Riverhead - Suffolk County Executive Steve Levy was joined by Town of Riverhead officials and environmental advocates on September 9 in announcing the planned purchase of development rights to 30 acres at the Kozak Family Farm. In combination with adjacent land that had previously been secured, there will now be 189 total acres of contiguous, county-preserved farmland stretching north from Reeves Avenue to Sound Avenue in Riverhead.

"Suffolk's commitment to its agricultural heritage is exemplified by our preservation of the Kozak Family Farm," said Levy. "This tract provides a cherished rarity for both passersby and local residents - locally grown, locally sold Long Island produce - and that is a proud tradition we are pleased to preserve."

The 30-acre parcel is currently cultivated for cauliflower, broccoli, potatoes, squash and some pumpkins. The $2.2 million county purchase, which requires legislative approval, would add to the 7,000 acres already preserved during the Levy administration and would be the 75th farmland saved from development.

Riverhead Town officials were on hand to endorse Levy's preservation effort. "Thank you, Suffolk County Executive Levy, for your continued support in keeping agriculture strong in the Town of Riverhead," stated Supervisor Sean M. Walter, "and thank you to the Kozakiewicz family for their dedication in keeping a rich tradition alive."

Mark Zaweski, president of the Long Island Farm Bureau, thanked Suffolk County "for aggressively working to preserve farmland by buying development rights to ensure that our residents will be able to have access to farm-fresh products produced on our family farms for generations to come."

John V.H. Halsey, president of the Peconic Land Trust, lauded the county's efforts under Levy. "We applaud Suffolk County's efforts on behalf of working farms, as exemplified by the purchase of development rights for the 30-acre Kozak Family Farm in Riverhead. This is truly a wonderful acquisition that protects a large swath of contiguous farmland and illustrates how important the county's historic farmland protection program has been and continues to be to the future of farming on Long Island."

Robert S. DeLuca, president of Group for the East End, added, "The future of farming on Long Island truly relies upon the good will of hard-working farm families like the Kozakiewicz' who have made the personal commitment to save their land and help preserve a viable agricultural economy for all of Long Island. danWe deeply appreciate the individual conviction of the Kozakiewicz family and the lasting commitment to strategic land preservation by Suffolk County."

Since Levy's inauguration in 2004, when he revitalized a nearly dormant and scandal-ridden open space program, Suffolk has spent more than $400 million to purchase or preserve nearly 8,000 acres of land, which is more than eight-and-a-half times the size of New York's Central Park. Under Levy, Suffolk has acquired 916 parcels of land and preserved 75 farms to date—and the aggressive pursuit of environmentally significant parcels and farmlands continues.

Levy has implemented a number of measures to revitalize and reinvigorate the county's open space and water protection programs, including use of a Master List of properties to speed up the planning and appraisal processes and to take the politics out of land acquisition; streamlining the contract process; increasing the number of attorneys in the Division of Real Estate for closings; implementing a $75 million Save Open Spaces (SOS) Bond Act; and expanding the number of acquisitions done with other municipalities, environmental agencies or private land trusts.

In 2006, Levy created a $50 million Environmental Legacy Fund in the county's capital budget, which is earmarked for acquisitions in which other municipalities or private interests apply matching funds. The Legacy Fund was recognized in 2008 by the National Association of Counties and the National Land Trust with a County Leadership in Conservation Award, and Levy recently received a Leadership Award from the Long Island Farm Bureau.

Levy also led the charge in extending the quarter-cent sales tax through 2030 to be used exclusively for environmental preservation.