MARCH 14, 2008, STONY BROOK, NY – First District Councilman Steve Fiore-Rosenfeld (D-East Setauket) and Town Supervisor Brian X. Foley today announced the recent purchase by the Town of Brookhaven of a key 1.93 acre parcel of ecologically valuable land in Stony Brook that abuts Aunt Amy’s Creek.

   The property was considered by the Town’s Open Space Committee to be of significant environmental importance due to its proximity to the wetlands and the tidal marsh area that stretches out to West Meadow Creek and beyond. Further, the parcel is an important remnant of the hardwood forests that once covered Long Island’s North Shore. Species identified on the property include white oak, red oak, and chestnut oak, red maple, black cherry, sassafras, with clusters of grapevines and catbrier. The property slopes down to a tidal marsh along the eastern edge and becomes dominated by wetland dependent species as it nears the creek. The Open Space Committee approved the purchase of this property and the acquisition was strongly supported by the local community.

   This $525,000 purchase was made with funds from the Joseph Macchia Environmental Preservation Capital Reserve Fund that was established by the Town Board in 1998. The purpose of the fund is to pay costs associated with the acquisition of environmentally sensitive, undeveloped lands, including open space.

   “It is a fundamental responsibility of our Town to protect our watershed areas that directly affect our creeks and bays which ultimately flow into Long Island Sound. I am thrilled that my colleagues on the Town Board, with the strong support and advice of our Open Space Committee, understood the need to preserve this unique and environmentally-sensitive property along Aunt Amy’s Creek that flows to West Meadow,” said Councilman Steve Fiore-Rosenfeld. “Many voices in our community had advocated to save this particular parcel from development, and I applaud all who helped bring this to fruition.”
 
   “Based upon the Councilman’s and the Civic Association’s advocacy the Town took advantage of the opportunity to preserve another environmentally sensitive property and natural habitat,” said Supervisor Brian X. Foley. “Saving an area such as this is preservation at its finest -- not only because it safeguards the property itself, but also because it protects the creek below. Preserving this valuable piece of land enriches the community today and provides a higher quality environment for future generations.”

   “In the fight to protect the embattled health of our local marine waters protection of this parcel is a great victory,” said Assemblyman Steve Englebright. “Though not large, this upland forest remnant is an important component of the natural interplay between land and sea, and its preservation offers a measure of hope for the entire West Meadow ecosystem. I commend Councilman Fiore-Rosenfeld and the Town of Brookhaven for their rigorous pursuit of this important acquisition.”

   Peter A. Scully, Regional Director of the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation, stated, "This is a happy and historic day for the Stony Brook community, and for the Great Horned Owls and Red-Tailed Hawks that have made this property their home in recent years. The Town has succeeded in preserving the last parcel of open space along Aunt Amy's Creek, helping to protect the tidal marshes along the West Meadow wetlands complex. Hats off to Councilman Fiore-Rosenfeld, Supervisor Foley, and the Town staff for saving this open space from development."

   Robert DeZafra, board member of the Civic Association of the Setaukets and Stony Brook and one of the strongest advocates for the purchase of this property, stated, "The whole Three Village community is delighted at the news that one of the last endangered sections of the bluffs overlooking Aunt Amy's Creek and the West Meadow wetlands is being preserved. No one wanted another mega-mansion looming over the creek and wetlands that innumerable residents have cherished since the time native-Americans used this area as an encampment. A million thanks to Supervisor Brian X. Foley, Councilman Steve Fiore-Rosenfeld and the rest of the Town Council, and Director John Turner."

   “So much of the hardwood forest that once stretched across northern Nassau and Suffolk Counties has been lost or fragmented, making this community type increasingly endangered,” said John Turner, Director of the Town of Brookhaven’s Division of Environmental Protection. “Protecting this type of forest, while simultaneously preserving the parcel’s value in protecting water quality in Aunt Amy’s and West Meadow creeks achieves multiple environmental benefits.”