Harold A. Reese Preserve

New: On December 30, 2024, DEC acquired a Conservation Easement on the Reese Preserve for public access and habitat protection. The property will be managed jointly by DEC and the Trust for habitat protection and passive public recreation such as hiking, cross-country skiing and snowshoeing, birding watching, nature study, and quiet enjoyment. “Conservation easements are a valuable tool to ensure the protection of New York’s open space for future generations,” DEC Interim Commissioner Sean Mahar said. “The Harold A. Reese Preserve is a unique and environmentally significant property, with both statewide and nationally rare ecosystems. DEC is excited to partner with the Peconic Land Trust to conserve this woodland habitat and safeguard recreational access for residents and visitors of Southold.”

In November 2020, the Trust acquired 29.8 acres from the Reese family. This preserve, named after the family's father, Harold A. Reese, is located on the Great Hog Neck Peninsula in Southold. Acquisition of the Reese property was made possible by the Reese family’s choice of a bargain sale, and also by accessing a line-of credit provided by an anonymous donor to the Trust.

The property had been owned by the Reese family since the mid-1960s and is predominantly woodland, with a 1-acre area of fresh water wetlands and is on the Peconic Estuary Program’s Critical Land Protection list. We thank the Reese family for recognizing the importance of conserving this environmentally sensitive area of the Peconic Bay Estuary.