Letters

After living near and looking at beautiful Poxabogue Field daily for over 30 years, watching the grasses change colors through the seasons, the view across to Poxabogue Pond, the wildlife thriving there — protected Eastern box turtles; ground-nesting birds, including American woodcocks; deer, butterflies, beetles, moths, foxes, field mice, rabbits, woodchucks, snakes, salamanders, and all hidden animals that find protection to thrive in what has become an undisturbed grassland habitat after coming back from being a hayfield many years ago — I was thrilled when I heard it was being saved by our Community Preservation Fund dollars [“Fate of Southampton Town-Owned Poxabogue Field, Within Sagaponack Village, Is Debated at Town Board Meeting,” 27east.com, September 10].

I always assumed it would remain an open natural field vista and buffer to preserve the health and vitality of the greenbelt’s coastal plain pond ecosystem. It has served as a rare wildlife sanctuary in a place where open space has mostly turned into fenced farmland.

The field, situated in the Long Pond Greenbelt, is crucial to protecting our groundwater and ponds, is helping ensure biodiversity, safeguarding essential wildlife corridors, and helping maintain the balance of our environment.

Any farming practices, no matter how progressive, will destroy this habitat, and likely worsen pollution. We have heard “regenerative farming” may be used there. Any farming on this particular field will be degenerative, in the sense that fencing will obliterate the gorgeous vista and leave any animals who do survive plowing, planting, and being displaced from their ancestral homes and corridors, left to try to find their way to new habitat and breeding grounds without being killed in the road.

We can both support our valued farmers and farming in Sagaponack and also choose to save this one valuable habitat and wetlands buffer. Any farmers considering preserving their own agricultural land as future farms can rest assured: This is one single and unique situation. To leave the current designation as agricultural, even if it remains fallow for now, means the risk to these plants, animals, insects and our groundwater will continue to loom.

I hope others will urge the Southampton Town Board to protect this beautiful and irreplaceable habitat from being fenced and plowed, obliterating the wildlife who have established homes there, and to do the most responsible thing in preserving this rare and beautiful field in its natural state for the wildlife, for the health of Poxabogue Pond and the Long Pond Greenbelt, for the community, and for future generations.

Barbara Bornstein

Sagaponack