1„0 THE PURPOSE OF THIS REPORT 



The purpose of this planning report is to assemble information on 

 the ecosystem of the Long Island Sound (LIS) Region, its fishery, and its wild- 

 life and to recommend measures &>r uses of these resources that will be compat- 

 ible on an environmental, economic, and social basis <, 



To accomplish its purpose, the first half of this 

 planning report -- 



- Examines the LIS ecosystem -- how it functions, 

 its relationship to wetlands, how productive it 

 is, and what limits its productivity. 



- Examines the LIS fishery, both commercial and 

 sport, the demands placed upon it, its present 

 condition and capacity, and limitations on its 

 growth o 



- Examines LIS wildlife, its current status and 

 limitations on its growth, and its importance 

 both in terms of values associated with the 

 aesthetic quality of life and in terms of hunting. 



The second half of the planning report is solution- 

 oriented. It -- 



- Formulates objectives. 



- Identifies alternative measures for achieving 

 the objectives. 



- Evaluates the alternatives environmentally, 

 economically, and socially. 



- Formulates three alternative plans -= stressing 

 environmental quality, national economic effi- 

 ciency, and a composite of each, and 



- Recommends a plan and adjusts it to accommodate 

 multi-purpose considerations and public input. 



1.1 INTRODUCTION 



The fish and wildlife resources in the Long Island Sound region 

 consist of a wide variety of Atlantic faunal and floral species and natural 

 and modified habitats. While we recognize the effects of development in the 



