Environment DEC
From the October 2003 issue
Governor Signs Bill to Enhance Protection of Long Island Pine Barrens
Governor George E. Pataki has signed a law that will increase protection for Long Island's Pine Barrens. The law provides new enforcement authority and penalties under the Long Island Pine Barrens Maritime Reserve Act.
"New York State is committed to providing for the ongoing protection of drinking water and the unique plants and wildlife found in the Pine Barrens," Governor Pataki said. "This new law provides state and local governments with the tools to enforce and prosecute individuals who are violating the law and will help prevent damage to a delicate ecosystem."
What the Law Stipulates
The law gives the Central Pine Barrens Joint Planning and Policy Commission specific authority to enforce the Maritime Reserve Act. The Commission comprises the Suffolk County Executive, the supervisors of the towns of Brookhaven, Riverhead and Southampton and a Governor's appointee. The Commission previously only had authority to develop and implement a comprehensive land use plan for the Pine Barrens.
The new law provides enforcement authority to the Commission, the towns of Brookhaven, Riverhead, and Southampton, villages within the Central Pine Barrens area, and the New York State Attorney General. It provides civil and criminal penalties for violations. Penalties and fines will be deposited with the applicable village or town and used to purchase real property or fund capital projects to enhance or restore natural resources and ecosystems within the Central Pine Barrens.
History of Protection
In 1995, Governor Pataki joined with the Suffolk County Executive and representatives of the three towns to sign the landmark Central Pine Barrens Comprehensive Land Use Plan. It includes long-range goals to acquire and protect lands within the 52,500-acre Core Preservation Area.
The Long Island Pine Barrens Maritime Reserve Act protects the Pine Barrens and the underlying aquifer, a critical source of freshwater. The Act allows state and local governments to protect, preserve and properly manage the unique resources of the Pine Barrens-Peconic Bay system.
The Central Pine Barrens comprises more than 100,000 acres within the central and eastern parts of Suffolk County. The center of the area contains pitch pine and pine-oak forests, coastal plain ponds, marshes and streams, providing deep flow recharge to the aquifer from which Long Island draws much of its drinking water. This region contains one of the greatest concentrations of endangered, threatened and special concern plant and animal species in New York State. Since 1995, the state has invested nearly $48 million to acquire and preserve about 6,600 acres in the Long Island Pine Barrens.
