Critical Lands Protection Plan (2004)

The Critical Lands Protection Strategy (CLPS) identified and prioritized the land available for development in the Peconic Watershedês five eastern towns for protection (e.g., Towns of Riverhead, Southold, Southampton, East Hampton, and Shelter Island). Using environmental criteria and Geographic Information Systems, each parcel was evaluated –through the lens” of habitat and water quality protection. The Strategy and hence this resulting Critical Lands Protection Plan, written in 2004, is not meant to be the sole reference for land protection in the region but rather a useful tool for State and local agencies that make land acquisition decisions in part on estuarine considerations. All the Peconicês available lands are presented and prioritized for protection in this Plan using graphics and tables according to priority categories met, environmental criteria met, and acreage, so that as years go by and lands are protected and developed, this document will continue to be useful.