Suffolk County has long been recognized as a national leader in the effort to protect open space. Last year, voters overwhelmingly voted to support continued open space preservation by approving a measure put on the ballot by Legislative Majority Leader Jon Cooper (D-Huntington) that extended the existing Quarter Cent Drinking Water Protection Program until 2030. But did you know that the East End far outpaces western Suffolk when it comes to the acreage preserved for open space? That's why Cooper recently championed a proposal to ensure the future preservation of more open space in the densely populated western towns.

The resolution, approved at the August 19th meeting of the County Legislature, will make it easier to acquire open space in areas with more than 1,000 residents per square mile since parcels in those "underserved communities" will receive higher scores on the County's open space rating system, because of their population concentrations. These environmentally friendly parcels are increasingly becoming as crucial to assuring the long-term viability of residential communities, as access to schools and shopping have been in the past. Often, the green spaces act as natural oases in otherwise developed neighborhoods by becoming hubs for community gatherings, public recreation and environmental appreciation.

"If we want our children to understand the need to maintain our natural environment, we can't just take them to the zoo or make them watch the National Geographic Channel," says Cooper. "We need to take a local approach to preventing a global environmental crisis. That's why we need to have accessible, viable natural habitats where our kids can easily touch, feel and experience the beauty of Mother Nature firsthand."

So, unlike the East End, where vast tracks of open space and farmlands have already been preserved in sparsely populated and far-flung communities, Cooper's new rating system will help ensure that neighborhoods in western towns, where open space is much harder to come by, won't become over- congested. This will mean more nature preserves, hamlet parks and athletic fields in communities where they are needed most.

"Everybody agrees that protecting open space is vital to Suffolk's pastoral heritage and tourism industry, but just because the western towns no longer have vast tracks of land to preserve doesn't mean open space preservation is any less important in our communities," says Cooper. "Indeed, because so much of the land has already been developed, preserving open space is even more important if we hope to prevent the 'Queensification' of our more populated western suburbs where most Suffolk residents live."