We’re not quite two months into 2026, and so it seems to be as good a time as any to look ahead at the ten months to come. As the Island thaws, and things start to happen, we have a lot to look forward to in 2026!
The Best of the Rest
We at the Society are very optimistic about several “The Best of the Rest” properties, and are excited by the prospect of seeing them permanently preserved by the end of the year.
A 65-acre parcel on Fresh Pond Avenue, in Calverton, was permanently preserved in 2025. Its 100-acre counterpart across the road also made some welcome progress. Suffolk County received a sizable grant from New York State to purchase that land, and is now in the midst of negotiations to do just that. Looking ahead to 2026, it is possible, perhaps even likely, that the negotiations to purchase this land will be completed. While negotiations of this sort can take time, we are eager to see this land preserved, as it will greater secure the ecological and hydrological integrity of the region.
Similarly, the long-awaited preservation of the Shoreham Forest may soon be at hand. Negotiations have proceeded so that the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation might finally be able to purchase and preserve these 850 acres by the end of 2026. Such a vast assemblage would provide immense security for the underlying aquifer system, as well as provide plenty of habitat for a wide range of species, as the property includes both upland Pine Barrens forest and extensive saltmarsh.
Unfortunately, not all is sunshine and rainbows when it comes to “The Best of the Rest” in 2026. The Town of Riverhead has approved a temporary use of the EPCAL property which could prove detrimental to the underlying aquifer. They have approved the use of the property’s runways and gravel roads as a parking lot for this June’s US Open. While the asphalt runways are effectively impenetrable, the gravel roads are much less so. Parking an excess of vehicles on this gravel will cause contaminants to seep down into the aquifer, introducing them to the water supply. This poses a risk to long-term public health, as well as the economics of the water supply (since a more heavily contaminated aquifer means there is more purification needed when the water is pumped up). We at the LIPBS are of course opposed to this use of the property, one of the most extensive grassland complexes in the Pine Barrens. If you agree with us that this is a misuse of land, and would like to see our aquifer protected, you can kindly inform the Town Supervisor and Town Board of your displeasure by following this link: https://www.townofriverheadny.gov/27/Government
Old Work Bears Fruit
Way back in the distant year of 2024, we at the Society advocated for the passage of Proposition 2. This measure, which passed with more than 70% approval, created a Water Quality Restoration Fund sales tax beginning in 2025. That tax, totaling about an eighth of a penny, exists solely to generate revenue to be used in water quality projects, such as sewers and septic systems. Over the course of 2025, the tax raised $42.5 million, an impressive total that fell only a bit short of early projections. If the original intent of the County holds true, those funds should be available for projects sometime this year. Regardless, we’re excited to continue following the progress of this program as it continues to generate funds for projects that will further secure our aquifer and Long Island’s crucial watersheds.
Other Programs
Looking even further ahead in the year, the Pine Barrens Society is once again excited to offer its “Middle School Kids Go To College” and “Inspiring Youth to Protect Their Environment” programs, with the support of the National Grid Foundation and the Unitarian Universalists Fund, respectively. These programs bring pertinent issues related to water quality, solid waste disposal, and activism into the classroom. Students also get to visit a local Pine Barrens preserve, and Stony Brook University, where they will be treated to a lecture by distinguished professor Dr. Christopher Gobler. This year, our educational programs will expand to more fully include the Climate Action Club at Oregon Middle School, in the Patchogue-Medford School District, and will for the first time be including students from the Longwood School District.
After our school programs wrap up in June, we’ll be turning our attention to the Robin Hopkins Amper Environmental Scholarship, which will continue to award a promising young environmentalist as they move onto their collegiate education. And, as always, our year will end with our anniversary gala. This year’s 49th Anniversary Gala’s theme will be…well, why reveal that so soon? We’ve still got a long way to go before we get to the gala, and there’s sure to be lots more to talk about as the year goes on. For updates on everything related to the Long Island Pine Barrens, please stay tuned to our social media pages and our website.
By Travis Cutter, Long Island Pine Barrens Society
