Save Plum Island

About a mile from Orient Point, at the tip of Long Island’s North Fork, lies the 840-acre pork-chop shaped Plum Island. This pristine island - home to hundreds of species, some rare and endangered - is at risk of development. Parks and Trails New York has joined the Preserve Plum Island Coalition and advocates for the permanent protection of this special island.

Plum Island is much more than the infamous Animal Disease Center that was established by the US Department of Agriculture. The island is home to the Plum Island Light, a lighthouse that was built in 1869 and Fort Terry, 1897, which protected vital shipping channels into Long Island Sound. Fort Terry operated until WWII.

Most importantly, Plum Island still contains significant natural resources and possesses remarkable scenic, environmental value and recreational potential. The island has a mixture of rocky shoreline, sand beaches, wetlands, and various upland shrub, grassland, and forest habitats. Based on detailed census work by Audubon staff over the past three years, over 200 bird species have been documented as breeding or foraging on Plum Island and adjacent coastal waters. These include a variety of birds-of-prey, shorebirds, wading birds, waterfowl, and songbird species.

The mission of the Preserve Plum Island Coalition (PPIC) is to secure the permanent protection of the significant natural and cultural resources of Plum Island. The PPIC advocates for comprehensive solutions that safeguard this national treasure; this includes dedicating Plum Island’s undeveloped acreage, approximately 80% of the island, as a National Wildlife Refuge, or creating a preserve providing equivalent protection in perpetuity. The PPIC recognizes the existence of the Plum Island Animal Disease Center (PIADC) and the jobs supported by this facility. If the Center is closed, and no adaptive reuse occurs, the PPIC supports the removal of non-historic buildings and surplus infrastructure, the clean-up and restoration of any impacted resources and the dedication of the PIADC property as conservation lands.

Your voice matters. Tell NY legislators that preservation of ecologically significant lands are important and that Plum Island should be protected in perpetuity. Click Here to take action.

Interested in learning more? Check out this video about Plum Island.