Long Island Central Pine Barrens

Infobox_protected_area | name = Long Island Central Pine Barrens
iucn_category = V
locmapin = New York

---

caption = Location of the Long Island Central Pine Barrens
locator_x = 257 | locator_y = 203
location = New York, USA
nearest_city = Manorville
lat_degrees = 40 | lat_minutes = 50 | lat_seconds = 53 | lat_direction = N
long_degrees = 72 | long_minutes = 47 | long_seconds = 38 | long_direction = W
area = convert|100000|acre|km2|0
established = 1993
visitation_num = | visitation_year =
governing_body = New York State Department of Environmental Conservation, Nature Conservancy

The Long Island Central Pine Barrens (also known as the Long Island Pine Barrens) a large area of publicly protected pine barrens in Suffolk County, New York on Long Island, covering more than convert|100000|acre|km2|0).

The Barrens operates in a similar manner as Adirondack Park with public lands managed by a mix of federal, state, county and local pulbic land managers intermixed with private inholdings.

It is Long Island's largest natural area and its last remaining wilderness. The region contains a remnant of a forest thought to have once covered a quarter million acres (1,000 km²) on Long Island.

The Central Pine Barrens overlays and recharges a portion of a federally designated sole source aquifer for Long Island's drinking water (all of Long Island's drinking water comes from ground water (wells)) -- none of the island's water comes from reservoirs. Almost all of the Peconic River and Carmans River (two of Long Island's four biggest rivers) as well as much of their watersheds are in the Barrens.

History

The pine barrens region had remain largely undeveloped until the 1970s when a proposal was made to create the area a Free trade zone to spur development.

In the 1970s the State of New York began acquiring large parcels to create a Greenbelt. The federal government at Brookhaven National Laboratory transferred convert|2300|acre|km2|0 in 1971 and RCA transferred convert|7200|acre|km2|0 around Rocky Point, New York in 1978 (for a cost of $1).

In 1984 the Pine Barrens Review Commission was created to review development in the region. In 1986 the Suffolk County Open Space Program financed by a 0.25% sales tax was to result in 28 new Suffolk County Parks in the region totalling convert|4600|acre|km2|0 [ [http://www.pinebarrens.org/earlyefforts.asp pinebarrens.org Early Efforts - pinebarrens.org - Retrieved November 21, 2007] ]

Despite the efforts development pressure continued and in 1989 the Long Island Pine Barrens Society filed a multibillion dollar suit against Suffolk County, and the towns of Brookhaven, Riverhead and Southampton. [ [http://www.pinebarrens.org/savepines.asp - pinebarrens.org - Retrieved November 21, 2007] ]

The Society eventually lost its suit in the New York's highest court --the New York Court of Appeals -- after winning in earlier courts.

In 1993 the New York State Legislature approved the Long Island Pine Barrens Protection Act to protect the region.

The [http://pb.state.ny.us/ Central Pine Barrens Joint Planning & Policy Commission] to oversee the plan including:
*A core convert|53000|acre|km2|0 area where no development is permitted at all. The area was expanded to convert|55000|acre|km2|0 in 1998 with the addition of Wertheim National Wildlife Refuge. 75 percent of the land in the core area is to be acquired. A provision of the law allows private ownership in the core area provided there is a transfer of development rights arrangement where the owner can build elsewhere by transferring ownership of the Core lands to a government entity.
*A Compatible Growth Area of convert|47000|acre|km2|0 acre Compatible Growth Area where limited, environmentally compatible development is allowed.

The initial towns were Brookhaven (town), New York, Riverhead (town), New York, Southampton (town), New York. In 1998 East Hampton (town), New York set aside a small portion of land for the Barrens and it was expanded to 1,000 acres in 2007 [ [http://www.co.suffolk.ny.us/County%20Executive/hailproperty.pdf County Executive Steve Levy, Supervisor Bill McGintee and Members of The Ross School Hail Preservation of 71 Acres - co.suffolk.ny.us] ]

Sunrise Fire of 1995

In late August-early September 1995, a series of major brush fires swept through the pine barrens region. The first major fire incident occurred in Rocky Point, but was extinguished within days of its outbreak. A larger, more catastrophic fire erupted in the Westhampton area just shortly after the Rocky Point blaze was brought to an end. The fire, aided by high winds and dry conditions, quickly spread, threatening area homes and businesses. The fire was nicknamed the "Sunrise Wildfire," as it engulfed both sides of Sunrise Highway, the major highway connecting the Hamptons region with the rest of Long Island. The fires closed down the highway and stopped railroad service, effectively cutting the Hamptons off from the rest of the island for days as firefighters from all over Long Island and the FDNY worked around the clock to battle the blaze.

By early September, the Sunrise Wildfire was extinguished, but the results of that fire, in addition to the Rocky Point fire, were disastrous: approximately convert|7000|acre|km2|0 had burned, numerous homes and small businesses suffered damage, and 400 people were forced to evacuate their homes. The fire, which erupted during the peak Hamptons tourist season, resulted in a considerable economic blow for the region. However, the human toll was very light, a few firefighters suffered injuries, but nobody was killed in the event.

As of 2007, the region has all but recovered from the damage it sustained, although some vegetation still bears the scars of the fire.

Sister parks

* The Central Pine Barrens Commission and the Migliarino-San Rossore-Massaciuccoli (MSRM) Regional Park in Tuscany, Italy are "twin parks" under a New York State program which supports such programs with the goal of sharing knowledge and experience between the citizens of both regions. It is also home to many endangered animals.fact|date=March 2007

References

External links

* [http://www.pb.state.ny.us/ New York State's Central Pine Barrens]
* [http://www.pb.state.ny.us/chart_research_main_page.htm Scientific Research and the Pine Barrens]
* [http://www.pinebarrens.org The Long Island Pine Barrens Society]
* [http://ncrs.fs.fed.us/pubs/bro/longisland.pdf. The Wildfire Preparedness Project of theNational Fire Plan]
* [http://training.fws.gov/library/pubs5/web_link/text/li_pine.htm U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service-- Significant Habitats and Habitat Ccomplexes of the New York Bight Watershed]

Additional reading

* "Exploring the Other Island: A Seasonal Guide to Nature on Long Island" by John Turner
* "Fish-Shape Paumanok: Nature and Man on Long Island" by Robert Cushman Murphy
* "Sunrise Fire," a [http://www.qualityparks.org Quality Parks] production