Release Date: August 18, 2009

Released By: Suffolk County Executive Office

Suffolk Receives Assist from New York State Grant in Preservation Effort

Suffolk Executive Steve Levy today announced approval of the purchase of development rights to 52 acres of farmland in Eastport.

The County Legislature today approved the acquisition of the rights to DeLalio Sod Farm for $3.64 million; Levy said the county has received a $1.7 million grant from the New York State Agricultural and Farmland Protection Program to share in the purchase.

“By purchasing development rights, we are able to preserve the charm and character of the East End while ensuring our agricultural economy continues to thrive,” said Levy.

“Suffolk has one of the most aggressive development rights programs in the nation, and we are pleased to be recognized by the state with one of the largest awards for any single county,” Levy added. “Partnering on significant purchases, as we are doing here with the state, allows us to maximize our resources for environmental protection.”

Levy recognized the efforts of State Senator Kenneth P. LaValle, Assemblyman Fred Thiele and Assemblyman Robert Sweeney, who is chair of the Assembly Environmental Conservation committee, in obtaining the grant for Suffolk.

Since Levy’s inauguration in 2004, when he revitalized a nearly dormant and scandal-ridden open space program, Suffolk has preserved close to 6,000 acres – which is six and one-half times the size of New York’s Central Park – including 66 farms. The program continues to aggressively pursue the purchase of environmentally significant parcels and farmlands.

Upon taking office in 2004, Levy implemented a number of measures to revitalize and reinvigorate the county’s open space and water protection programs, including use of a Master List of properties to speed up the planning and appraisal processes and to take the politics out of land acquisition; streamlining the contract process; increasing the number of attorneys in the Division of Real Estate for closings; implementing a $75 million Save Open Spaces (SOS) Bond Act; and expanding the number of acquisitions done with other municipalities, environmental agencies or private land trusts.

Levy also advocated for extending the dedicated ¼-cent sales tax for open space into 2030, approved by voters in 2007.

In 2006, Levy created a $50 million Environmental Legacy Fund in the county’s capital budget, which is earmarked for acquisitions in which other municipalities or private interests apply matching funds. The Legacy Fund was recognized in 2008 by the National Association of Counties and the National Land Trust with a County Leadership in Conservation Award, and Levy recently received a Leadership Award from the Long Island Farm Bureau.

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