wildlife

DEC Announces New 43-Acre Conservation Easement to Preserve Open Space in Brentwood

DEC Announces New 43-Acre Conservation Easement to Preserve Open Space in Brentwood

Easement Permanently Protects Globally Rare Pine Barrens Ecosystem

Advances New York’s ‘30 x 30’ Open Space Protection Goals and Helps Connect New Yorkers in Environmental Justice Communities to the Outdoors

New York State Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC) Commissioner Amanda Lefton today announced the permanent protection of more than 43 acres of globally rare pine barrens owned by the Sisters of St. Joseph in Brentwood, town of Islip. DEC acquired a conservation easement from the Sisters and will jointly manage the property with them for groundwater an

CCE Director Esposito discusses environment and health at PJS-Terryville Civic meeting

CCE Director Esposito discusses environment and health at PJS-Terryville Civic meeting

The June 24 Port Jefferson Station-Terryville Civic Association meeting at Comsewogue Library saw Adrienne Esposito, the executive director for the Suffolk based CCE (Citizens Campaign for the Environment), featured as a special guest. Esposito touched on a number of topics related to health, the environment and local infrastructure and in particular advocated for three bills in the state senate and assembly.

Assemblywoman Rebecca Kassay’s Clean Water Septic System Bill passes Legislature unanimously

Assemblywoman Rebecca Kassay’s Clean Water Septic System Bill passes Legislature unanimously

Legislation Expands Access to Modern Septic Systems, Protecting Groundwater and Waterways Across New York 

In a major environmental and affordability win, Assemblywoman Rebecca Kassay announced the unanimous passage of her legislation (A8807/S8241-A) in both the New York State Assembly and Senate. The bill updates the reimbursement structure of the New York State Septic System Replacement Fund, making it easier and more affordable for New Yorkers to upgrade to advanced septic systems that significantly reduce water pollution, according to a press release.

Plan to convey part of Kings Point Park for community center parking lot dies in Albany

Plan to convey part of Kings Point Park for community center parking lot dies in Albany

A proposal to alienate 2.48 acres of Kings Point Park to create a parking lot for a community center died in the State Assembly on Tuesday. 

The bill, proposed by Assemb. Daniel Norber (R-Great Neck), did not make it to the floor before the legislative session ended Tuesday. A companion bill proposed by State Sen. Jack Martins (R-Old Westbury) passed the Senate on Friday.

Federal, State and Local Partners Renew Pledge to Protect Long Island Sound

Federal, State and Local Partners Renew Pledge to Protect Long Island Sound

On Friday, June 20th, over 125 engaged citizens and governmental officials celebrated forty years of advocacy by partners of the Long Island Sound Study (LISS) to protect Long Island Sound, our nation’s second largest estuary, from pollution and other threats. The milestone was marked by the renaming of LISS to Long Island Sound Partnership (LISP) and the signing of a new bipartisan Comprehensive Conservation & Management Plan (CCMP). “The CCMP provides a blueprint for collaboration and establishes goals, objectives and actions for the next 10 years to further restore and protect the Sound.”

Legislature again passes ban on harvesting of horseshoe crabs, after 2024 Hochul veto

Legislature again passes ban on harvesting of horseshoe crabs, after 2024 Hochul veto

ALBANY — State legislators have made another run at prohibiting the harvesting of horseshoe crabs, hoping a bill they approved this week won’t be quashed by a veto.

The State Senate gave final approval late Wednesday to a bill that bans harvest of horseshoe crabs for use as bait or for biomedical purposes. The Assembly passed it a week earlier.

New York state offers $1.5m in grants to protect Long Island's South Shore Estuary

New York state offers $1.5m in grants to protect Long Island's South Shore Estuary

The New York Department of State has announced the availability of $1.5 million in grants to protect, preserve, and restore the South Shore Estuary Reserve on Long Island. The funding, timed to coincide with World Oceans Month, supports the implementation of the recently adopted $3.5 million SSER Strategic Investment Plan.

Targeted to municipalities, nonprofits and academic institutions, the grants aim to improve shoreline resiliency, enhance water quality, and expand public access to water-based recreation.

Senators Harckham and May Host Public Hearing in Albany on Harmful Algal Blooms

Senators Harckham and May Host Public Hearing in Albany on Harmful Algal Blooms

Highlights the need for action against HABs to protect New York State’s water bodies

Albany, NY – New York State Senator Pete Harckham, chair of the Senate Environmental Conservation Committee, and State Senator Rachel May hosted a public hearing on May 21 here at the State Capitol to evaluate the efficacy of New York State’s monitoring and management of harmful algal blooms (HABs) and to examine potential legislative solutions.

Groups File Brief in Support of Lawsuit Against Ban on Wind Power

Groups File Brief in Support of Lawsuit Against Ban on Wind Power

WASHINGTON, D.C.  – A group of 10 environmental groups filed a legal brief today in support of an effort by states and industry to overturn the Trump administration’s government-wide ban on new wind energy projects. 

The 2025 Trailblazers in Clean Energy

The 2025 Trailblazers in Clean Energy

Adrienne Esposito, the founder and longtime leader of Citizens Campaign for the Environment, has been launching new coalitions to further her environmental cause. One is Wind Works New York, whose diverse members are transitioning from fossil fuels to renewable energy. Another is the New York Clean Water Coalition, made up of water suppliers, wastewater treatment operators and environmental groups advocating for funding to upgrade sewage and drinking water infrastructure. Late last year, Esposito criticized the governor’s veto of the state Horseshoe Crab Protection Act, arguing that the species is subject to local extinction.

30,000 gallons of sewage discharged into Port Jefferson Harbor

30,000 gallons of sewage discharged into Port Jefferson Harbor

On the morning of April 14, an approximate total of 30,000 gallons of partially treated sewage was discharged into Port Jefferson Harbor over the course of two hours. According to the Suffolk County Department of Public Works, the discharge was caused by an electrical malfunction on a ultraviolet disinfection unit.  Upon identifying the problem, the plant ran the effluent through a second UV system, while they repaired and tested the first, then returned to routine operations. While the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation confirmed that the plant is now operating normally, but there are still health concerns. 

Health officials issue warning after Long Island sewage leak

Health officials issue warning after Long Island sewage leak

Keep children and pets away from the area, officials say. If contact does occur, rinse off the affected area with clean water immediately

Long Island residents living near Port Jefferson Harbor were warned by officials to stay away from the water, and to not even have dogs walk along the shore line. That’s because of a huge sewage spill into the harbor meant high levels of bacteria and viruses were floating around. NBC New York’s Pei-Sze Cheng reports.

WHALE SIGHTINGS ARE UP

WHALE SIGHTINGS ARE UP

While researchers along the East Coast have been documenting an “unusual whale mortality event” since 2016, there is a lot of good news to be told.  Whale biologists have seen an unprecedented number of whales feeding in the waters off of Montauk in recent years.

How Lee Zeldin Went From Environmental Moderate to Dismantling the E.P.A.

How Lee Zeldin Went From Environmental Moderate to Dismantling the E.P.A.

He once talked about the need to fight climate change. Now, he embraces Elon Musk, lavishes praise on the president and strives to stand out in a MAGA world.

When President Trump’s cabinet secretaries clashed with Elon Musk this month over the billionaire’s chain saw approach to shrinking government, Lee Zeldin, the administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency, made it clear where he stood.

Zeldin’s massive environmental deregulation plans: What will the changes mean for his native Long Island and former NY-1 constituents?

Zeldin’s massive environmental deregulation plans: What will the changes mean for his native Long Island and former NY-1 constituents?

Calling it “the most consequential day of deregulation in American history,” U.S. Environmental Protection Agency Administrator Lee Zeldin yesterday announced 31 actions he said will “advance President Trump’s Day One executive orders and Power the Great American Comeback.”

Environmental Roundtable Touched on Successes and Worries

Environmental Roundtable Touched on Successes and Worries

At a 2025 Environmental Roundtable hosted by State Senator Anthony Palumbo in Riverhead last Thursday, where elected officials from across the East End met with environmental interest groups, East Hampton Town Councilwoman Cate Rogers used her time to speak about one of the town’s biggest environmental issues, coastal resilience, and the fear that the some projects may no longer get the federal funding that small municipalities rely on. 

Dingell Introduces Legislation to Reauthorize Great Lakes Restoration Initiative

Dingell Introduces Legislation to Reauthorize Great Lakes Restoration Initiative

Today, Congresswoman Debbie Dingell (MI-06) and her colleagues on the bipartisan Great Lakes Task Force introduced the Great Lakes Restoration Initiative (GLRI) Act of 2025. This bipartisan bill will reauthorize the Great Lakes Restoration Initiative, which is set to expire at the end of FY 2026, for another five years through FY 2031. The bill increases the FY 2026 authorization level from $475 million to $500 million starting in FY 2027. 

Casino bid at Nassau Coliseum renews concern for its next-door neighbors: Two dozen species of birds

Casino bid at Nassau Coliseum renews concern for its next-door neighbors: Two dozen species of birds

Tucked among the malls, parkways and office buildings of central Nassau County is 100 acres of natural habitat for birds, insects and threatened plant species resembling a prairie in the Midwest. 

The rare, county-owned grasslands sit adjacent to another county-owned site: The 72-acre asphalt property of the Nassau Veterans Memorial Coliseum where Las Vegas Sands has proposed a $6 billion casino-resort.

Environmentalists Outraged Over Hochul's Horseshoe Crab Bill Veto

Environmentalists Outraged Over Hochul's Horseshoe Crab Bill Veto

"While this bill is well-intentioned, the management of marine species is better left to the experts at DEC." — Gov. Kathy Hochul.

NEW YORK— Environmentalists are outraged over Gov. Kathy Hochul's recent decision to veto the Horseshoe Crab Protection Act, which prohibits the taking of horseshoe crabs from New York waters. The legislation would have allowed the populations to recover and ensured the survival of the important species, advocated said.

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