§ 57-0105. Legislative findings and intent.\n The legislature hereby finds that eastern Long Island contains a\nmaritime region of statewide importance known as the Pine\nBarrens-Peconic Bay system.\n The legislature finds that within the Pine Barrens-Peconic Bay system\nthe federal, state, county and local governments own and manage\nsignificant properties in the form of parks, preserves, historic sites\nand protected open space, where there is an interdependent and\nreciprocal relationship between human activities and natural processes,\nand where fishing, agriculture and tourism have been the dominant\nindustries for more than three hundred fifty years.\n The legislature also finds that within the Pine Barrens-Peconic Bay\nsystem natural processes have created unique landforms such a
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§ 57-0105. Legislative findings and intent.\n The legislature hereby finds that eastern Long Island contains a\nmaritime region of statewide importance known as the Pine\nBarrens-Peconic Bay system.\n The legislature finds that within the Pine Barrens-Peconic Bay system\nthe federal, state, county and local governments own and manage\nsignificant properties in the form of parks, preserves, historic sites\nand protected open space, where there is an interdependent and\nreciprocal relationship between human activities and natural processes,\nand where fishing, agriculture and tourism have been the dominant\nindustries for more than three hundred fifty years.\n The legislature also finds that within the Pine Barrens-Peconic Bay\nsystem natural processes have created unique landforms such as Robin's\nIsland, Shelter Island, Gardiners' Island, Fisher's Island, Long\nIsland's North and South Forks, and numerous wetlands, bluffs and\nbeaches.\n The legislature finds that the Long Island Pine Barrens, an area\nencompassing over one hundred thousand acres in the county of Suffolk,\nis of critical importance to the state because it overlies the largest\nsource of pure groundwater in New York. The Pine Barrens are\ninterconnected to the Peconic Bay system by the Peconic River, the\nlongest groundwater river in New York, and the ecologic and hydrologic\nintegrity of this system should be protected in a comprehensive plan\nadopted by the state and individual local governments.\n The legislature also finds that the Pine Barrens-Peconic Bay system\ncontains one of the greatest concentrations and diversities of\nendangered, threatened and special concern species of plants and animals\nto be found in the state, and that protection of their habitats is in\nthe best interest of the people of New York.\n The legislature further finds that the Pine Barrens-Peconic Bay system\ncontains many other unique natural, agricultural, historical, cultural\nand recreational resources that are mutually supportive and ultimately\ndependent upon maintenance of the hydrologic and ecologic integrity of\nthis region.\n Therefore, the legislature finds that the purpose of this title is to\nallow the state and local governments to protect, preserve and properly\nmanage the unique natural resources of the Pine Barrens-Peconic Bay\nsystem and to encourage coordination of existing programs and studies\naffecting land and water resources in the region and to protect the\nvalue of the existing public and private investment that has already\nbeen made to acquire land in the region.\n The legislature further finds that a portion of the system known as\nthe Central Pine Barrens area requires the preparation and\nimplementation of a state supported regional comprehensive land use plan\nthat will provide for the preservation of the core preservation area,\nprotection of the Central Pine Barrens area and for the designation of\ncompatible growth areas to accommodate appropriate patterns of\ndevelopment and regional growth with recognition of the rights of\nprivate land owners and the purpose of preservation of the core area.\n The legislature recognizes that the provisions of this title may\nrestrict the beneficial use of some lands currently in private\nownership. These restrictions are deemed to be necessary and desirable\nto protect and preserve the hydrologic and ecologic integrity of the\nCentral Pine Barrens area as well as the public's health and welfare for\nfuture generations. The legislature intends that a comprehensive\nregional land use plan be implemented whereby private landowners whose\nproperty is located within the Central Pine Barrens area are afforded an\nopportunity to receive benefits from the plan such as transferable\ndevelopment rights, conservation easements, rights and values transfers,\npurchase of development rights and/or fee acquisition with monetary\ncompensation.\n