Phragmites at Hither Hills Cranberry Bog Have To Go

The state is planning a project to preserve the cranberry bog at Hither Hills in Montauk.

The New York State Office of Parks, Recreation and Historic Preservation said the project will include the removal of the Common Reed, the Phragmites australis, that is growing within the five-acre bog. "The increasing population of this nonnative, invasive plant threatens the unique bog ecosystem, which has a rich biodiversity and is home to several rare plants," a statement from the department said on Friday. 

This pilot project will start in the fall.

In addition to cutting the Phragmites, one acre of the bog will be treated with Aqua-Pro, a product that binds  with organic matter and will not move through the sand or enter the water column, the department said. 

The public will be kept out of that one-acre area, while the department monitors the effectiveness of the treatments. 

"We want to see if the herbacide helps reduce the Phragmites," George Gorman, the deputy director of the Long Island regional office, said. "If it doesn't, there's no reason to continue it. If we do see a noticeable difference, we are probably going to expand it next year."