The Peconic Land Trust, in conjunction with the Oysterponds Historical Society, has completed a conservation and preservation project that includes the acquisition of nearly 3 acres of land by the trust, the protection of two historic houses, the addition of 13 acres of protected land, and protected shoreline on and around Dam Pond in East Marion.
The project first began when the two properties were given to the Oysterponds Historical Society by the Estate of Sonja Stein in 2011. Ms. Stein acquired turn-of-the-century homes after she moved to East Marion in 1971 and desired that they maintain their historical integrity. The properties also contain open meadows, woodland and natural habitats that the two organizations deem worthy of conservation.
The northerly and westerly boundaries of the property next to Dam Pond and the Ruth Olivia Preserve at Dam Pond, which is part of a collection of conservation properties totaling more than 100 acres that have been protected by the Peconic Land Trust with help from private landowners, the Town of Southold and Suffolk County.
Peconic Land Trust President John v.H. Halsey said that Dam Pond and the surrounding areas are a “conservation jewel that defines the North Fork’s unique sense of place.”
The trust will be responsible for a 2.7-acre parcel on Dam Pond that will be known as the Sonja Stein Preserve. The funds to acquire the land were donated from the Estate of J. Philip Anderegg, authorized by executor Arthur Tasker.
“With this partnership we are able to assure that this property, which is environmentally and historically important to the community of Oysterponds, will be protected in perpetuity, just as Ms. Stein wished for it to be,” said Oysterponds Historical Society’s Board of Trustees President Ruth Ann Bramson.
27east on Mar 19, 2012