Environment

Iaowts-septic-system-1024x606
Environment Top Stories

Flush With Cash, Suffolk Promises Faster Septic Grant Process

Beth Young
There have been several hiccups along the road since Suffolk County launched a grant program in 2017 to help homeowners install new nitrogen-reducing septic systems, but this summer the county has relaunched the application process through a streamlined online form — with up to $45,000 in funding available to each homeowner. When the program began in 2017, the county estimated there were about 360,000 outdated septic systems across Suffolk, leaching
Read More
cattails
Environment Greenport nature Photos Recent Upcoming

An Exploration of Where the Wild Things Grow

East End Beacon
ReWild Long Island’s North Fork Chapter and Group for the East End are inviting North Forkers s to explore the native plants growing right here during “Where the Wild Things Grow: A Native Plant Discovery Walk,” on Saturday, Sept. 12 from 10 to 11 a.m. at Skipper Horton Park in Greenport. The relaxed, one-hour walk will offer participants an opportunity to slow down, enjoy the natural landscape, and discover the
Read More
Suffolk County Water Authority CEO Jeff Szabo at the Aug. 6 forum at the Greenport Firehouse.
Environment North Fork Pipeline Recent Upcoming

Ahead of Upcoming Hearings, Water Authority Lays Out Case for North Fork Pipeline

Beth Young
When the Suffolk County Water Authority holds public hearings in the coming week on the proposed North Fork Pipeline, a few things will be different than they were during last year's rounds of public meetings. Pictured Above: Suffolk County Water Authority CEO Jeff Szabo at the Aug. 6 forum at the Greenport Firehouse. First and foremost, the route has changed — the pipeline is now slated to travel down the
Read More
mussels_creek
Environment Jamesport North Fork

North Fork Environmental Council to Host Discussion on “The Water We Drink, The Water We Love”

East End Beacon
The North Fork Environmental Council will close out its 2026 Summer Speaker Series on Thursday, August 13 at 6 p.m. with "The Water We Drink, The Water We Love," a free panel discussion on how everyday choices affect Long Island's sole-source aquifer and the creeks, bays and estuaries that depend on it. The program will be held at the Jamesport Meeting House in Jamesport. As with all NFEC speaker series
Read More
Town Beach
Climate Change Coastal Resilience Environment Southold

Southold Takes Another Look at Coastal Resilience Planning

Beth Young
Southold Town is searching for ways to incorporate coastal resilience into its Zoning Update, after many residents asked that protecting the coastlines be made a priority. After much public criticism of a planned massive overhaul of the town's zoning code in 2025, the town's Planning Department announced this spring that it is prioritizing changing certain aspects of the code that will have the greatest impact — community housing, changes to
Read More
The revised North Fork Pipeline route announced July 24, 2026.
Environment North Fork Pipeline Upcoming

Water Authority Proposes Shifting North Fork Pipeline to the Main Road

Beth Young
The Suffolk County Water Authority announced Friday, July 24 that it is planning a new route for its proposed North Fork Pipeline, which will shift construction to the Main Road. It had initially been routed on Sound Avenue. The Water Authority says it will hold three public hearings on its Draft Environmental Impact Statement for the project in August to "showcase the plan and accept public comments." In the original
Read More
Plum-Island web
Environment Recent Southold

Suffolk Will Seek to Preserve Plum Island

Beth Young
Suffolk County Executive Ed Romaine announced July 15 that the county will seek to acquire Plum Island, the 822-acre island off the tip of the North Fork that has been home to a federal agricultural disease laboratory since 1954. Plum Island is currently managed by the U.S. Department of Homeland Security, which is expected to issue a "Report of Excess" of the island when the science mission at the Plum
Read More
Arts Environment Photos

Magic in the Trees: Bird Song Project Brings Sculpture to Inlet Pond

Beth Young
(l-r) Colleen McDonough, Peggy Lauber, John Wittenberg and Helen Hooke with John Warner's sculpture on the Sculpture Trail this week. At Top: Arden Scott's dancing figures in the woods. One of the most wonderful things about a sculpture installation in a natural environment is the way the pieces interact with the landscape over the course of time — through seasons and weather and the growth cycle of the plants that
Read More
sprinkler head watering irrigation
Announcements Environment Top Stories

Water Authority Asks Customers to “Refrain From Lawn Watering Immediately,” Plans Talk in Greenport

East End Beacon
After the Suffolk County Water Authority announced a Stage 1 Water Alert earlier this week, the agency emailed its customers Wednesday afternoon asking them to "refrain from lawn watering immediately." "SCWA infrastructure is reaching maximum capacity under current drought and heat conditions. You may experience low water pressure in the early morning hours, as demand is at its highest during this time," warned the Water Authority in the email to customers.
Read More
A Suffolk County monitoring well across Route 25 from the Grumman Memorial Park
Environment Recent Riverhead

Navy Pitches Interim PFAS Cleanup Plan at EPCAL

Beth Young
In the wake of pressure from Suffolk County to clean up numerous environmental issues emanating from the former Grumman plant in Calverton, consultants for the U.S. Navy have unveiled a plan to capture a groundwater plume of the emerging contaminants PFAS that is believed to be spreading toward a nearby lake and the Peconic River. Pictured Above: A Suffolk County monitoring well across Route 25 from the Grumman Memorial Park
Read More
Citizen Science Environment Photos Science

Where Did All the Turtles Go? A New Survey Seeks Answers

Beth Young
On days when Dr. Anna Thonis is in the field searching for eastern box turtles, her volunteers fan out throughout a large piece of wild habitat, intently looking at every patch of dappled sunlight making its way through the canopy —prime spots to find a turtle sunning itself. The people, who search with their eyes, are often accompanied by Dr. Kris Hoffmann and at least one of her two wildlife detection dogs,
Read More