Fire Island National Seashore (FIIS) is a 32 mile-long barrier island on the Southshore of Long Island. Twenty-one miles of the island are managed by the National Parks Service. It is separated from Long Island by the Great South Bay. The park land includes Otis Pike Fire Island High Dune Wilderness Area (OPW), a seven-mile stretch located on the eastern half of the Seashore that is the only federally designated wilderness area in New York State, and one of a few in the US. OPW encompasses a total of 1,365 acres of various habitats including: low and high salt marsh, northern dune shrubland, northern beach grass dune, pitch pine dune woodland, maritime deciduous scrub forest, highbush blueberry shrub forest, beach heath dune, northern salt shrub vegetation, reedgrass marsh, and brackish meadow. OPW is bisected by a small seasonal village called Bellport beach, which contains a dock and a restroom.
In 1908 the site of the Surf Hotel to the east of the Fire Island Lighthouse was designated as Fire Island State Park, making it the first state park on Long Island. This site was later re-named Robert Moses State park. Throughout the early and mid 1900s, visitors began building homes and communities along the barrier island, which some of which today are Cherry Grove, Kismet, Fire Island Pines, Ocean Beach, and Saltaire.
To ease access to the island, in 1954 the Robert Moses Causway was built along the western end. However with this increased traffic, there became a greater concern for the conservation of the island’s natural communities. Thus, the Fire Island National Seashore (FIIS) was established as a unit of the National Park Service (NPS) on September 11, 1964, as authorized by United States Congress (Public Law 88-587).
Within OPW, the extensive salt marsh and reedgrass marsh networks were historically ditched for mosquito abatement that was maintained from the 1930’s to about 1964. These mosquito ditches still have a strong presence in the marshes and are clearly visible in recently documented aerial photographs.
Size: 1,365 acres
Relatively free of invasive species compared to its size
With intense salt spray and historically less development compared to the rest of Long Island, the opportunity for invasive species introduction is lower. During initial surveys in 2008, only 7 exotic species were found within the OPW, maintaining its natural character.
Populations of rare and endangered species:
- State and Federally endangered: the piping plover (Charadrius melodus) and the roseate tern (Sterna dougallii), Eastern Mud Turtle (Kinosternon subrubrum), seabeach amaranth (Amaranthus pumilus),
- State Threatened: the least tern (Sternula antillarum) and the common tern (Sterna hirundo), Eastern Mud Turtle
- Species of special concern: black skimmer (Rynchops niger) and the osprey (Pandion haliaetus), bald eagle (Haliaeetus leucocephalus), Spotted Turtle (Clemmys guttata), Eastern Box Turtle (Terrapene carolina carolina), Eastern Hog-nosed Snake (Heterodon platirhinos), Southern Leopard Frog (Lithobates sphenocephalus)
- Rare species: seabeach knotweed (Polygonum glaucum)
Monitoring for early detection of asiatic sand sedge (Carex kobomugi) as it has been found on the western barrier islands of Long Beach and Jones Beach. Saltcedar (Tamarix ramosissima) is a tier 2 species that has been found on Fire Island and requires ongoing monitoring and treatment.
Species found within the buffer of the ISPZ, require monitoring for early detection and rapid response:
Asiatic Sand Sedge (Carex kobomugi)
Species recently found within the park that require rapid response:
Jimsonweed (Datura stramonium)
Saltcedar (Tamarix ramosissima)
Invasive species that are established within the park, requiring containment and removal in highest quality areas:
Tree-of-heaven (Ailanthus altissima)
Mugwort (Artemisia vulgaris var. vulgaris)
Green Crab (Carcinus maenas)
Milk thistle (Carduus nutans)
Oriental Bittersweet (Celastrus orbiculatus)
Spotted Knapweed (Centaurea biebersteinii)
Canada Thistle (Cirsium arvense)
Crown vetch (Coronilla varia)
Cygnus olor (Mute Swan)
Russian Olive (Elaeagnus angustifolia)
Burning Bush (Euonymus alatus)
Japanese Knotweed (Fallopia japonica var. japonica)
Asian Shore Crab (Hemigrapsus sanguineus)
Dasy; Red Alga (Heterosiphonia japonica)
Japanese Honeysuckle (Lonicera japonica)
Chinese Silvergrass (Miscanthus sinensis)
Mile-a-minute (Persicaria perfoliata)
Common reed grass (Phragmites australis ssp. australis)
Bamboo (Phyllostachys spp.)
Japanese Black Pine (Pinus thunbergiana)
White Poplar (Populus alba)
Black Locust (Robinia pseudoacacia)
Multiflora Rose (Rosa multiflora)
Rugosa Rose (Rosa rugosa)
Common mullein (Verbascum thapsus)
Chinese Wisteria (Wisteria sinensis)
Widespread invasive species found within the park that require greater research on their impact:
Jimson weed (Datura stramonium)
Citations: Schwager, Kathy, Villalba, Fernando (2008). Invasive Species Prevention Zone Plan Otis Pike Fire Island High Dune Wilderness Fire Island National Seashore, NY. Unpublished report. The Nature Conservancy and Fire Island National Seashore.
