Hauppauge , NY – May 19, 2009 – (RealEstateRama) — Suffolk Executive Steve Levy announced today that the county has received a $1.7 million grant from the New York State Agricultural and Farmland Protection Program which will be used to help purchase the development rights to 52 acres of the DeLalio Sod Farm in Eastport.
“By purchasing development rights, we are able to preserve the charm and character of the East End while ensuring our agricultural economy continues to thrive,” said Levy. Suffolk County is the leading agricultural county in New York in terms of value of crops produced and sold.
“Suffolk has one of the most aggressive development rights programs in the nation, and we are pleased to be recognized by the state with one of the largest awards for any single county,” Levy added. “Partnering on significant purchases, as we are doing here with the state, allows us to maximize our resources for environmental protection.”
The Suffolk grant is part of a $23.1 million preservation package awarded by the State Department of Agriculture and Markets.
“Long Island has a history rich in agriculture,” said Senator Kenneth P. LaValle. “I am pleased that the funds received through the state’s Agriculture and Farmland Protection Program will help families carry on their farming tradition and help protect the future of the East End’s agricultural economy.”
“I am pleased by this recent joint acquisition by New York State and Suffolk County,” said Assemblyman Fred W. Thiele, Jr. “It highlights the importance of working with multiple levels of government in preserving one of Long Island’s most important industries, the agriculture industry. The purchase of these development rights is an extremely worthwhile endeavor by the State and County.”
Assemblyman Robert K. Sweeney, Chair of the Assembly Environmental Conservation Committee, added: “Agriculture is New York’s largest industry, it is vitally important that we preserve acreage that will be used solely for farming. The Agricultural and Farmland Protection Program will help town and county governments across New York secure nearly 9,000 acres for agricultural purposes while preserving open space.”
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 more than 50 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.
Levy also advocated for extending the dedicated ¼-cent sales tax for open space into 2030, approved by voters in 2007.
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. Contact Us: county.executive (at) suffolkcountyny (dot) gov
