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Enormous Development Proposals Threaten East End
*Important Announcements *
*The March 26th Coalition for Open Space at EPCAL meeting has been postponed.*
New Interior Department Study Shows Birds Declining Rapidly Nationwide
Short Eared Owls Have Returned!
Short Eared Owls are using the EPCAL site again this year!
For anyone with permission to be on site, or with high zoom cameras, we welcome photos of this beautiful endangered bird using this special local grassland habitat.
*The March 26th Coalition for Open Space at EPCAL meeting has been postponed.*
New Interior Department Study Shows Birds Declining Rapidly Nationwide
This recently released study is the most
comprehensive assessment of U.S. bird populations, and the results are
deeply concerning. More than 250 of the 800 bird species occurring in
the United States are either endangered, threatened, or in serious
decline. as scary as this is, it is only the start of the problem,
birds are an indicator species on the health of our environment
nationwide. Their severe decline as described in this report,
highlights the precarious situation our environment is currently in.
However, the report also offers significant evidence that bird
populations respond rapidly and positively to conservation measures
where critical habitats have been protected from degradation or
restored. For more information, the full report, and a video program check out: www.stateofthebirds.org.
Short Eared Owls Have Returned!
Short Eared Owls are using the EPCAL site again this year!
For anyone with permission to be on site, or with high zoom cameras, we welcome photos of this beautiful endangered bird using this special local grassland habitat.
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Summary of Issues
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Enterprise Park at Calverton (EPCAL) is a ~2900 acre mostly undeveloped parcel of land in western Riverhead. And current development proposals, including the largest development proposal ever on the East End, threaten 800 acres of rare grassland habitat as well as portions of the LI Pine Barrens, SC Special Groundwater Protection Area, the Peconic Estuary watershed and the LI Sound watershed.
In 1998, the Navy turned over EPCAL to the Town of Riverhead, when the Grumman operations located on the site shut down. Today this property is facing a number of extremely large development proposals, including a group of eight major themed resorts, a 90-acre fake lake, a 350 foot indoor ski slope, ATV parks, and industrial development outside the industrial core. The resorts alone could bring at least 1.5 million people to the site each year. The environmental and community impacts caused by development of this magnitude would surely affect the entire region, from air quality to daily commutes!
Some of the many probable environmental impacts include: water pollution from increased sewage and proximity to the sole source aquifer, intense development in the protected Pine Barrens, decreases in air quality due to excessive energy use and increased traffic, increased demand on LI’s limited energy supplies and water supply, destruction of rare grassland habitat relied on by endangered/threatened species, threats to freshwater wetlands, as well as negative impacts on the Peconic estuary and LI Sound watersheds.
Concerning quality of life impacts include: greatly increased noise, destruction of rural character, greatly increased traffic on currently congested roads, disruption of services at Calverton National Cemetery, possible widening of small community roads or creation of new roads, increased demand on community services (i.e. ambulance, police, fire) and resultant costs for residents.
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Coalition for Open Space at EPCAL is a group of environmental and civic
organizations, working
to ensure that environmental protection as well as quality of life
impacts are thoroughly considered in the review of these enormous
development proposals.
____________________________________________________________________________**Special thanks to the Johnson Family Foundation for their generous support in the creation of this website and other outreach materials.**