Senator Boyle Announces Legislation to Expand Edgewood Oak Brush Plains State Preserve

New York State Senator Phil Boyle (R-C-I, Bay Shore) today introduced legislation (S5804) that would expand the Oak Brush Plains State Preserve at Edgewood, in the Towns of Babylon and Huntington next to the former Pilgrim State Psychiatric Center. The measure seeks to preserve the rare pine-scrub oak barrens land and protect residents from additional traffic congestion and pollution that might occur with a proposed Department of Transportation truck and rail project.

Senator Boyle said, “Expanding the Preserve, which is home to thriving populations of wildlife, will add more green space for our residents to enjoy and protect what remains of the forest between the grassy plains of central Nassau County and the pinelands of central and eastern Long Island.”

Under the provisions of the bill, land that has been proposed for a Long Island Truck and Rail Intermodal (LITRIM) Facility would instead be transferred into the Edgewood Oak Brush Plains State Preserve – which was formerly part of the vast Pilgrim State Psychiatric Center property in Brentwood.

“The proposed LITRIM project has caused a great deal of anxiety for area residents who worry that it will adversely impact traffic,” Senator Boyle continued. “While I understand the need for the development of alternative methods of freight movement and long-haul trucking on our highways, the land adjacent to the Preserve is just not fit for a multi-modal facility.”

The bill must pass both the Senate and the Assembly before it can be submitted to the Governor for consideration.