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Land Alliance Awarded NYS Grant to Acquire Five Acres in Oyster Bay Cove
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: For more information contact Jenny Einhorn: PR & Events Manager Jenny@northshorelandalliance.org or 516-922-1028 North Shore Land Alliance Partners with New York State to Acquire Five Critical Acres in Oyster Bay Cove: Pulling Property Mill Neck, NY – The North Shore Land Alliance has been awarded a $1.285 million grant through the NYS Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC) Water Quality Improvement Project (WQIP) program to support the acquisition and permanent protection of nearly five acres of the Pulling property in Oyster Bay Cove. This ecologically significant land lies within the Oyster Bay Special Groundwater Protection Area, one of Long Island’s most important groundwater recharge zones. Its protection is essential to maintaining the quality of the aquifer that supplies drinking water to thousands of Long Island residents. The grant will fund a significant portion of the purchase price along with transaction costs like surveys, appraisals, legal and closing costs. The remaining funds needed to acquire the property, make improvements and steward the land in perpetuity have already been raised by the Land Alliance thanks to the generous support of the Land Alliance board, foundations and individual donors. The Pulling Property has been owned and cared for by the Pulling Family for over 100 years. It contains a mix of woodland and wetland habitats, which are critical to the region’s environmental health. Its open meadows host several native species that encourage pollinators and provide food sources and refuge for birds, box turtles and small mammals. The site is located just off Yellow Cote Road, adjacent to the 30-acre Red Cote Preserve, which is managed by the Land Alliance. “The Land Alliance is extremely grateful to Governor Hochul and New York State for this major investment in the long-term protection of our region’s water resources and natural landscapes,” said Lisa Ott, President and CEO. “By conserving this property, we are safeguarding drinking water, protecting wildlife habitat and expanding open space for the community.” More than $208 million was awarded to 131 projects in New York State in January through the DEC’s WQIP grant program. This competitive, statewide grant program funds projects that directly improve water quality or habitat, promotes flood risk reduction, restoration and enhanced flood and climate resiliency or protect a drinking water source. In addition to its water quality benefits, the parcel will expand and strengthen the 30-acre Red Cote Preserve by enhancing habitat connectivity for native plants and animals and preserving a scenic and historic landscape in perpetuity. The Land Alliance applied for the WQIP funding in 2025 as part of its ongoing mission to protect and steward Long Island’s natural and historic lands, waters and environmental resources. If you are interested in learning more about how to protect local lands, please visit www.northshorelandalliance.org. You can also learn more about other ways to get involved including attending events or nature walks, becoming an annual member, volunteering and more. About the North Shore Land Alliance The North Shore Land Alliance is a nationally accredited nonprofit land trust. Since its inception in 2003, the Land Alliance has preserved in perpetuity over 1,500 acres of vital conservation-worthy lands and opened 15 preserves to the public. Through its various educational programs, events and volunteer opportunities, the organization fosters a strong connection between people and nature, inspiring a community-wide conservation ethic. #gallery-1 { margin: auto; } #gallery-1 .gallery-item { float: left; margin-top: 10px; text-align: center; width: 50%; } #gallery-1 img { border: 2px solid #cfcfcf; } #gallery-1 .gallery-caption { margin-left: 0; } /* see gallery_shortcode() in wp-includes/media.php */
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Pulling Campaign: Protecting the Lands that Matter Most
Pulling Campaign: Campaign to Acquire Five Acres of Critical Land Adjacent to the Red Cote Preserve in Oyster Bay Cove. When people think about land conservation, they often picture vast preserves or large working farms. But here on Long Island, every acre counts — and sometimes, protecting a five-acre parcel can make an enormous difference. That’s why the North Shore Land Alliance is committed to permanently preserving not only large tracts of land, but also smaller properties that play vital roles in our local community and in the environment. One such property is in Oyster Bay Cove — the beautiful and ecologically important Pulling Property on Yellow Cote Road. For the past year, the Land Alliance has been conducting a grassroots campaign to acquire the property, which is adjacent to the Red Cote Preserve, for conservation purposes. We are proud to share that over 100 local families and foundations have joined the effort thus far, raising nearly $1M of the $1.52M needed for the Land Alliance to purchase and permanently protect this land. You may be asking yourself, why are so many in this community investing in a relatively small plot of land? Besides its significant historic and nostalgic value (just one family has owned the land over the last 100 years), it also has considerable value for the health of our natural environment. A Haven for Nature – On an island where open space is rapidly disappearing, a five-acre parcel of wood, meadow, or wetland can provide a critical refuge for wildlife. The Pulling Property offers habitat for native plants, birds and pollinators. It also serves as a vital green connection between other conserved lands. By protecting this property, the Land Alliance will help maintain biodiversity and ensure that wildlife continues to thrive along the North Shore. Protecting Our Water – Long Island’s drinking water comes from a single underground aquifer — what happens on the surface above directly affects what we drink. Conserving the Pulling Property will allow natural soils and vegetation to filter rainwater before it seeps down to replenish our groundwater. Permanent protection of this parcel will also help reduce runoff and safeguard the health of both nearby wetlands and Oyster Bay’s coastal waters. Moreover, this property is particularly significant as it sits within the Oyster Bay Special Groundwater Protection Area, as designated by New York State. Strengthening Climate Resilience – As our communities face stronger storms and rising seas, natural areas like the Pulling Property that are on high ground offer invaluable protection. Trees and native vegetation on this land absorb stormwater, reduce flooding and store carbon — small but powerful contributions to a more resilient future for our region. To learn more about the Campaign to Grow Red Cote Preserve, visit www.northshorelandalliance.org/campaign-to-grow-red-cote-preserve/ or contact the Land Alliance at 516-922-1028 or info@northshorelandalliance.org. #gallery-2 { margin: auto; } #gallery-2 .gallery-item { float: left; margin-top: 10px; text-align: center; width: 50%; } #gallery-2 img { border: 2px solid #cfcfcf; } #gallery-2 .gallery-caption { margin-left: 0; } /* see gallery_shortcode() in wp-includes/media.php */
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Land Alliance to Acquire 4.52 acres From the Pulling Family to Expand Red Cote Preserve
Land Alliance Signed a One-Year Option Agreement to Acquire 4.52 acres from the Pulling Family to Expand the Nassau County Red Cote Preserve in Oyster Bay Cove. Earlier this year, the Land Alliance was given the opportunity to acquire an additional 4.52 acres of land from the Pulling family to increase the size of the Nassau County-owned Red Cote Preserve located on Yellow Cote Road in Oyster Bay Cove. We are pleased to announce that the Land Alliance has now successfully signed a one-year option agreement to purchase this land for approximately $1.5 million. With a window of only one year to raise the funds, the effort to purchase the Pulling property kicked off on September 28th at the Land Alliance’s 2024 Wine Auction & Dinner. Land Alliance Trustee and Oyster Bay Cove resident John Bralower made a poignant appeal to attendees asking for their help in protecting this important place. In response, we were delighted to see dozens of hands raised in support of the Campaign to Expand the Red Cote Preserve. This effort raised more than $50K to jumpstart the effort. To be successful we will need broad community support, and that outreach will soon begin. Red Cote, previously owned by the Pulling, Cutting and Schwab families, was acquired by Nassau County in 2008 with Environmental Bond Program monies. The property is stewarded by the Land Alliance. The environmental characteristics of this new acquisition align perfectly with our preservation priorities. It features a beautiful scenic vista, a picturesque colonial garden and majestic centuries-old trees which will enhance the environmental value of the abutting Red Cote Preserve. Red Cote is a much-loved community treasure where pollinators flourish, birds nest and nature thrives. The lands that comprise the Red Cote Preserve are located within the New York State-designated Oyster Bay Special Groundwater Protection Area (SGPA). Protecting land in the SGPA is critical to replenishing the underground aquifers which are the only source of Long Island’s drinking water. The clock is ticking. The time to raise the funds to purchase this property is limited. We can be successful if we work together. Thank you, in advance, for your consideration and support. Please join our Campaign to Grow the Red Cote Preserve? To learn more about the campaign and how you can get involved, please visit our website at CAMPAIGN TO GROW RED COTE PRESERVE or contact the Land Alliance office at 516-922-1028 or info@northshorelandalliance.org.
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Acquisition of a Historic Property Adjoining Red Cote Preserve in Oyster Bay Cove
Acquisition of a Historic Property Adjoining Red Cote Preserve in Oyster Bay Cove In June, the Land Alliance purchased a one-year option agreement from the Pulling family. The agreement allows the Land Alliance time to raise the $1.52M necessary to purchase 4.5 acres of land adjacent to the Red Cote Preserve in Oyster Bay Cove. This land features a beautiful scenic vista. It includes an additional trail, a picturesque colonial garden and majestic centuries-old trees. Located in the New York State designated Special Groundwater Protection Area and within the Route 25A Heritage Area, the land will be a wonderful addition to the Red Cote Preserve. The 30-acre Red Cote Preserve is comprised of land purchased from the Pulling, Cutting and Schwab families. It was created in the early 2000’s through proceeds from the Nassau County Environmental Bond Program. This much-loved community preserve features a peaceful woodland trail, sentinel red cedar trees in the meadow and native wildflowers butterfly weed blooming in summer and goldenrod in fall are particularly popular with preserve visitors and pollinators alike). Red Cote is managed by the Land Alliance. The land under the option agreement has been owned by Pulling family members for more than 100 years. In the early 1920s, R.C. Leffingwell rented a house and horse stables on the North Shore so that he, his wife and daughter Lucy could spend weekends out of the city and enjoy horseback riding. When the rental terminated in 1924, he purchased a farmhouse, stables and surrounding pastures and gardens at 33 Yellow Cote Road and named the property Red Cote. When adjacent properties came up for sale, he often purchased them as well. For example, he bought the cottage just north of the Red Cote field on Yellow Cote Road. It was occupied for many years by members of the Leffingwell/Pulling family and is now owned by neighbors. In 1927 he bought a house at 34 Yellow Cote Road from Willis Wood so the soon-to-be-married (to Edward Pulling) Lucy and her husband would have their own home on the property. Years later, when Edward Pulling retired from Millbrook School, he and Lucy moved back to the property. They lived the rest of their lives in the main house at Red Cote. 16 acres of the southwest portion of the property were sold in 2006 to Nassau County and are now part of the Red Cote Preserve. Protecting historic places like Red Cote Preserve helps us maintain a sense of continuity and connection to the past. It also fosters a sense of community and pride in the place where we live. The Land Alliance is grateful to the Pulling family for its commitment to preserving the stories and the places that define the character of our north shore community. To learn more about the Campaign to Grow Red Cote Preserve, visit www.northshorelandalliance.org/campaign-to-grow-red-cote-preserve/ or contact the Land Alliance at 516-922-1028 or info@northshorelandalliance.org.
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