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A Message from Our President
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Thank you for your support of conservation in 2024! And Happy New Year – I’m excited to see what 2025 will bring. I know that with you by our side we will be able to face new conservation opportunities and challenges head-on. Each year, the Trust community supports the bulk of our annual $6 million operating budget. Your gifts allow us and future generations to enjoy this beautiful place we call home. You enable us to:
- Conserve and steward the natural, agricultural, and cultural resources that make Long Island our home.
- Preserve working farms and support the farmers who feed us.
- Connect people to land and grow a diverse conservation community.
- Ensure a strong and enduring organization.
Knowing that we can always count on our friends and community is a wonderful feeling. You understand the value of protecting our local farms and natural resources. Thanks again for supporting conservation on Long Island! I would love to hear from you – if you have a moment, please share why this work is important to you.
With gratitude,
John v.H. Halsey
President
P.S. Weren’t able to support the Trust in 2024? We always appreciate your help. Make a gift today in support of conservation! Make a gift. |
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CPF Legislation Expands Purposes Including Lands of Significance to Indigenous People
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Our thanks to former Assembly Member Fred Thiele, who retired from the NYS Assembly earlier this month, and Senator Anthony Palumbo, for advancing amendments to the Peconic Bay Region Community Preservation Fund (CPF). Governor Hochul signed this legislation into law this past December. These amendments expand the definitions of water quality projects and include disadvantaged communities in this important conservation funding program. They also further broaden the definition of community character to include significant cultural resources including the Aboriginal land of Indigenous peoples including but not limited to burial sites, settlements, and land utilized for ceremonial purposes. Assembly Member Thiele, along with former State Senator Ken LaValle, was a champion of the CPF going back to the late 1990s. The 25-year old fund, which has raised more than $2.5 billion for East End Towns through a 2% real estate transfer tax, has been a critical source of public funding to protect more than 13,000 acres of farmland, woodlands, meadows, wetlands, and coastlines – it has also been used for water quality improvement projects.
Please spread the word that while the Trust works closely with Town CPF programs, it does not collect or distribute the funds of the CPF. These funds are collected by Suffolk County from buyers at real estate closings and then redistributed to the East End Town where the property is located. The Trust often raises private funds from donors to supplement Town CPF funds in conservation acquisitions. As such, the Trust is an independent 501(c)(3) conservation organization that depends upon private contributions to do its work. Interested in learning more, contact your Town CPF office or the Trust.
Thanks again Assembly Member Thiele for over 40 years of public service representing Eastern Long Island! We look forward to working with our local legislators at the State – including State Senator Anthony Palumbo, first-term Assembly Member Tommy John Schiavoni, and returning Assembly Member Jodi Giglio as we advance conservation on Long Island.
To learn more about our work related to the protection of Indigenous lands, including our work with the Indigenous-led Niamuck Land Trust, visit our website. To learn more about the Niamuck Land Trust, visit them online at www.NiamuckLandTrust.com. |
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Another Win for
Conservation on the North Fork
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Located on the scenic Great Hog Neck Peninsula in Southold, the Reese Preserve consists of 29.8 acres of undeveloped woodland and wetlands. The Reese family, who have over 50 years of development experience on the North Fork, initially planned to subdivide this parcel into 14 residential lots. In 2020, the Reese family sold the property to the Peconic Land Trust for conservation purposes. The Trust used a line-of-credit from an anonymous donor in order to make the purchase. On December 30, 2024, the Peconic Land Trust sold a conservation easement to the NYS Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC), ensuring the preservation of this property in perpetuity and providing the capital for the Trust to repay the line of credit for future use. The easement protects wildlife, native plants, and the quality of our drinking water and provides accessible trails for your recreational enjoyment. This natural land, together with our adjacent Wolf Preserve, forms a 53-acre woodland assemblage.
The Wolf Preserve was donated to the Peconic Land Trust by Mrs. Leonor D. Wolf in 2001. To learn more about the Wolf Preserve, click here. |
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Another Milestone for the Trust
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The Peconic Land Trust and its affiliate, South Fork Land Foundation, have been awarded renewed accreditation by the Land Trust Accreditation Commission! Melanie Tebbens, Vice President, explained that the multi-year process was rigorous and thorough in reviewing all project transactions, policies, and financials since the first accreditation approval in 2019. The required Land Trust Alliance standards and practices verify Board governance and financial oversight function with integrity; conservation easement and land transactions are transparent, and stewardship responsibilities are taken seriously. Accreditation is a mark of distinction, recognizing land trusts that meet the national quality standards established by the land conservation community.
Peconic Land Trust consistently practices according to standards that define a strong, effective organization you can trust to conserve your land forever.
Check out more good information about Accreditation and what it means for so many across America The Impact of Accreditation. |
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Job Opportunity | Advanced Apprenticeship
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The Peconic Land Trust is hiring for a 2025 Advanced Apprenticeship at Quail Hill Farm. The goal of the Quail Hill Farm apprenticeship is for beginning farmers to develop their farm management skills and understanding of organic farm systems. This position begins in early April 2024 and ends on November 22, 2025, with a minimum of 35 hours per week. View the full job description and requirements on our website. Interested applicants should email April Sohn, Human Resources Assistant. |
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You make our work possible. Thank you!
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Peconic Land Trust | 631.283.3195 | Info@PeconicLandTrust.org
Peconic Land Trust conserves Long Island’s working farms, natural lands, and heritage for our communities now and in the future. To learn more, visit us online at www.PeconicLandTrust.org.
The Peconic Land Trust is a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization. The majority of our support comes from our donors! We do not receive the 2% real estate transfer tax. Click here to learn more.
Financial Disclosure Statement: A copy of the last financial report filed with the New York State Attorney General may be obtained in writing to: New York State Attorney General’s Charities Bureau, Attn: FOIL Officer, 28 Liberty Street, New York, NY 10005 or Peconic Land Trust.
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