Spring / Summer 2005 Volume 1, Issue 2 Board of Trustees Carter Bales, Chairman Advisory Committee to Recommend Luis Rinaldini, Vice-Chairman Land Acquisitions for Nassau County Rosemary Bourne, Secretary & Treasurer Environmental Bond… Robert Bernhard John Bralower Danny Davison n November 2004, Nancy Douzinas Ralph Fumante Ishortly after the Nassau Stephen Green Jane Greenleaf County Environmental Leland Hairr Bonds was passed, County Tom Lieber Virginia Mailman Executive Tom Suozzi Clarence Michalis appointed a non-partisan Jonathan Moore Judy Murray advisory committee to Barry Osborn screen applications and Paul Rabinovitch Patsy Randolph make recommendations Julie Rinaldini Larry Schmidlapp about how bond monies Zach Taylor are to be expended. The Members of the Nassau County Bond Advisory Committee take a Paula Weir break from their weekly meeting. Pictured left to right are Tom Maher, Karl Wellner committee is comprised Cynthia Cooper, Brian Muellers, Chairman, Adrienne Esposito, of nine voting members Lisa Ott, NSLA Executive Director, Dan Donatelli and Neal Lewis. Advisory Board Myron Blumenfeld representing different Anne Cannell geographic areas as well working farms. He also Muellers, held a series of Judith Chapman Louise Harrison as advisors from the Open thanked the North Shore meetings across the county Neal Lewis Robert Mackay Space and Parks Advisory Land Alliance (NSLA) to educate residents about Peter MacKinnon Committee (OSPAC), for bringing the idea the procedure for nominat- Sarah J. Meyland Patricia Pelkowski the Nassau County of an open space bond ing projects for the bond. Kyle Rabin Planning Commission, to his attention. There are four categories Jennifer Rimmer Peter Schiff and experts from the real (continued on page 15) Katie Schwab estate, legal, public works NSLA is well represented John W. Turner Richard Weir and parks departments. on the Advisory C O N T E N T S Tom Zoller Committee with Ralph Director’s Letter 2 NSLA Staff At the first meeting, Fumante, Trustee, Katie North Hills 3 Lisa Ott, Recent NSLA Events 4 Executive Director County Executive Suozzi Schwab and Neil Lewis, Liz Remsen, announced that he Advisory Board Members NY Times Panel 6 Associate Director Conservation Measures 7 Peach Schneir intended to bond the full and Lisa Ott, Executive DEC Hearing 8 Associate Director $50 million this year Director. The committee, Julie Abbate Friend Raiser 10 Office Manager and that his priority was chaired by former Nassau New Board Members 11 Daria Lamb, What is a PDR? 12 Event Coordinator Nassau County's last County Legislator, Brian JCT 13 Mission Statement New Staff 14 NYS Open Space List 16 The North Shore Land Alliance, Inc. ("NSLA") is a land trust formed to LTA Grants 18 protect and preserve, in perpetuity, the green spaces, wetlands and historical Upcoming Events 19 sites of Long Island's North Shore for the enjoyment and benefit of future Contributors 20 generations and the protection and enhancement of homeowner quality of life. Membership 24 1 A Letter From the Executive Director In "Watch Dog" Role for a Land Trust, NSLA Challenges Village of North Hills… Photo courtesyNewsday Dear Friends, was NSLAalerted It was a long, cold winter 2. Thank Nassau County eloquently defended in the beginning of 2005 and a great time to lay Executive Suozzi and the importance of about a development groundwork for our Legislature and Oyster conservation ease- threat to a special 18.4 conservation efforts for Bay Town Supervisor ments, a big hug if acre property in the this year. From the time Venditto and Board I ever meet him. Village of North Hills. I was a young girl, I for providing $45 Known locally as Grace have always been a list million to spend Never before have we Forest, these rare maker but never in my locally on open space been in such a good woodlands are one of life have I felt as good nominations this year. position to make real the last sites on Long about making lists as the conservation happen. Island that contain tulip, ones we are helping to 3. Attend New York State With the availability of red oak and beech trees. write now. Department of Parks our County and Town In addition, rare wetlands, and Environmental funds, we can now critical in protecting My “To Do” List: Conservation (DEC) leverage local dollars Long Island's drinking NSLA's Liz Remsen & Biologist Dr. Andrew Greller 1. Identify and contact committee meetings with the state, with water, exist on and near visit Grace Forest in North Hills major property owners and work to get more federal tax deductions the site. based on the "Green- Nassau County with private, public be protected. Grace conservation easement Print." Thanks to a properties on the partnerships creating The Village of North Hills Forest is a designated intended to preserve the new system developed New York State Open }an even bigger pool wants to lift a restrictive Special Groundwater property "in perpetuity." for us by the Trust for Space List currently to preserve our last covenant that currently Protection Area (SGPA) Public Lands, with in revision. remaining open spaces. protects Grace Forest in and such open space The trustees in the village data from the Nassau order to build 60 new is needed to provide of North Hills are still County Planning 4. Thank NSLA members Thank you for being our condominiums. NSLA groundwater recharge, reviewing the developer's Commission, we are and friends for all the members and friends and spent months investigat- critical in protecting the subdivision application, able to identify all letters and e-mails helping us throughout the ing land use laws, deep flow aquifers which though they now have to Nassau County they wrote to their year. We are optimistic attending several North supply Long Island's consider open space and properties greater than elected officials asking that this is going to be Hills Village meetings, drinking water. water issues as well as 5 acres and begin that tax deductions a very good year for and educating the village listen to the concerns of to connect them for land conservation conservation on the trustees and residents on Grace Forest is an their residents. NSLA systematically into remain in place. Give North Shore. several issues. ecologically significant will continue to inform wonderful swaths of Senator Schumer, woodland, home to many the residents of North open, green space. who strongly and Sincerely, The Department rare and old growth trees Hills on the pending of Environmental and provides a habitat proposal and encourage Conservation (DEC) for many species of them to attend the public has determined that plants and birds. hearings, speak out and wetlands in Grace Forest demand protection for Lisa W. Ott are of "unusual local Finally, Grace Forest is this rare property before importance" and should protected by a it is too late. 2 Conservation News Spring / Summer 2005 3 NSLA Holds 2nd Annual Family Picnic... NSLA Sponsors Land Use Planning Workshop… held its Many Thanks to Our Generous or land use on Long NSLAsecond FIsland, the balance NSLA Trustee Patsy Randolph, annual Family Picnic on Family Picnic Sponsors of open space preserva- NSLA Associate Director Peach th Schnier and Nassau County June 5 at The Nature Andersen Family Lombardi Family tion and economic Planning Commission Director Conservancy's Upland Rosemary Bourne McNicol Family growth is critical. With Patty Bourne during seminar Farms in Cold Spring de Rothschild Family Ott Family that in mind, NSLA Family Picnic Co-Chairs Caitlin Harbor. Many families Donohue Family Remsen Family invited top land use Weissman & Emily Johnson accept flowers and thanks with from all over the North Mollie Eckelberry Romagnuolo Family planner, Randall Arendt, Mollie Eckelberry Shore enjoyed a beautiful Feinstein Family Ryan Family to conduct a seminar afternoon of music, Hahn Family Schlesinger Family focusing on conservation games, crafts, delicious Heaney Family Stern Family subdivision design. On food by Bernard's of Heyke Family Wachtler Family May 26th, 135 land use Glen Head and more. Johnson Family Walsh Family decision makers gathered Upland Farms was the Debra Kirsch Weissman Family at the Hoffman Center perfect setting to talk in Muttontown for a 5 with families about land partnership with The public officials on "steps hour workshop to learn protection and how Nature Conservancy to to take" to preserve conservation design and NSLA is working in educate landowners and open space. the supporting regulatory Co-Sponsors of land use planning workshop, from left: Paul Rabinovitch, Executive framework needed by Director of The Nature Conservancy LI; Loyd Zuckerberg, President of Nassau Land Youngster bounces on hippity Trust; Lisa Ott, Executive Director of North Shore Land Alliance; Randall Arendt, hop during NSLA Family Picnic villages and towns. guest presenter; Ursula Niarakis of the Hoffman Center; Kyle Rabin, Executive Attendees included Director of Friends of the Bay, and William Niarakis of the Hoffman Center Village Mayors, Trustees, Town and County whenever the underlying Planning Board Members, density is one unit per Builders, Architects, acre or lower. Landscape Architects, Engineers, and Realtors. Mr. Arendt's workshop offered valuable "greener" Mr. Arendt's message land use planning tools was clear: in order to and an enlightened vision Children enjoy game tables at Isobel, Josie & Adrienne Family Picnic Lister Family arrives for NSLA Coleman at NSLA Family Picnic achieve a community's for decision makers to