The Nature Conservancy Partners With 100 Groups To Save Most Significant 25,000 Acres Of Open Space & 10,000 Acres Farmland On L.I.

“Long Island’s Last Stand” Initiative Aims to Preserve Long Island’s Quality of Life

East Hampton, NY—January 11, 2006—The Nature Conservancy, with over 100 partners, announced a 10-year action plan today to save the most significant remaining open space and farmland, and to restore and protect our bays, harbors, and public parklands across Long Island.

Long Island’s Last Stand aims to preserve 25,000 acres of the most significant remaining open space and 10,000 acres of farmland, and restore and protect hundreds of thousands of acres of parklands, harbors and bays, in Nassau and Suffolk counties. Long Island’s Last Stand is supported by a coalition of concerned citizens, farmers, business leaders and conservation groups who are taking a stand to protect remaining natural areas and to restore Long Island’s lands, waters and way of life.

“A holistic strategy that combines critical land conservation to protect drinking water and surface water, along with habitat protection and restoration efforts like bringing shellfish back to our bays and harbors is the one-two punch that we need to improve the quality of life for all Long Islanders, said Nancy Kelley, executive director for The Nature Conservancy.

This effort would provide much needed funding to match local and county dollars for The Nature Conservancy’s land protection priorities in important areas such as the Pine Barrens, and coastal wetlands. In addition, it would make possible the restoration of degraded marshes and the expansion of innovative shellfish restoration efforts across Long Island’s bays and harbors that are currently limited due to funding constraints.

From 1980 to 2000 alone, Long Island lost more than 40 percent of its open space. Despite current preservation efforts, our natural landscapes and seascapes need additional protection if they are to remain healthy and thriving.

“We look forward to working with coalition members and multiple government partners in bringing about this exciting and bold initiative,” continued Kelley.