not be removed, that docks damaged in the storm cannot be fixed, and shorelines eroded in Storm Sandy cannot be stabilized.

Damages from Storm Sandy were sustained at all of the refuge's islands. Shorelines were eroded, leaving all island shores needing stabilization. Docking facilities, safety railings, and island structures were badly damaged. Pathways that students and other refuge island visitors long used could no longer provide safe passage.

"The seawall at Outer Island was destroyed and the pier and docking system were damaged. A lot of storm debris still remains. It's a mess," said Andrew French, project manager for the Stewart B. McKinney National Wildlife Refuge and the Silvio Conte wildlife preserve.

The engineering estimate just to repair the storm damage at five-acre Outer Island is $2 million. French explained that repairs to refuge islands are more expensive than if the same repairs were done on the mainland.

French also stressed the importance of making the needed repairs and doing the shore stabilization work quickly.

"There aren't a lot of other options [in the area] for wildlife for nesting and resting. For migratory birds, every season is important. We need to make sure there are not breaks in their productivity, which can lead to a downward trend in their population," said French.

Educational Impact

In addition to the effects on the wildlife, students and other visitors to the islands will also be impacted. Last summer, nearly 1,000 visitors came to Branford's Outer Island to explore the inter-tidal zone, walk along its rocky paths, observe birds, and learn about Long Island Sound. That will not happen this summer.

"If the Fish and Wildlife Service can't make these needed repairs, we may not be able to schedule school trips to Outer Island this summer," said Professor Vincent Breslin of Southern Connecticut State University's Department of Science, Education, and Environmental Studies. "We're right now scheduling trips for June for school groups. But we're telling them that access may depend on whether repairs can be made in time."

In a partnership with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Breslin and the Connecticut State University system provide free educational programs on the refuge's Outer Island for student and community groups. Most arrive as paid passengers on a Thimble Island ferryboat, but, with a damaged docking facility, these boat trips are in jeopardy.

The costs to do storm-related repairs and shore stabilization is substantial: at Faulkner Island, $1.7 million is needed; at Sheffield Island, $2.5 million; at Chimon Island in Norwalk, $1.8 million; at Goose Island, $875,000; at Menunketesuck Island in Westbrook, $250,000. Some repairs are also needed at the McKinney refuge headquarters facility in Westbrook, which will cost $2,000.

Westbrook Conservation Commission Chair Tom ODell said Storm Sandy damaged shores and banks of state-owned Duck Island and town-owned Salt Island; both need shore stabilization work. And ODell noted that town residents should be concerned because it is the offshore islands that help protect the town's harbor.

"The offshore island help protect the town's harbor from storm surge. There's a tremendous amount of erosion to the islands' banks," said ODell. "The erosion also is impacting the nesting areas for shore birds," said ODell.

The Storm Sandy relief bill that the U.S. House of Representatives passed was at press time awaiting action by the U.S. Senate.