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NYS Clean Air, Clean Water and Green Jobs Environmental Bond Act Passes!
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: For more information contact Debra Wiener, Director of Development Email: deb@northshorelandalliance.org or 516-922-1028 Clean Water, Clean Air and Green Jobs Environmental Bond Act Passes! Oyster Bay, New York | On November 8, 2022, the NYS Clean Air, Clean Water and Green Jobs Environmental Bond Act won with a resounding 67.57% majority! It’s nice to see that New Yorkers continue to value our environment. The NYS Environmental Bond Act will protect open space, safeguard clean drinking water, and update our aging water and sewer infrastructure while supporting nearly 100,000 good jobs. Now organizations like the North Shore Land Alliance will have access to much needed funds to help conserve open space and water resources. For 20 years, the North Shore Land Alliance has worked to protect nearly 1,300 acres of natural areas. The primary reason we protect land is to safeguard drinking water. Long Island’s sole source aquifer requires pervious surfaces (like fields and forests) for rain and snow to seep through the ground to recharge our drinking water source. A study by the Rauch Foundation found that nearly 60% of Nassau County’s surface is impervious (pavement and buildings). Open space is critical in protection our ground and surface water. In our community we have 8,000+ acres of natural areas left to protect. Through the Environmental Bond Act we will have access to critical funding to conserve land in perpetuity and maintain our quality of life. Plus, with the worsening effects of climate change, protecting open spaces, replenishing our aquifers, and restoring bays and harbors is more important than ever. The North Shore Land Alliance thanks you for your support of this Environmental Bond Act where we have shown we truly value our natural resources and take urgently needed action to protect our environment. Let’s act now to ensure a healthy future for those who come after us.
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Protecting Land on the North Shore with Conservation Easements
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: For more information contact North Shore Land Alliance Email: info@northshorelandalliance.org or call 516-922-1028 Protecting Land on the North Shore with A Conservation Easement Nestled into the village of Oyster Bay Cove, sits Tiffany Creek Preserve. A 450-acre leafy, old growth woodland with grassy fields, and a rippling network of freshwater streams and ponds. On a sunny day hikers can hear chirping gray tree frogs and spot white-throated sparrows fluttering between the cedar and tulip trees. This small patch of preserve is a natural oasis on the North Shore. But before Tiffany Creek was the preserve we know today; it was once a neighborhood of parcels and private residential properties. On one of these parcels off Cove Road, sat Caroline Dubois’s mother’s home. Growing up Caroline spent hours in the woods of Tiffany Creek exploring, turning over stones in search of salamanders, and swimming in ponds filled with sunfish, trout, and turtles. “I grew up loving the property with deep emotional ties to the land and water,” says Caroline. As Caroline’s mother grew older, it began time to think about what to do with the property. To Caroline’s family, preserving the land that they cherished was imperative. That’s why, after careful consideration, the Dubois decided to place a conservation easement on the property with the help of the North Shore Land Alliance – forever safeguarding the legacy of her home. “Knowing that our beloved field and streams would be protected forever gave me great comfort,” says Caroline. One of the most common ways land trusts, like the North Shore Land Alliance, protect land is through conservation easements. A conservation easement is a voluntary legal agreement that protects a property and its unique conservation attributes by permanently restricting development or other uses of the land that have detrimental impacts. Founded in 2003, the North Shore Land Alliance was established to protect and preserve, in perpetuity, the green spaces, farmlands, wetlands, and groundwater on Long Island’s North Shore. In doing so, the Land Alliance acts as both a facilitator and custodian of conservation. Since its creation, the Land Alliance holds easements on 182 acres of private and public land in addition to owning 258 acres of preserves which are open to the public. The Land Alliance recently launched their Community Conservation Plan to align with the Federal “America the Beautiful” initiative to protect 30% of U.S. lands and waters by 2030. Placing a conservation easement has countless benefits to a property owner like Caroline. In addition to protecting the natural beauty of the property, homeowners help preserve history and a way of life while receiving major federal tax benefits. Preserving land from development also helps mitigate and abate the effects of climate change. For property owners interested in placing a conservation easement, Caroline recommends, “Get all the facts about your property, especially its environmental assets and to get in touch with a local tax attorney to know more about the applicable tax which keep improving for conservationists.” For next steps on how to place a conservation easement please visit www.northshorelandalliance.org or contact the North Shore Land Alliance’s Director of Conservation at (516) 922-1028.
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A New Preserve in Lattingtown
Mary and Tim Williams have donated their family’s beautiful 4.5-acre property located at 357 Lattingtown Road to the Land Alliance for use as a public preserve. This lovely place once hosted a grand house called the Dormer House. The house was designed by Theodate Pope Riddle, one of the first female architects in America. It was built in 1906 by Mrs. Charles Otis Gates, of the Royal Baking Powder fortune, and tragically was destroyed by fire in 2014. The landscape, which remains today, was designed by the famous landscape architect Ferruccio Vitale (who was also working on the Humes Estate at the time). The meadow is perched above a pond and overlooks the vicinity of St. John’s Church of Lattingtown. Deer paths can be found across the sloped woodland that separates the pond from the meadow. It is easy to envision a loop path that crosses the meadow, then enters the woodland with its diversity of majestic trees and leads to a bench offering a serene view of the pond. Another approach to the pond may be from the driveway, which feels like an old carriage road, in the lower part of the property. Such a path would make its way over a bridge crossing the stream and leading into the pond. A pondside bench or perhaps a bird blind would be welcome in this spot. A deliberately tiny and rustic but functional parking area will be installed at an open grassy area just west of the driveway as one enters the property. The Williams property is in the Frost Creek watershed, which is classified as a wetland suitable for fish, shellfish and wildlife propagation and survival. It is also part of a corridor of undeveloped land that includes the Oyster Bay National Wildlife Refuge, The Order of St Josaphat, Kate Trubee Davison Preserve and an adjoining 2-acre parcel donated to the Land Alliance by Miani Johnson in 2016. The conservation values of the property include Long Island Sound protection, groundwater protection, habitat for wildlife and pollinators as well as a recreational opportunity. Among the more noteworthy flora and fauna observations are a diversity of mature trees, including white oak, red oak, American sycamore, tulip and white pine. A spring ephemeral trout lily was observed by the stream this spring along with a variety of native plants such as azure bluet and great laurel. A number of warbler species (both breeding locally and spring migrants) were documented, as was a wood duck on the pond. We expect fox, opossum, bats and other mammals will also call this property home. We are grateful to the Williams family for this wonderful gift and look forward to inviting you to visit later this summer.
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Season Five Has Begun at the Roosevelt Community Garden
We are pleased to kick-start the fifth growing season at the Roosevelt Community Garden. This year we are partnering with new organizations, hosting more activities and educating more people. Our overarching goal is to help connect more youth to nature and better understand their role in protecting our environment. Annual Garden Members’ Orientation and Garden-to-Table Presentation On Saturday, March 19th, we hosted an educational presentation led by Master Gardener Charlie Kemnitzer at the Roosevelt Public Library. Participants learned how to start a vegetable garden and maintain their raised-garden plots and tips to care for their crops in a sustainable and healthy manner. Earth Day Celebration On Saturday, April 23rd, more than 50 volunteers and garden members participated in our Annual Earth Day event. Together we accomplished a lot, from removing debris and weeds to refilling plots with soil and replacing garden hoses in preparation for our annual Planting Day in May. We are grateful for all our volunteers, especially our newest friends from Bank of America, Girl Scout Troop #4703 and Rojah Peck. Special thanks to Claire DeRoche, Barry Nobel and other members of the Unitarian Universalist Congregation at Shelter Rock, who started volunteering last year, and to Bagel Chalet of Merrick for donating bagels for our breakfast. Members from the Universality Unitarian Congregation at Shelter Rock Bank of America Staff Annual Planting Day and Square Foot Gardening Demonstration On Saturday, May 21st more than 80 people, including Garden members, volunteers and visitors from throughout Nassau County, joined us to learn how to grow food using the Square Foot Gardening method. After the presentation led by Master Gardener Reese Michaels, Garden members and youth from the Roosevelt Prevention Coalition Roots Club and Girl Scout Troop #4703 worked together to plant vegetables and fruits. It was a pleasure to work alongside these students and watch them learn to grow their own food. Healthy food makes for more productive and healthier students! One World Girl Prosperity Project We were also pleased to work with the One World Girl organization again this year on their Prosperity Project. This awesome group of young people planted native wildflowers and shrubs throughout the Garden to help attract beneficial insects, create a stopping place for Monarch butterflies and provide food for birds. We hope to attract some new species for our pollinator project in June. Special thanks to Atlantic Nursery in Freeport and Long Island Natives for donating a portion of the plants. One World Girl Volunteers at the Roosevelt Community Garden
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