Suffolk County and the Town of Brookhaven partnered to purchase a 15-acres of land in Mount Sinai to be preserved for open space. According to a press release by Brookhaven Town, the ecologically important parcel is heavily forested with a variety of species that constitute a coastal oak-beech forest. The area is also home to several rare and vulnerable species of vegetation that provides a habitat for a variety of resident and migratory bird, mammal, reptile and amphibian species.
Approximately 25.2 million gallons of water a year is discharged to the underlying aquifer which then discharges into the harbor, providing a large volume of pure water to this important coastal embayment.
This portion completes the acquisition of 59.3 acres to be preserved as open space in Mount Sinai. The original purchase of 44.3 acres was completed in 2014.
The property was purchased for $1,653,300 from the Society of St. Francis. Suffolk County is covering 75% of the cost, while the Town of Brookhaven is responsible for the remaining 25%.
“The acquisition of this land near Mount Sinai Harbor and the Long Island Sound will make a big impact on the local environment, said Brookhaven Town Supervisor Ed Romaine. ”It’s another example of the cooperative effort by the Town and County to protect our open space for many years to come.”
Brookhaven Town Councilwoman Jane Bonner said that preserving open space is a priority for the town.
“I will continue to work with the County to identify and acquire other properties that make good sense to preserve as open space,” she said.
The property is also positioned on the Harbor Hill Moraine, the younger of the two glacial moraines that were created by the continental ice sheet that formed Long Island. Its high elevation and dramatic slopes provide commanding views of the surrounding area and harbor.