On Feb. 2, Suffolk County Executive Steve Levy  announced the joint acquisition of nearly 60 acres of open space in Wading River with the town of Brookhaven.

Levy said the county legislature today passed his resolution to authorize the purchase of property owned by Spring Meadow Enterprises on Route 25A.

The $6,825,500 purchase will be funded 75 percent by Suffolk County ($5,118,937.50) and 25 percent by Brookhaven ($1,706,312.50).

“This one of the last remaining undeveloped properties in this region and will add to the extensive swath of land preserved by state, county and town efforts,” said Levy. “This acquisition will protect this Pine Barrens habitat and groundwater quality for generations to come,”

“This is collaborate government at its best,” said Supervisor Mark Lesko. “The Town of Brookhaven and Suffolk County joined efforts and now our environment and residents will benefit.”

Since Levy’s inauguration in 2004, when he revitalized a nearly dormant and scandal-ridden open space program, Suffolk has preserved nearly 6,000 acres – which is six and one-half times the size of New York’s Central Park – including 70 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.

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.

Levy also led the charge in extending the quarter-cent sales tax through 2030 to be used exclusively for environmental preservation.

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