All 18 members of the Suffolk County Legislature have signed a letter to President Joe Biden imploring him to declare Plum Island a national monument under the authority granted by the Antiquities Act of 1906.
The legislators urged the president to make such a declaration “for the purpose of ecological conservation, historical preservation, and the discovery and celebration of our shared cultural heritage.” Their letter followed a similar one delivered to the president in August by the East End Supervisors and Mayors Association.
The 840-acre island, which is home to a historic lighthouse, the Revolutionary War and World War II-era Fort Terry military base, and the Plum Island Animal Disease Center and its support buildings, is otherwise relatively untouched by human hands. In 2008, Congress passed a law to allow the island to be sold to offset the cost of decommissioning the research facility and moving its operations to a new site in Kansas; federal lawmakers since reversed that decision, with former President Donald Trump signing a bill in December 2020 to halt the auction.
The animal disease research center is still on track for decommissioning in 2023. According to the Department of Homeland Security’s fiscal 2023 budget, the federal government has allotted $13.5 million for the transition, decontamination, and planning of future uses of the island.
Studies over the last several years have shown that the island is home to more than 500 species of plants and animals, of which an estimated 20 percent are considered rare or endangered. Still more species of wildlife inhabit the waters around the island, which is technically part of Southold Town but is owned by the Department of Homeland Security.
“I have urged the permanent preservation of Plum Island for many years,” Suffolk County Legislator Bridget Fleming, who represents the South Fork’s Second Legislative District and is running to represent the First Congressional District, said in a statement. She described the island as “undisturbed by humans,” “encircled by a rich ecosystem of marine life,” and “culturally significant” to Indigenous people and other members of the community.
“I’m happy to join my colleagues to work in a bipartisan manner to achieve this opportunity,” Ms. Fleming said.
The Legislature’s letter was authored by Al Krupski, who represents the North Fork’s First Legislative District. It reads, in part: “Designating Plum Island as a national monument is consistent with the guiding principles of your America the Beautiful initiative. Again, we urge you to take advantage of this unique opportunity by preserving this important place and writing a new chapter in the history of Plum Island and our nation.”
The conservation of Plum Island has the support of Representative Lee Zeldin, who has sponsored legislation in past years to pull the island off the auction block, as well as dozens of grassroots citizens’ groups and environmental advocacy organizations. Mr. Zeldin is the Republican candidate for governor.
“We’re grateful Legislator Krupski has taken his enthusiasm for permanent protection of this national asset to the County Legislature and infused all the representatives with his passion and resolve, resulting in an ‘all-18’ letter to the President of the United States. By doing so, Legislator Krupski and his colleagues have raised the voices of 1.5 million residents to the White House,” said Louise Harrison, New York natural areas coordinator for the organization Save the Sound.
