Long Island Central Pine Barrens - History

History

The pine barrens region had remained 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 2,300 acres (9 km2) in 1971 and RCA transferred 7,200 acres (29 km2) 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 4,600 acres (19 km2)

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.

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 through the development and implementation of a comprehensive land use plan. the Act also created the Central Pine Barrens Joint Planning & Policy Commission to oversee the plan, and divided the area into two regions:

• A core 53,000 acres (214 km2) area where no development is permitted at all. The area was expanded to 55,000 acres (223 km2) 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 47,000 acres (190 km2) acre Compatible Growth Area where limited, environmentally compatible development is allowed.

The initial towns were Brookhaven, Riverhead, and Southampton. In 1998 East Hampton set aside a small portion of land for the Barrens and it was expanded to 1,000 acres (4.0 km2) in 2007.