Editorial: A new model for Long Island land preservation

Any successful preservation of environmentally sensitive land is worthy of celebration.

That certainly was the case with the deal announced in September to protect 27 pristine acres overlooking Cold Spring Harbor. Just as noteworthy was the nature of the deal itself: The contract to purchase the land was signed by Suffolk County, the Town of Huntington and the private North Shore Land Alliance. Typically, private groups act as conduits on preservation deals, buying a parcel and then selling it to the county. This is the first time in Suffolk that a private organization has ended up on the title. And the alliance will take the lead in maintaining the property. With governments finding it increasingly difficult to fund open space acquisitions, getting private groups to literally take ownership is an encouraging development.

The purchase was an environmental no-brainer. The old DeForest Williams estate sits on the coastline above Cold Spring Harbor. Blocking development there means no septic leakage, no nitrogen and pesticide pollution runoff into the harbor, and no man-made erosion. The land has fox, deer, owls, migrant birds, wildflowers and hiking paths through a healthy forest. The purchase price is $6 million -- half from Suffolk, one-quarter each from Huntington and the alliance. The deal also calls for the alliance to purchase an additional four adjacent acres, which it plans to use for a parking lot and trailhead to make the property an active preserve. The deal was in the works for more than 10 years and still needs county legislative approval, which seems certain.

Other private-public partnerships on Long Island have focused on such projects as restoring historic buildings, and the state parks department often has required concessionaires to rehabilitate old facilities or build new ones. The DeForest Williams deal offers a new model, and one worth emulating.