Southampton Town Receives State Grant To Battle Invasive Species in Long Pond Greenbelt

Southampton Town has received a $24,000 grant to help control invasive species in Long Pond and Little Long Pond in the Long Pond Greenbelt, a series of ponds and woodlands stretching from Sag Harbor to Sagaponack.

The funding is part of $3 million in grants announced last month by Governor Kathy Hochul for 43 projects across the state. The grants are administered through the State Department of Environmental Conservation’s Invasive Species Grant Program, and will help recipients develop management plans for targeted lakes and ponds.

“The Long Pond Greenbelt is an ecological treasure, comprised of interconnected coastal plain ponds stretching from Otter Pond in Sag Harbor to Sagaponack Lake,” said Juliana Quant, senior environmental analyst in the town’s Community Preservation Department, in a release. “These ponds and the surrounding habitats support diverse communities of plants and wildlife, including some of the rarest species in the state. As is too often the case, invasive species are a dire threat to these natural communities. This grant will empower us to thoroughly understand the status of the ponds and the best management practices to protect them.”

“We are very excited to receive this grant, and we look forward to making a positive impact on these rare and beautiful habitats,” said Jacqueline Fenlon, the director of the Community Preservation Department. “Many thanks to our partners in the Friends of the Long Pond Greenbelt, the Town Trustees, LIISMA, the South Fork Natural History Museum, and the Town Board for their support in bringing this to fruition.”

“We are committed to protecting New York’s waterways, forest lands, and agricultural crops from dangerous invasive species,” Governor Hochul said in the release. “This funding supports projects across the state that will help prevent the spread of invasive species in New York, protecting our natural resources, economy and public health from the negative impacts of this threat.”

The town will be required to provide 25 percent matching funds, or $6,000, to the effort.