None The Nature Conservancy in New York Press Releases Search All Press Releases Kara Grobert Phone: (631)662-2248 Email: kgrobert@tnc.org

The Nature Conservancy Consolidates Two Chapters Into “The Nature Conservancy On Long Island”

Consolidation will Further Conservation, Preservation, Restoration Efforts on Long Island

East Hampton, NY—April 11, 2006—The Nature Conservancy announced today that its two chapter boards on Long Island (South Fork-Shelter Island and Long Island Chapters) will consolidate into The Nature Conservancy on Long Island, effective July 1. The chapter will be led by one board of directors and one executive director, Nancy Kelley, who currently serves as director of the South Fork-Shelter Island Chapter. The Nature Conservancy will maintain its offices in Cold Spring Harbor, East Hampton and Shelter Island.
 
“The conservation work that we have been doing, including land protection and habitat restoration of our forests, wetlands, bays and harbors, has been conducted effectively without chapter boundaries for over five years,” said Nancy Kelley, executive director. “The consolidation of our program gives us added momentum to implement our most ambitious conservation effort to date – Long Island’s Last Stand Campaign.”

Long Island’s Last Stand is a 10-year plan to preserve 25,000 acres of the most significant remaining open space and 10,000 acres of farmland, and to restore and protect hundreds of thousands of acres of parklands, harbors and bays. The initiative is supported by over 100 organizations representing civic, farmers, business leaders and conservation groups.

“This consolidation gives us the best of both worlds: Island-wide perspective on issues like water quality and shellfish restoration, and enhanced commitment to protecting and preserving the local places where we have long had a presence,” said Jeff Hughes,  who will serve as chairman of The Nature Conservancy on Long Island. “It carries the banner for the most innovative conservation work on Long Island.”

“We will continue to do great conservation work across Long Island,” said Don Eversoll, who will serve as a vice chairman. “Our hope is to continue to ensure clean drinking water, plentiful shellfish, abundant wildlife, beautiful beaches, thriving wetlands and healthy forests for generations to come.”

Moving forward, The Nature Conservancy will step up its efforts to protect key parcels and restore ecosystems in places like the Pine Barrens, Peconic Estuary, Atlantic Ocean Beaches and Bays, Great South Bay, Pipes Cove and Montauk.

The Nature Conservancy owns and actively manages some sixty five preserves on Long Island: Mashomack, Atlantic Double Dunes, Blue Points, Calverton Ponds,  Long Pond Greenbelt, Pine Neck and David Weld Sanctuary, to name a few.