Sandy Pond Beach Unique Area is a New York State conservation area located within the eastern

Lake Ontario Lake Ontario is one of the five Great Lakes of North America. It is bounded on the north, west, and southwest by the Canadian province of Ontario, and on the south and east by the U.S. state of New York. The Canada–United States border sp ...

dunes. It lies at the north end of a spit of land dividing North Sandy Pond from Lake Ontario, and is about north of the developed portion of

Sandy Island Beach State Park Sandy Island Beach State Park is a New York State park on the eastern shore of Lake Ontario. Its highlight is a natural sandy beach. The park is near the southern end of a notable length of sandy shoreline, coastal dunes, and wetlands (the East ...

. There is no road access to the area, which can be most easily reached by boat. For this reason, local residents have long referred to the beach as "Boaters' Beach". It has been managed as part of Sandy Island Beach State Park since 2011.

History

The area was purchased by

The Nature Conservancy The Nature Conservancy (TNC) is a global environmental organization headquartered in Arlington, Virginia. it works via affiliates or branches in 79 countries and territories, as well as across every state in the US. Founded in 1951, The Natu ...

in 1994 from two private owners who were concerned about preservation of the land; the purchase price was about $300,000. The new conservation area was named the Sandy Pond Beach Natural Area. The purchase was followed by a restoration effort involving

beachgrass ''Ammophila'' (synonymous with ''Psamma'' P. Beauv.) is a genus of flowering plants consisting of two or three very similar species of grasses. The common names for these grasses include marram grass, bent grass, and beachgrass. These grasses ar ...

plantings and construction of boardwalks to prevent damage to the beachgrass by foot traffic. The Nature Conservancy properties were purchased by New York State to create the Unique Area, which was managed by the

New York State Department of Environmental Conservation The New York State Department of Environmental Conservation (informally referred to as NYSDEC, DEC, EnCon or NYSENCON) is a department of New York state government. The department guides and regulates the conservation, improvement, and protection ...

as part of the

New York State Forest New York State Forests are administered by the Division of Lands and Forests of the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation (NYSDEC). New York State Forests include reforestation, multiple use, and unique areas; and state nature an ...

system. In 2011, administration and ownership of Sandy Pond Beach Unique Area was transferred to the

New York State Office of Parks, Recreation and Historic Preservation The New York State Office of Parks, Recreation and Historic Preservation (NYS OPRHP) is a state agency within the New York State Executive Department Parks, Recreation and Historic Preservation Law § 3.03. "The office of parks, recreation a ...

to be incorporated into nearby

Habitat and ecological value

There is a bird sanctuary on the northernmost tip of this area that hosts large numbers of shorebirds during migration; the Unique Area is part of the Eastern Lake Ontario Marshes Bird Conservation Area that also includes Deer Creek Marsh, Lakeview, and

Black Pond ''Black Pond'' is a low-budget independent film by young British directors Tom Kingsley and Will Sharpe. The film was nominated for the 2012 BAFTA Outstanding British Debut Award. The film stars Chris Langham in his first acting role since he ...

Wildlife Management Areas. Visitors and pets are not allowed in the bird sanctuary. The Unique Area was designated as part of the "Eastern Lake Ontario Barrier Beach and Wetland Complex" New York Natural Heritage Area in 2007.

References

External links

* * {{authority control New York (state) unique areas New York State Natural Heritage Areas State parks of New York (state) Protected areas of Oswego County, New York