Op-ed Written by Congressman Lee Zeldin (NY-01)
Situated at the gateway of the Long Island Sound, Plum Island, an 840 acre island, is valued by our local community as a critical resource for research and for its abundance as a cultural, historical, and natural resource.
The recorded history of Plum Island dates back to the 1700s. Originally belonging to the Corchaug and Montaukett Indian tribes, Plum Island was the site of the first battle between British and Continental troops ordered by General George Washington, and hosts Fort Terry, an artillery post used during the Spanish-American War, World War I and World War II.
After World War II, Fort Terry was utilized as a research laboratory, where hoof and mouth disease and other threats to our food supply were studied. The facility, under federal jurisdiction since 1899, has since grown to become what is known today as the Plum Island Animal Disease Center.
The Animal Disease Center has sheltered approximately 90% of Plum Island from development over the past several decades, which makes Plum Island a treasured environmental resource, offering Long Island a diverse wildlife and ecosystem and a critical habitat for migratory birds, marine mammals, and rare plants. When I visit the island, the magnificent scenery makes me feel like I’m visiting an exotic island thousands of miles away from home. It is hard to believe that a treasure like Plum Island is here right in our own back yard.
In 2005, the Department of Homeland Security, which currently has jurisdiction over the island, announced that the Animal Disease Center research would be moved to a new federal facility in Kansas. To offset the cost of this relocation, a law was enacted that called for the private sale of Plum Island to the highest bidder. The sale of Plum Island is based on a false assumption that it could offset the cost of the new facility, when the true value of the island, including clean-up costs and zoning, is less than originally anticipated. The traditional inter-agency consultation process regarding the disposal of federal property was also bypassed, putting the potential sale of this island on the fast track without consulting the local community or other federal agencies. Furthermore, the Town of Southold has local jurisdiction over the island and has passed ordinances preventing any private development.
To protect Plum Island, I introduced legislation in Congress last year that would prevent the sale of the island by the federal government to the highest bidder. My bill, HR 1887, has strong bipartisan support from the entire Long Island and Connecticut delegation in both the House and Senate.
Blessed with the natural beauty of Long Island, we must always be committed to protecting and preserving the abundance of our natural resources that are so important to our life, culture and economy; one of these is Plum Island. Having personally visited Plum Island, I can attest for the need to preserve this precious land.
Congress should take action to pursue a better direction for Plum Island that would allow for continued research, public access and permanent preservation. Working with my colleagues in the House and Senate, and supportive groups in the Tri-state area like the Preserve Plum Island coalition, I know that we can stop the sale of Plum Island and preserve it for future generations. I will continue working in Congress to get this bill passed before the end of the year.
Congressman Lee Zeldin, a member of the Long Island Sound Caucus in the House of Representatives, represents the First Congressional District of New York.