Long Island Sound’s Plum Island A Step Closer to Being Saved From Sale to Developers

You could almost feel the excitement emanating from the hundreds of species that know Plum Island as their home when the good news arrived at year’s end.  Long at risk of losing their beloved Long Island Sound land due to the threats of development, the persistent action by environmental groups active in protecting Long Island Sound, along with the region’s elected representatives in Washington, earned a significant step towards reprieve.   

On December 29, Save the Sound reported that the Department of the Interior, the Department of Homeland Security, and the General Services Administration were directed to use reporting language that supports the conservation of Plum Island.  far-reaching, $1.65 trillion package of federal legislation signed by President Biden includes language that indicates support “for the permanent conservation of Plum Island for the protection in perpetuity of its natural and cultural resources.”

The Department of Homeland Security is now in the process of excessing the island, opening it up for transfer to another entity. The 121 organizational members in the Preserve Plum Island Coalition (PPIC), working for more than a decade to ensure its permanent conservation, saluted the breakthrough. Plans are now for there to be “a briefing to the committees regarding the closure and disposal process for the island’s permanent conservation, the possibility of interim ecological management, and options for permanent ownership of Plum Island.”

During 2022, the focus of PPIC was a campaign to have Plum Island declared a National Monument by President Biden via the 1906 Antiquities Act. More than 1,600 supporters have sent their letters to the White House, including Senators Schumer, Blumenthal, Murphy, and Gillibrand; the full Long Island delegation to the New York State legislature; the 18-member Suffolk County legislature; and every local public official on Long Island’s East End.

Save the Sound, a New Haven- based organization dedicated to fighting climate change, saving endangered lands, protecting the Long Island Sound, and working with nature to restore its ecosystem, has been working for years to preserve the island. The 840-acre island, home to the historic lighthouse and the Revolutionary War and World War II-era Fort Terry military base, is owned by the federal Department of Homeland Security.

In 2008, Congress had bypassed usual federal property disposal procedures with legislation that enabled sale of the island to the highest bidder. Save the Sound sued in court in 2016 due to a lack of consideration towards a conservation alternative. Surveys and studies of the island and the waters surrounding it have reportedly documented hundreds of species of animals and plants, including more than 100 “species of conservation concern.”  The Riverhead News-Review recently pointed out that “dives around the island have showcased rare animal and plant species in the its waters. The pristine conditions among the huge, submerged boulders left behind when the glaciers of the last Ice Age receded surprised specialists involved in the dives and those reviewing the data.”

Louise Harrison, New York Natural Areas Coordinator of Save the Sound, stated the coalition’s vision includes restricting certain parts of the island and limiting the number of people on the island at one time to protect the wildlife. The land also showcases numerous historic buildings and is crucial to Montaukett Indian Nation’s cultural heritage.

Other experts have stated that the island could grow up to 300 species of birds and protect the 228 recorded species that Plum Island already houses. If the land is lost to housing development, it would be a tremendous loss for the birds and many other animals. 

Senator Richard Blumenthal of Connecticut said, “Ensuring permanent conservation for Plum Island is absolutely critical and remains one of my top priorities in 2023. This language in the recently passed omnibus bill is a welcome step, and I look forward to continuing to pursue action in the near future to protect this national treasure.”

Bill Lucey, the Soundkeeper of the Long Island Sound, explains that housing density along the Long Island Sound has increased tremendously over the past few years. Rather than wildlife, there are rows of suburban homes and crowded beaches.

The coalition’s goal, according to Harrison, is to protect the land from development or sale, and make it a National Monument. The recent events put Save the Sound and the rest of the coalition closer to what they have been working on for the past many years.

“This significant action by Congress brings us one step closer to our goal of designating Plum Island a National Monument for the purposes of ecological conservation, historical preservation, and the discovery and celebration of our shared cultural heritage,” said Leah Lopez Schmalz, president of Save the Sound, which coordinates the Preserve Plum Island Coalition. “Plum Island truly is a national treasure. We are thankful that our leaders in Congress recognize that fact and have declared their support by calling for a Congressional briefing.”

To get involved with preserving Plum Island, visit https://www.preserveplumisland.org/, https://www.savethesound.org/take-action/join-activist-network or email Louise Harrison at lharrison@savethesound.org.

Photo credits: Doug Kuntz (top), Robert Lorenz (bottom)

Sarah Klepack contributed to this article.