Southampton - With the appreciation of local conservation advocates, Southampton Town Council members voted to acquire a two-acre parcel prioritized for protection.

Located at 365 Bridgehampton-Sag Harbor Turnpike, the property is part of the Long Pond Greenbelt target area and thus considered a priority site for park, recreation, open space, and preservation purposes. The area is so designated by the Town's Community Preservation Project Plan due to its collection of coastal plain ponds and the numerous vulnerable species.

Councilwoman Christine Preston Scalera, who was sworn-in January 3, was pleased such a "valued acquisition" was part of her first regular Town Council meeting. "Much of the wildlife there is particularly sensitive to water pollution and other disturbances," she said. "Large, uninterrupted tracts promote sustainable populations, as well as protect the surrounding watershed."

The pending purchase will add to another, which was previously authorized in early November, when Kennedy Park LLC offered to sell the Town four acres on Sag Harbor's Round Pound. The two parties closed on the parcel for $1,100,000 on November 29. The funds for that acquisition, along with the $450,000 needed for the Bridgehampton buy, came from the Town's Community Preservation Fund, which is funded by a two percent tax on property transfers within the Town.

"Grasslands are one of the most threatened natural habitats, disappearing at alarming rates here all across the country," remarked Dai Dayton, President of the Friends of the Long Pond Greenbelt. "We're thrilled that, with this purchase, the Vineyard Field Grassland Restoration area will be enlarged and another piece of the Greenbelt preserved for future generations."