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Congressman Zeldin: Plum Island Conservation Preserves 'Rich History'

In this Oct. 6, 2010 file photo, people on a tour of Plum Island, N.Y., off the coast of Long Island, watch seals relaxing on the rocky shore.
AP Photo/Seth Wenig
In this Oct. 6, 2010 file photo, people on a tour of Plum Island, N.Y., off the coast of Long Island, watch seals relaxing on the rocky shore.

A coalition of elected officials and environmental advocates are celebrating a major victory in passing legislation to block the federally mandated sale of Plum Island.

The 840-acre island off the coast of Long Island is prized for its ecological diversity, historical significance and its research facility.

New York Congressman Lee Zeldin said he negotiated with the Department of Homeland Security, who long opposed the repeal of the 2008 federal law mandating the sale.

"What we advocate for is continuing to conserve the 90% of Plum Island that is undeveloped, to protect that rich history, to renovate and rejuvenate the historic Plum Island lighthouse, to grant some level of public access, and to make a smart use of the state-of-the-art research infrastructure that exists there today," Zeldin said.

Greg Jacob, a policy advisor at the Nature Conservancy, said the 2008 law requiring its sale to the highest bidder placed the island’s unique ecosystem in grave danger.

"This mandatory requirement turned the land disposition process, the federal land disposition process, on its head, and left Plum Island vulnerable to acquisition by individuals and developers who really didn’t have the island’s best interests at heart," Jacob said.

The coalition will now need to convince federal agencies to take on stewardship of the land to ensure its permanent preservation.

The plan for Plum Island’s future includes nature preserves with limited public access, a restored lighthouse and historic district and a research district.