HomeMy WebLinkAbout12/13/2009 Letter to Town Board re: SCWAORIENT-EAST MARION PARK DISTRICT
December 13, 2009
"TRUMANS BEACH"
Mr. Scott A. Russell, Supervisor
And the Southold Town Board
53095 Route 25
POBox 1179
Southold, New York 11971
RECEIVED
DEC 2 3 20O9
$outbold Town Clerk
Dear Supervisor Russell and Town Board Member,
We, Commissioners of the Orient East Marion Park District, are the publically elected
stewards and protectors of 55 acres of wetlands, uplands, and beach boarding Long Island
Sound and Peconic Estuary.
Established in 1971, the Park District is a signii%ant habitat for migrating birds such as
osprey, herons, white egrets, willets, plovers, and black duck as well as a breeding
n~x~ery for commercially important scallops, oysters, clams. We oversee the safe and
secure management of the public beach (Trunmn's Beach), and historically we have acted
to protect the sensitive wi~d life habitats against the negative impacts of unnecessary
public beach expansion and development.
We applaud the Town's consideration of a Special Groundwater Protection District for
Orient, to protect against pollutants into the groundwater that recharges the surface
waters which sustain our wildlife habitats.
However, we are seriously concerned about the proposed Suffolk County Water
Authority/SCWA three-mile water line extension through the Park District and its impact
on the integrity of the park. It would be a breech of our responsibility to the public to not
require that Southold Town and the SCWA pursue an environmental review and impact
statement as required by the New York Stye. Environmental Quality Review Act.
R. esp~ly Submitted,
Commissioners
Orient-East Marion Park District
RO. BOX 12 · ORIENT, NEWYORK 11957