New London Maritime Society Places Bid on Little Gull Island in Eastern Long Island Sound

Today, the New London Maritime Society placed a $100,000 bid with the U.S. General Services Administration to buy Little Gull Island. Save the Sound, a program of Connecticut Fund for the Environment, worked with the New London Maritime Society over the past several weeks to secure funding for the bid from several organizations including the Quebec-Labrador Foundation, New London Community Foundation, and several other anonymous donors.

Little Gull Island is approximately one-acre and is located approximately seven nautical miles from New York in the eastern part of Long Island Sound and western end of the Race. Little Gull Island is one of three islands that make up a Long Island Sound Stewardship Site as recognized by the Long Island Sound Study. Additionally, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service recognize Little Gull Island as a significant coastal habitat due to its proximity to the local habitat that federally endangered roseate terns and federally threatened piping plovers call home on Great Gull and Plum Islands.

In addition to the important wildlife habitat, Little Gull Island is home to a historic lighthouse, established in 1806, that also deserves preservation. Despite the importance of the island, the U.S. government is going to auction off the island in the next few days. If today's bid is accepted, the New London Maritime Society will manage the preservation of the lighthouse and will work with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service to potentially manage the wildlife property.

The New London Maritime Society has set up an online fundraising campaign for others interested in donating to the bid for Little Gull Island. Contributions can be made online here or directly to the New London Maritime Society or Save the Sound. The public auction closes on Wednesday, but bidding among registered bidders may then continue for several more days.

The New London Maritime Society's mission is to preserve and promote the maritime history of the City of New London, it's people, its port, the Thames River, and Long Island Sound; and to maintain and preserve two building that embody this maritime heritage: the New London Custom House and New London Harbor Light--the oldest and tallest lighthouse on Long Island Sound, which it 'adopted' in 2010. From the Harbor Light, located just a few miles from the Society's Custom House Museum, one can see Little Gull lighthouse, Race Rock and Ledge Lights. With ownership of New London Harbor Light, our partnership with the Ledge Light Foundation, and the acquisition of Race Rock and Little Gull, the New London Maritime Society will secure a strong, local stewardship for the beacons leading to New London.

To post a comment, you must register and login.