HAUPPAUGE – A  small parcel of property with big environmental benefit will be preserved in Suffolk County.  Situated north of Woodside Avenue and west of North Ocean Avenue in the hamlet of North Patchogue, this 2.6-acre site consists of forested wetlands and woodlands along the upper reaches of the Patchogue River. The property lies adjacent to other county-owned land and has been recommended for open space acquisition in the county Master List for open space preservation. Suffolk County will purchase the land for $50,000 using the Quarter-Cent Drinking Water Protection Plan.

“The Patchogue River is a mile-long waterway that opens up to the Great South Bay,” County Executive Steve Levy said. “Preserving it is not only vital to protecting its ecosystem, but also for protecting that of the Great South Bay. By preserving this land, we can prevent developers from building houses that would produce waste that enters the river, and prevent riverfront homes from being flooded during flood season.”

Since Levy’s inauguration in 2004, when he revitalized a nearly dormant and scandal-ridden open space program, Suffolk has preserved over 5,500 acres – which is six and one-half times the size of New York’s Central Park – including over 60 farms. The program continues to aggressively pursue the purchase of environmentally significant parcels and farmlands.