Gateway National Recreation Area completes fuels treatment to protect hundreds of homes

Mowing vegetation near 165th Avenue in Queens, NY creates a fuel break for a nearby neighborhood. NPS/M GRISMER

In February 2022, Gateway National Recreation Area completed a hazard fuels reduction project in Queens, NY. The project, around a large, densely populated neighborhood near Jamaica Bay, involved mechanical treatment to establish both a fuel break and defensible space that would provide an anchor should a wildfire ignite. Spring Creek, the NPS-managed property, has a very deep fire/public safety history. The site includes filled/reclaimed land composed of dredged material, waste fill materials, ash, and sludge deposited at various times between the early 1900s and 1960s, when the site was owned and operated by the City of New York as a waste disposal area. Both chemical and radiological contaminants have been found at this site. NPS initiated response action in 2017 under the authority of the Comprehensive Environmental, Response, Compensation and Liability Act (CERCLA, commonly known as the Superfund Act).

Map of Gateway National Recreation Area with nearby neighborhoods with overlay of number of wildfires since 2010 and area treated with mastication in 2022. NPS/J SHEDD

Fire behavior in the Spring Creek fuels is intense, with flame lengths often exceeding 100 feet and very rapid rates of spread. The area usually sees at least one 30-50-acre fire per year.

Map of Gateway National Recreation Area overlaid with recent wildfire perimeters and measurement of distance from treatment area to John F Kennedy Airport runways. NPS/J SHEDD

Project lead Mike Grismer noted that the result of the project is a very large fire break that will help protect hundreds of homes, while giving the New York City Fire Department (FDNY) a solid tactical feature to begin suppression or defend values at risk from wildfire. The added visibility provided by the clearing also contributes to the park’s physical security goals. “Our project had a big effect on making the neighborhood feel like NPS was actively managing an area that is very sensitive and mitigating the issue is very important to them.”

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