Brookhaven Town Supervisor Daniel Panico is urging New York State to partner with the town to preserve hundreds of acres of environmentally sensitive Pine Barrens land, saying the municipality cannot protect the area on its own.
In a letter to Gov. Kathy Hochul, Panico requested state assistance to acquire and permanently preserve the remaining portions of an approximately 800-acre wooded tract known as the Pine Ridge Preserve, located between Moriches-Middle Island Road and the Long Island Expressway.
“Earlier this week I sent a letter to Governor Hochul about partnering with New York State to preserve the remainder of this roughly 800 acres of wooded land,” Panico said.
“We at the Town of Brookhaven have successfully preserved 164 of these acres already and know that it would be a fitting use of the Environmental Bond Act monies that voters passed over two years ago.
”The property, identified in the New York State Open Space Conservation Plan, is considered a major conservation target due to its largely undisturbed pine barrens ecosystem.
The land provides habitat for rare species, including the coastal buckmoth, and supports several species ranked by the state as being of significant conservation concern.
Officials say the site also plays a critical role in protecting Long Island’s drinking water supply, recharging an estimated 365 million gallons annually into the aquifer system, enough to meet the daily needs of roughly 8,300 residents.While Brookhaven has already preserved 164 acres and is negotiating to acquire an additional 10-acre parcel, hundreds of acres remain unprotected.
Panico emphasized that state funding and partnership are essential to secure the remaining land.He also proposed naming the preserve in honor of the late Richard “Dick” Amper, longtime leader of the Long Island Pine Barrens Society, calling it a fitting tribute to his environmental legacy.Panico noted the effort has strong support from the Long Island conservation community.