Deep Hole Creek Conservation

October 6^th  Update: 

It's hard to believe a month has passed since we signed a contract on the Deep Hole Creek parcel (4180 New Suffolk Avenue), effectively saving the nearly 15 acres from being subdivided into seven building lots.

We are so grateful to the Koehler family for choosing to collaborate with us, the Town, and YOU, the community, to achieve a conservation outcome. This land will be conserved forever, because so many people cared and joined together in community-focused spirit.

We anticipate closing on this property in November. At that time, the Peconic Land Trust will become the owner of this parcel, and with the simultaneous sale of development rights to the Town, the land will be protected in perpetuity.

The Trust chose to come forward as the temporary owner of this property so that we would not lose the land to development. However, the Trust plans to be an interim owner only, with the goal of selling the protected property to a conservation buyer who will potentially cultivate the land.

This is an incredible outcome in a very short period of time, and is only possible because of community members who have energetically rallied to preserve this land. In just a few months, $580,000 in community donations have been raised toward the purchase and permanent protection of this farmland!

We are so grateful for your continued support and for the amazing progress we continue to make, together.

Final Fundraising Effort: Now Through Year-End

As we mentioned when we went to contract, our fundraising efforts are not yet over. With the Trust stepping forward to become the interim owner of this parcel (the only viable option to permanently preserve the land given the seller’s short timeframe), we have additional costs to cover.

Between contracting and closing costs, such as environmental assessments and attorney fees, and landowner costs, such as property taxes and land stewardship for up to a year or more, we need to raise another $325,000 by the end of the year.

While that's not a small number, consider the remarkable support that brought us to this point:

• We have already raised $580,000 - the majority of community funds needed - thanks to YOU!
• The Town has signed off on the purchase of development rights, a key factor in moving forward;
• A long-time donor generously committed to paying the entire interest on the loan secured by the Trust to acquire the property as interim owner;
• We continue to seek support from major donors and have had promising conversations. If these efforts prove fruitful, our remaining fundraising target would drop.

Here’s how you can help:

• Please share this email with your friends and neighbors! Many times, it's a personal request from a valued friend that encourages someone to become a donor. That certainly has been the case with this project.
• If your circumstances allow, please consider a second donation, or an increased donation, to get us to the finish line. You can also pledge a future donation for 2022 and 2023, and the donation would not be due until that year arrives. Please email Alison if you're interested in learning how this works.

Our North Fork community is so generous and so passionate about this project. So far, we have the support of 75 individual donors in every hamlet from Laurel to Orient. And of these, 32​ of them are first-time donors to the Trust. Because of community outreach and commitment, we have a significant team of new conservation supporters joining with our longtime donors to make permanent protection possible!

Thank you for your generosity and hard work to support this project. Conservation does not happen alone, and we couldn’t do it without you.

A big thank you to our Steering Committee for their leadership in moving this project forward: