Funding Approved For Conservation In Mastic, Shirley

MASTIC-SHIRLEY, NY — A step forward has been taken to protect flood-prone areas in Mastic and Shirley.

The Suffolk County Legislature approved a resolution Wednesday that accepts and appropriates funding from the U.S Department of Agriculture – Natural Resources and Conservation Services for the restoration of environmentally sensitive lands in the Mastic/Shirley conservation area.

The goal of the resolution is to protect flood prone areas against future flooding and storm damage, said Suffolk County Legislator Rudy Sunderman.

“This is a great step forward for the tri-hamlet community," Sunderman said. “Superstorm Sandy devastated our area and this resolution will help to alleviate these problems in the future”.

There are many areas in the Mastic Beach and Shirley communities in low lying wetlands with high water tables that have been built upon in the past, Sunderman said. Development in the wetlands prevents the tidal marshes from acting as a natural sponge and soaking up the excess water, causing flooding to many properties, he added.

Suffolk County and the Town of Brookhaven have undertaken an "aggressive policy" known as strategic retreat, which looks to create conservation zones within the low lying areas to help restore the wetlands to open space so they can act as functional marshes, Sunderman explained.

The reso was brought forth at the legislative meeting as a certificate of necessity; the motion to approve was put forward by Sunderman and passed unanimously.

“I would like to thank my fellow legislators for their bipartisan support of this important legislation. This is a step in the right direction to protect my community from future flooding," Sunderman said.

After Superstorm Sandy, many areas along the south shore of Long Island were declared disaster areas. One area hit particularly hard was the tri-hamlet community. The resolution identifies 25 properties within the designated Mastic/Shirley Conservation Area and utilizes funds from the NRCS for acquisition and restoration to natural wetland habitats, Sunderman said.

The NRCS will reimburse Suffolk County for all costs associated with demolition and restoration, including surveys of site conditions, disposal of waste, securing permits, and all other costs associated with county employees and personal, Sunderman said.

Sunderman also put forth a resolution to preserve open space in the Mastic/Shirley conservation area. The resolution, which will be under consideration next month, seeks to create more open space within the designated conservation zone.

Suffolk County sometimes acquires property because of failure to pay taxes; if those acquired properties are within the Mastic/Shirley conservation area, the parcels should not be sold at auction but, instead, preserved, he said. Recent efforts will "go a long way to protect and preserve our waterfront community," Sunderman said.

Patch photo courtesy Legislator Rudy Sunderman.