With final build-out of Long Island expected before 2025, there remains
a call to action to preserve whatever open space and farmland Long Island wants to save. The Society and other environmental groups have identified some 25,000 acres of open space and 10,000 acres of farmland in need of protection.
Land not preserved soon will be lost forever to development. In addition to the adverse environmental and quality-of-life implications, failure to preserve this important land would undercut Long Island’s number one industry, tourism, worth $4.3 billion.
It would destroy the viability of New York State’s top agriculture-producing
county and have devastating impact on taxes needed for government services if this land were developed.
The Society will work with government at all levels to continue Long Island’s historic commitment to land preservation and will support private efforts at preservation.
Currently, the Pine Barrens Society is pushing for preservation of
the Carmans River in the Town of Brookhaven:
The Long Island
Pine Barrens Society has taken steps to protect the Carmans River, a
10-mile long River that flows from Middle Island into Bellport Bay.
The River's condition is near pristine, and is a true ecological gem
in the heart of the Town of Brookhaven.
Currently, the Town of Brookhaven is drafting a Carmans River
Watershed Protection and Management Plan that will protect roughly
9,100 acres of land within the Carmans River watershed. The Plan
seeks to simultaneously keep development out of areas that will
negatively impact the Carmans River, while redirecting it away from
residential neighborhoods and placing it in areas that are already
developed and that can sustain new growth.
The Long Island
Pine Barrens Society is committed to working with fellow
environmentalists in ensuring that this unique riverine ecosystem is
protected for all future Long Islanders to enjoy.
To find out more about the Carmans River effort, please visit
the Town of Brookhaven's website
here
|
