| Long Island Central Pine Barrens | |
|---|---|
  Location of the Long Island Central Pine Barrens | |
| Location | New York, United States |
| Nearest city | Manorville |
| Coordinates | 40°52′48″N72°44′32″W / 40.87997583809637°N 72.7420901781702°W /40.87997583809637; -72.7420901781702 |
| Area | 100,000 acres (400 km2) |
| Established | 1993 |
| Governing body | Central Pine Barrens Joint Planning and Policy Commission |
TheLong Island Central Pine Barrens (also known as theLong Island Pine Barrens) is a large area of publicly protectedpine barrens inSuffolk County, New York, onLong Island, covering more than 100,000 acres (405 km2).
The Barrens operates similarly toAdirondack Park, with public lands managed by a mix of federal, state, county and local public land managers intermixed with private inholdings.
It is Long Island's largest natural area and its last remainingwilderness. The region contains a remnant of theAtlantic coastal pine barrensecoregion, whose forests might once have covered a quarter million acres (1,000 km2) on Long Island.
The Central Pine Barrens overlays and recharges a portion of a federally designated sole sourceaquifer for Long Island's drinking water. All of Long Island's drinking water comes fromground water wells; none of the island's water comes from reservoirs. Almost all of thePeconic River andCarmans River (two ofLong Island's four biggest rivers) as well as much of their watersheds are in the Barrens.
Two other large, contiguous examples of this ecosystem remain in thenortheastern United States: theMassachusetts Coastal Pine Barrens and theNew Jersey Pine Barrens.
In the 1970s the State of New York began acquiring large parcels to create agreenbelt. The federal government atBrookhaven National Laboratory transferred 2,300 acres (9 km2) in 1971 andRCA transferred 7,200 acres (29 km2) aroundRocky Point in 1978 (for a cost of $1).
In 1984 the Pine Barrens Review Commission was created to review development in the region. In 1986 the Suffolk County Open Space Program financed by a 0.25% sales tax was to result in 28 new Suffolk County Parks in the region totalling 4,600 acres (19 km2)[1]
Despite the efforts development pressure continued and in 1989 the Long Island Pine Barrens Society filed a multibillion-dollarsuit against Suffolk County, and the towns of Brookhaven, Riverhead and Southampton.[2] The Society eventually lost its suit in the New York's highest court—theNew York Court of Appeals—after winning in earlier courts.
In 1993 theNew York State Legislature approved the Long Island Pine Barrens Protection Act to protect the region through the development and implementation of a comprehensive land use plan. The act also created the Central Pine Barrens Joint Planning & Policy Commission to oversee the plan, and divided the area into two regions:
The initial towns wereBrookhaven,Riverhead, andSouthampton. In 1998East Hampton set aside a small portion of land for the Barrens and it was expanded to 1,000 acres (4.0 km2) in 2007.[3]
In late August-early September 1995, a series of majorbrush fires swept through the pine barrens region. The first major fire incident occurred inRocky Point, but was extinguished within days of its outbreak. A larger, more catastrophic fire erupted in theWesthampton area just shortly after the Rocky Point blaze was brought to an end. The fire, aided by high winds and dry conditions, quickly spread, threatening area homes and businesses. The fire was nicknamed the "Sunrise Wildfire", as it engulfed both sides ofSunrise Highway, the major highway connecting theHamptons region with the rest of Long Island. The fires closed down the highway and stopped railroad service, effectively cutting the Hamptons off from the rest of the island for days as firefighters from all over Long Island,FDNY, andConnecticut worked around the clock to battle the blaze.[citation needed]
By early September, the Sunrise Wildfire was extinguished, but the results of that fire, in addition to the Rocky Point fire, were disastrous: Approximately 7,000 acres (28 km2) had burned, numerous homes and small businesses suffered damage, and 400 people were forced to evacuate their homes. The fire, which erupted during the peak of the Hamptons' tourist season, resulted in a considerable economic blow for the region. However, the human toll was very light; a few firefighters suffered injuries, and nobody was killed in the event.[citation needed]
As of 2007, the region has mostly recovered from the damage it sustained, although some vegetation still bears the scars of the fire. Pine Barren ecosystems are highly adapted to fire and generally require periodic fires to maintain their unique vegetation and wildlife.[citation needed]
On April 9, 2012, several brushfires joined to ignite over 2,000 acres (8.1 km2) of woodland aroundManorville,Ridge andBrookhaven. By the end of the day, the fires were intense enough to cause a closure of parts of theLong Island Expressway. Parts ofRiverhead were placed under mandatory evacuation.[4]
The fire burned 1,124 acres (4.55 km2) of pine lands. About 600 firefighters from about 109 departments battled the fire with 30 brush trucks, 20 tankers, and 100 engines. Airdrops of water were made by aNew York State Police helicopter.[5][6]
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On March 8, 2025, multiple brush fires erupted in the Long Island Central Pine Barrens, prompting evacuations and emergency response efforts. The fires, fueled by dry conditions and strong winds, spread rapidly across the East End of Long Island, particularly affecting the Pine Barrens ecosystem.[7]
GovernorKathy Hochul declared a state of emergency in response to the fires, mobilizing state resources and deploying theNew York National Guard for aerial firefighting support. Over 40 fire departments from across the region collaborated to contain the blazes, which led to road closures, including sections of Sunrise Highway.[8]
The fires posed a significant threat to residential areas and infrastructure, resulting in precautionary evacuations, including personnel atFrancis S. Gabreski Airport.[9] Officials closely monitored weather conditions as the situation developed, urging residents to follow evacuation orders and safety advisories.[citation needed]
Authorities cited the fire as a reminder of the region's vulnerability to wildfires, emphasizing the importance of fire prevention and forest management efforts in the Pine Barrens.[8]
The Central Pine Barrens Commission and the Migliarino-San Rossore-Massaciuccoli (MSRM) Regional Park inTuscany, Italy are "twin parks" under aNew York State program which supports such programs with the goal of sharing knowledge and experience between the citizens of both regions.[citation needed]
