Spring

Vol. 19, No. 1
Newsletter of the Long Island Pine Barrens Society
Spring 2001
Dedicated to the Preservation and Understanding of Long Island's Pitch Pine / Scrub Oak Woodlands
ENOUGH IS ENOUGH!
Society Attacks Over-Development
Launches New Preservation Initiative
The Long Island Pine Barrens
Society has announced a major new
campaign against over-development
called “ Enough is enough!” The project, the Society’s largest environmental
effort since the Pine Barrens
Preservation Initiative, which led to the
creation of the 55,000 acre Pine Barrens
Preserve, focuses on land acquisition
priorities across Long Island, especially
on the East End.
The initiative involves public education and advocacy about the problem
of over-development on Long Island. It
features hard-hitting print, radio and
television ads: the release of Top Ten
lists of the most important parcels of
land that must be preserved through
public acquisition of the properties-- by
town and region: efforts to streamline
the preservation process and stepped up
litigation to prevent the approval of
environmentally threatening development proposals.
Three years ago, Long Island planners projected final build-out of Long
Island for the year 2012. At that point,
all remaining open space on Long
Island will have been committed for
preservation or development. The
recent building boom has caused many
to move that date dramatically forward,
so land use decisions in the immediate
future will determine how much is
saved and how much is lost.
A key component of the campaign
is to identify and scrutinize proposed
development projects in every Long
Island town -- especially those in statedesignated Special Groundwater
Protection Areas and in locally-designated Critical Environmental Areas.
Volunteers have begun to evaluate
applications for new development to
ANNOUNCES NEW INITIATIVE: Society
Executive Director, Richard Amper, describes
"Enough is enough!" campaign to environmental and civic leaders, April 20. Photo by Ted
Curry.
INSIDE
consider their impacts on drinking water
and habitat protection, given the limited
and diminishing open space left on
Long Island. Next, a coalition of more
than 100 environmental and civic
groups are being encouraged to press
government at every level to spend
money already set aside by the public
for open space preservation, to complete
the purchase of the most environmentally-sensitive land. Then, efforts will
focus on making preservation programs
more efficient by clearing bottle necks
in the land acquisition process at the
state, county and local level. Finally,
the Society will expand its legal efforts
to block approvals of proposed development projects located in water-recharge
areas.
Pine Barrens Society Executive
Director, Richard Amper, explained,
“We need to set priorities for preservation and an expeditious timetable to
complete the task before development
overwhelms the last remaining open
space on Long Island at enormous cost
to the economy, environment and quality-of-life of the place we call home.”
The new effort was launched on
Earth Day Weekend by scores of environmental and civic leaders from across
the Island carrying signs and wearing
badges depicting bulldozers stalled at a
forest and declaring
“Enough is
enough!” T.V. public service announcements began at the same time on News
12 and other programming, to carry the
message to every Long Islander that
over-development is the number one
threat to the environment, economy and
quality-of-life on Long Island. The
kick-off was attended by more than
Budget Cuts Threaten BNL Clean Up. . . . . . 2
The Thicket. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .3
Albany Preservation Intervention. . . . . . . . . .6
“Green” Election Drive. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .7
Schumer to be Honored. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7 (continued on page 6)
1
Budget Cuts Threaten BNL Clean-Up
Expedited clean-up of Brookhaven
National Laboratory would be stopped by
significant budget cuts at the U.S.
Department of Energy, ordered by
President George W. Bush. The April
announcement stunned a large coalition of
environmental, civic and business leaders
who recently won a hard-fought battle to
remediate contamination of soil and water
at the sprawling, 5000-acre facility in the
Central Pine Barrens.
The proposed budget cuts would
slash 16.5 percent from the clean-up budget -- from $30.8 million to $25.7. The
accelerated clean-up, slated to be completed in 2004, instead of 2006, anticipated $34 million, this year. The more rapid
timetable would save taxpayers $16 million.
"This budget cut makes no more economic sense than environmental," said
PBS Executive Director Richard Amper
who heads the 36-member Community
Advisory Council's Expedited Clean-up
Subcommittee. "We hope this indiscriminate reduction can be reversed -- surely
the President does not intend to increase
the cost of clean-up even as it is delayed."
He and other CAC members and Long
Island leaders promised an appeal to the
D.O.E., the Long Island Congressional
Delegation and to the White House.
President George
W. Bush has proposed cuts to the
Brookhaven
National Labs
Clean-Up Budget
by 16.5%, or $5.1
million dollars.
Court Blocks Building on Pine Barrens
Reverses Commission’s Approval of Arenas in Manorville
A State Supreme Court Justice has overturned an approval by the New York
State Pine Barrens Commission to permit construction of two equestrian arenas in the
Core Preservation Area of the Long Island Pine Barrens. In a March 23 Decision, Judge
Edward Burke concluded that the approval was "arbitrary and capricious," and that the
proposed construction is "inconsistent with the purposes of the (Pine Barrens Protection)
Act."
The lawsuits were brought last June by the Long Island Pine Barrens Society.
Over the Society's objections, the State Pine Barrens Commission approved construction of a 20,000 square foot and a 16,000 square foot riding arena in the Core
Preservation Area of the Pine Barrens in Manorville, where development is prohibited.
The Pine Barrens sit atop Long Island's purest underground drinking water supply and
boast the greatest diversity of plants and animals anywhere in New York State. The
Commission declared the projects to be permitted "recreation" and "non-development,"
under the 1993 state law that protects the Pine Barrens.
The Society said in its court papers, "The Pine Barrens Act permits recreation
but prohibits development in the Core Preservation Area of the Pine Barrens. Riding
horses constitutes recreation. The construction of an athletic facility constitutes development. Riding horses is permitted under the statute; developing buildings isn't." The
Supreme Court agreed.
This is the third consecutive legal victory by the Pine Barrens Society over the
Pine Barrens Commission which is comprised of the Supervisors of Brookhaven
Riverhead and Southampton, the Suffolk County Executive and a representative of the
2
Governor -- currently Ray Cowan,
Regional Director of the New York State
Dept. of Environmental Conservation.
Pine Barrens Society Executive Director
Richard Amper said, "It shouldn't take a
non-profit environmental charity to
force our public officials to protect the
Pine Barrens. When they approve development in the "no build" zone, they're
not just acting irresponsibly; they're
breaking the law."
Pending legal action includes
challenges to Islip's sale of town-owned
land for development in Brentwood,
Riverhead's approval of a mega-golf
resort on the globally rare Grandifolia
Sandhills and Southampton and East
Hampton's continued approvals of
development projects in the South Fork
Pine Barrens without considering cumulative impacts to drinking water and
habitat. All are pending in the Appellate
Division of State Supreme Court.
Amper
concluded,
"The
Society's legal strategy has proven very
successful. It is based on the simply theory that when government breaks environmental law, citizens must sue.
Thanks to the Society's counsel, Regina
Seltzer, we've done a very good job."
THE THICKET
A Natural Gift
by Marsha Hamilton
Ms. Hamilton is Guest Curator at the
Suffolk County Historical Society in Riverhead.
The pine barrens has long played an important role in the
development of Long Island. From the end of the last ice age to
the present, human societies have shaped and been shaped by this
globally-unique ecosystem. Thus as the pine barrens changed in
response to human activities, people's perception of the forest
also changed.
Native Americans arrived on Long Island about 10,000 years
ago and encountered a forest that contained a mix of hardwood,
pine, and oak trees. They extracted resources from the region,
such as wood for fires and wild fruits and berries, but probably
did not significantly alter the pine barrens until about 3,000 years
ago. At this time, the Indians probably began to use fire to clear
the forest for their agricultural fields. The practice of clearing
forests with fire may have extended the range of the pine barrens,
since pitch pine and scrub oak tend to move into disturbed areas
more quickly than do hardwood trees.
European settlers of the seventeenth century also altered the
composition of the pine barrens. They eagerly exploited the land,
cutting trees for firewood and building material, and clearing the
land for agricultural fields. A glance through the town records
leaves the impression that residents saw no need to conserve forest resources. These settlers saw the pine barrens as useful and
desirable land.
These activities had changed the landscape by the middle of
the eighteenth century, when Dr. Alexander Hamilton, a physician from Maryland, wrote the earliest known description of the
pine barrens. Hamilton viewed the area around Middle Island as
"very barren and waste land," where there was "nothing but oak
bushes two feet high, and thinly scattered over the plain were several old naked pines at about two or three hundred feet distance
from one another." The pine barrens emerge as lonely, desolate,
and almost haunting. Thus the first major change in the percep-
BARREN AND WASTE LAND: The building was located at the
LIRR Experimental Farm # 2, in Medford. The LIRR established this farm in an effort to prove that Long Island’s soils
were fertile and to promote the use of the LIRR to move produce from the farms to the markets. Photo courtesy of the
Suffolk County Historical Society.
Fires in the Long Island Woods, From the Collection of the
New-York Historical Society
tion of the pine barrens had occurred. It had shifted from the perspective of the Native Americans and early settlers who valued
the land for what it could provide to that of farmers who saw the
land as "barren" because it did not produce agricultural crops.
Several nineteenth-century developments reinforced this
view of "barren and waste land." The cutting of cordwood for
local uses and for export was a major part of the local economy.
By the 1820s, the timber had become more important than the
land itself; local residents began to purchase only the right to cut
wood on certain properties. In addition, the Long Island railroad
changed the composition of the pine barrens, which affected the
perception of the land. Fires caused by locomotives destroyed
vast tracts of standing timber, encouraging the growth of pitch
pine and scrub oak and adding to the "scrubby" look of the land.
At the same time, however, a few local men began to promote the pine barrens for agriculture. In the 1840s, Dr. Edgar F.
Peck of Smithtown attempted to develop a settlement of small
farms south of Lake Ronkonkoma to supply New York City with
fresh vegetables and dairy products. Many developers after Peck
also tried to influence local residents' ideas about the pine barrens. Most notable were the experimental farms owned by the
Long Island railroad and operated by Hal and Edith Fullerton.
Little came of these efforts, and many parts of the pine barrens
remained relatively untouched until the middle of the twentieth
century.
As public awareness about environmental issues rose in the
1960s and 1970s, another shift in the perception of the pine barrens occurred. The region came to represent an important piece of
"old" Long Island that was quickly disappearing, while scientists
studying the area recognized the fragility and rarity of this
ecosystem. This awareness produced the Long Island Pine
Barrens Protection Act, which created the third largest forest preserve in New York State in 1993.
At the turn of a new century, the pine barrens once again has
become a prized resource for Long Islanders. The value lies not
in the products extracted from it, but in the quality of life it provides. It is a recreational wonderland, a scientific treasure, and an
important catch basin for the aquifers. By supporting the preservation of this remarkable ecosystem, Long Islanders have recognized that human society still depends on the natural world.
3
EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR
RICHARD AMPER
OVER-DEVELOPMENT: Enough is enough!
arth Day on Long Island is less a celebration than a
wake-up call. Our Number One environmental
problem on Long Island is over-development and it's
destroying our environment, our economy and our whole
quality-of-life.
E
paign to Long Islanders warning of the dangers of more
over-development, the identification of land that must be
preserved and the streamlining of the process of acquiring environmentally-critical open space and farmland.
Make no mistake about it, pubBuilding construction introlic support for drinking water protection and open space preservation
duces contaminants into our
is widespread. Long Islanders have
underground drinking water supplies. Long Island's is the first "If we don't purchase it now, already put up more money to preserve land than 45 of the 50 states federally-designated Sole Source
- more than $300 million. And,
Aquifer. That means it is not feathere's another $600 million comit's
simply
not
going
to
be
sible to obtain drinking water
mitted from the state, Suffolk
from any other place than below
County and eight Long Island
there to buy in the future."
ground. More than 100 drinking
towns. Alas, development is outwater wells have already been
pacing preservation and governpolluted. In some places, salt
ment is falling behind the chalwater intrusion is being experilenge.
enced as a result of over-pumping. We must preserve the land above our remaining pure
Fortunately, there is a solution. Despite the influence
sources as we began in the mid-90's in the Pine Barrens.
of the development special interests, the public interest
Development-generated automobile use has made this
can still be served. The Pine Barrens Preservation Plan
which has set aside 55,000 acres for permanent preserregion's air quality, the second worst in the nation. And
vation and permitted 47,000 less-sensitive acres to be
now, demand for electricity threatens California-like
developed within the Central Suffolk Pine Barrens, has
black outs or else increased generating capacity
become a national model for balancing preservation
.
with development. Before our dwindling open space
In addition, the cost of providing government services
falls to the bulldozers’plows, we must do something like
which result from residential development has sent our
it, again.
taxes soaring to more than twice the national average. It
costs $1.29 to pay for schools, road repair, social services
Our new initiative identifies the Top Ten priorities
etc for every new tax dollar generated by residential
for land acquisition in Nassau, western Suffolk, in
building. Areas that are highly-developed have high
Brookhaven and on the East End. Yes, upzoning, clustaxes; rural areas have lower taxes. The reason: Deer
tering, purchase or transfer of development rights and
don't go to school.
conservation easements could help, but experience
shows that more than 90 percent of land that gets saved
Long Island used to be the favored location for reis preserved the old fashioned way -- we buy it. And if
location because of its great natural amenities -- its beachwe don't purchase it now, it's simply not going to be
es, bays and woodlands. Now, population expectations
there to buy in the future.
have proven wrong as congestion, high taxes and suburban sprawl have undercut our quality-of-life. We've all
Land preservation on Long Island is a great social
seen it.
contract. The people who live, work and raise families
here, earmark real estate or sales tax money for drinking
The development-at-any-cost crowd has been paving
water protection and open space preservation. Then,
us over from west-to-east at enormous social expense.
government pays it to owners of private property which
Now, planners project final build-out of Long Island
must be preserved for the public good. Long Islanders
before this decade is out, after which there will be no
have been all too willing to do their part. Now, governchoices at all about how much of Long Island's landscape
ment must move quickly to finish the job.
is paved and how much preserved.
That's why the Long Island Pine Barrens Society and
scores of environmental and civic organizations have
launched a new preservation initiative. It's called,
"Enough is enough!" It is comprised of a media cam4
Preservation of the Long Island Pine Barrens proves
that we know how to do it. We must do it now, or
explain to our grandchildren why we didn't.
PINE BARRENS SOCIETY PRESIDENT
RICHARD LUPPI
A Setback at Brookhaven Lab
a savings of $16-$18 million to taxpayers. A win,
et's begin with the bad news. Just when we were
win situation for all Long Islanders.
about to celebrate a hard-won effort to fasttrack the radioactive leak cleanup at
Not so fast, buddy. Bush's proposed budget calls
Brookhaven National Laboratory, we have learned
for cutting $5.1 million (16.5 percent) from funds
that it could be undone by significant cuts under
earmarked for the clean up this
President George W. Bush's
year. Lab officials, community
budget. This action has infuriatactivists, and environmentalists
ed environmental and business
who had campaigned hard for a
leaders alike who share a legiti“The
health
of
the
entire
speedier cleanup had expected
mate fear that contamination
almost $34 million for the next
will spread further into Long
fiscal year, aimed at finishing the
Island's aquifer and endanger
Peconic Bay ecosystem was,
work by 2004 instead of 2006.
our sole source of drinking
The heavy cleanup work has just
water.
and still is, at risk.”
started, including hauling away
contaminated soil and getting rid
The environmental contamiof parts of the contaminated
nation at the Brookhaven
reactor.
National Laboratory has a long,
well documented history. The Lab sits in the New
The good news is that Sen. Charles Schumer,
York State Pine Barrens Preserve, which in turn sits
who helped deliver more cleanup money last year,
on top of the greatest quantities of pure drinking
believes that BNL will receive more funding in
water that remain on Long Island. In the 1970s, the
congressional budget negotiations. He recently statLab was designated as a Superfund site. Radioactive
ed his intention to form alliances with other labs
waste and other chemicals were contaminating the
that were similarly cut. However, BNL has unique
soil and the groundwater and endangering the
circumstances which justify quicker cleanup. Not
Peconic River, whose headwaters begin at the Lab.
many D.O.E. facilities sit in a federally designated
The health of the entire Peconic Bay ecosystem was,
Sole Source Aquifer, and a state designated Special
and still is, at risk.
Groundwater Protection Area. And not all sites
have pollution migrating from the facility and
agreement on cleanup procedures from all government regulatory agencies - as BNL does. We need
more good news. We need for the funds to be
returned to the cleanup process so that we Long
Islanders can be assured that our sole source aquifer
and our drinking water will be protected from
nuclear waste now and for generations to come.
The U.S. Department of Energy slated the lab for
LONG ISLAND
a six-year cleanup effort. A community group, The
Community Advisory Council to Brookhaven
PINE BARRENS
National Laboratory (CAC), was formed to advise
SOCIETY
and collaborate with the Lab. It was comprised of a
Officers
Board of Directors
diverse group of business, environmental, public
Richard Luppi, President
Robert McGrath
health and community leaders. The CAC created a
Alan Singer, Vice-President
Maureen Michaels
subcommittee to study the problem of contamination
Nina Leonhardt, Secretary
Adriana Niazi
and the cleanup plan. The chair of the subcommittee
Vincent Scandole, Treasurer
John Turner
was the Society's Dick Amper. After studying the
Executive Director
Richard Amper
problem, the subcommittee determined that the
Editor
Lauren Storms
cleanup could be accelerated.
“We mean business about the environment”
L
Within months, with the Pine Barrens Society
playing a major role in its promotion, the plan was
embraced by The Department of Energy. The end
result was to be a successful accelerated cleanup and
A copy of the last annual report filed with the Department of Law may
be obtained by writing the Department at Office Tower, Empire State
Plaza, Albany, NY 12242 or may be obtained directly from the Long Island Pine Barrens Society, Box 429, Manorville, New York 119499801.
5
State Legislature Intervenes
in Suffolk Preservation Issue
The New York State Legislature has intervened in a
controversial policy decision by Suffolk County officials
concerning land purchases under the county's Drinking
Water Protection Program.
In 1987 and 1988, Suffolk voters, by identical 84%
majorities at referendum, approved the Suffolk County
Drinking Water Protection Program -- by far the most successful land acquisition program in Long Island history.
This fund, created through the use of a quarter-cent in
sales tax, was twice raided to plug holes in the county budget until the loophole was closed in 1996 as a result of a
citizens referendum. The petition drive represented the
only time in New York State history that a referendum was
placed on a county-wide ballot by citizen initiative.
The quarter-cent program was extended by referendum in 1999. There was no mention in the referendum that
the program would be changed to "pay as you go" status.
The Drinking Water Protection Program depended on
timely purchases and envisioned borrowing against anticipated revenues.
An explicit effort to make the program "pay as you go"
-- that is to spend revenues only as they are collected -- was
defeated by referendum in 2000. Nevertheless the Suffolk
County Legislature and Suffolk County Executive
declared after the failed 2000 referendum that it was their
interpretation of the 1999 referendum that borrowing was
prohibited. In fact, state finance law and municipal law
both permit borrowing against a revenue stream unless it is
specifically precluded by a referendum. Members of the
Long Island state legislative delegation, which had to
approve the sales tax extension before it could be enacted
locally, also concluded that borrowing is permitted.
The present rate of development means that without
borrowing, much of the targeted land would be developed
before the funds became available. Moreover, given the
ten percent yearly appreciation rate on East End land and
the availability of state loans at zero to three percent
offered by the New York State Environmental Facilities
Corporation through its State Revolving Fund, the fiscal
prudence of buying the land more cheaply, now, is obvious.
The Society took the lead in advocating state legislation to ensure Suffolk's capacity to borrow under the program as extended. The legislation was approved in the
State Senate May 1, and in the State Assembly May 2.
Principal sponsors of the bill were State Senator Kenneth
LaValle and Assemblymen Steven Englebright and Fred
Thiele.
PBS Executive Director Richard Amper
explained, "Timely purchases under this county program
are essential to the success of open space preservation in
the county. If we had to wait for all the tax money
approved by voters to be collected, much land would be
lost and what could be saved would be far more expensive."
On April 24, the Suffolk County Legislature approved
a "home rule" message to the state legislature -- effectively approving of the bill to permit borrowing. If signed into
law by Gov. Pataki the legislation would avoid the requirement for a new referendum and permit purchases without
6
waiting to actually collect the sales tax.
"Senator LaValle, Assemblymen Englebright and
Thiele and their colleagues are owed a debt of gratitude for
their leadership in helping to resolve this matter," said PBS
Executive Director, Richard Amper.
N.Y.S. Photo
N.Y.S. Photo
Senator Kenneth
Lavalle
Assemblyman Steve
Englebright
Enough Is Enough!
Photo: Gary Mamay
Assemblyman Fred
Thiele
(continued from page 1)
100 Long Island leaders, April 20, at Suffolk
Community College’s Eastern Campus in Riverhead.
The event featured the display of full-color maps of the
preservation plan, “Top Ten” lists of targeted parcels and
the premiere screening of the anti-development media
campaign, as well as a pro-preservation rally and luncheon reception.
“The kick-off of the Pine Barrens Preservation
Initiative marked the beginning of the most successful
environmental protection campaign in Long Island’s history,” Amper said, “We hope that the launch of the
“Enough is enough!” Initiative will mark the beginning
of the last major open space preservation effort before
the last vestiges of Long Island’s natural history are lost
forever to over-development.”
PRESERVATION GOAL: Joseph Lorintz, Executive
Director of the Long Island Drinking Water Coalition
points out acquisition target for PBS Executive Director,
Richard Amper. The new land preservation initiative was
launched April 20. Photo by Ted Curry.
“Green” Election Drive
NYLCV Targets East End Races
The New York League of Conservation voters has
announced an unprecedented campaign to elect pro-environmental candidates to office on Long Island's East End and in
Brookhaven.
Instead of merely identifying and endorsing the proenvironment candidates in the fall, this year the League committed itself to recruiting candidates who actively support
open space and farmland preservation, to raising money and
supplying volunteers for their campaigns.
Most environmental groups such as the Pine Barrens
Society, are prohibited by law from endorsing or helping
political candidates. The New York League of Conservation
Voters, on the other hand, is permitted
to do this, so they can counter the prodevelopment or anti-environmental
agendas
of
special
interests.
Increasingly, the League is serving as
the political arm of the environmental community. The
League decided that development pressure in eastern Long
Island was such a threat, that special intervention was
required.
"Those who are elected to office this fall will serve during a critical four-year period during which most of the
important land use decisions will be made on eastern Long
Island," said Long Island Chapter Chairman Michael White.
State League Executive Director Marcia Bystryn added,
"The League is in a position to endorse and help candidates
in ways that the environmental education and advocacy
NEW POLITICS: Michael White, Chairman of the LI Chapter
of NYLCV and Louise Harrison, of Conservation and Natural
Areas Planning, kick off a campaign to elect pro-environment
candidates on the East End. Photo by Amie Hamlin.
groups aren't permitted to do. This allows us to be the political arm of the environmental community and will let us
engage the electoral process on the East End at the most critical time in terms of open space preservation."
The League is interviewing town and county party chair
people, is running ads looking for would-be environmental
candidates and is fielding a team of volunteers to support the
candidates NYLCV endorses with work and money.
"This means that environmentalists will play a bigger role
than ever before in ensuring that pro-environmental candidates are elected this year," said PBS Executive Director
Richard Amper, who is also a member of the Board of
Directors of the state-wide organization.
Schumer to Receive Top Environmental Honor
United State Senator Charles Schumer will receive the
Society's award for "Outstanding Contribution to Long
Island's Environment," at the Society's 24th Anniversary
Awards Gala in October. Senator Schumer will be honored
for his leadership in helping to obtain expedited clean-up of
environmental contamination at Brookhaven National
Laboratory in the Central Pine
Barrens.
Schumer was instrumental in
helping to win $41 million to remediate spills of toxic and radioactive
materials into groundwater and soils
at the sprawling 5000-acre research
facility, operated for the United States
Department of Energy by Brookhaven
Science Associates -- a Long Island
U.S. Senate Photo
based consortium. Recent budget cuts
Senator
now threaten the clean-up (See story
Charles Schumer
on page 2 and editorial on page 4).
Originally expected to take until 2006 to complete,
the ambitious environmental clean-up was to be accelerated
by the Department of Energy to 2004, instead. Senator
Schumer responded to an appeal by a sub-committee of the
Community Advisory Committee at BNL -- headed by PBS
Executive Director Richard Amper. The two year expediting
was expected to save taxpayers $16 million.
Each year, the Society honors distinguished leaders
for their contribution to the environment on Long Island. Past
winners of the award for "Outstanding Contribution to Long
Island's Environment include Assemblymen Steven
Englebright, Thomas DiNapoli and Fred Thiele, State Senator
Kenneth LaValle, Attorney General Robert Abrams and
Governor George Pataki.
The Annual Awards Gala moves from location to
location, each year. This years event will take place on Friday
October 26, at Louis XVI, on the water in Patchogue.
7
Join us for The Pine Barrens Society’s
Spring Hike
Save the date! June 30th, 2001 10AM-2PM.
Join the Pine Barrens Society’s resident naturalist and one of
our Board members, John Turner, for a 3 mile hike through
beautiful Riverhead Hills. Don’t forget to pack a lunch and
wear comfy, sturdy shoes. Bring the whole family!
Please call (631)369-3300 in advance to reserve a spot.
Silent Auction Items Needed
We are beginning to collect items for our Silent Auction that coincides with the Awards Gala. Past donations include horseback riding, golf, or
tennis lessons, ski trips, artwork, antiques, a weekend at a summer home, gift
baskets, theatre tickets and a dinner for two in the city, autographs, kayak and
hiking tours led by a naturalist, plane rides around Long Island and many
other creative and unique experiences and items.
Whatever you forte, we could use your talents, resources and connections to raise funds for our efforts in saving our precious and unique Long
Island landscape. For more information or to donate an item, please call
Lauren Storms at the Society’s office, (631)369-3300, or e-mail
Storms@pinebarrens.org.
SUNSET IN THE TREES: A picturesque Pine
Barrens sunset. Photo by Ray Corwin
LONG ISLAND
PINE BARRENS SOCIETY
Non-Profit Organization
U.S. Postage
PAID
Manorville, NY 11949
Permit #23
Post Office Box 429
Manorville, New York 11949-9801