Assemblyman Fred W. Thiele Jr. (I, D, WF-Sag Harbor) announced that the Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC) has awarded more than $275,000 in Southern Pine Beetle Community Recovery Grants to five projects in Nassau and Suffolk counties, including in Southampton and East Hampton Towns.

Provided through New York’s Environmental Protection Fund, these grants will assist with recovery efforts from southern pine beetle (SPB) damage. This includes helping communities address safety issues associated with dead trees, cutting infested trees to reduce beetle populations, and replanting native Pine Barrens species in impacted areas. All of these efforts will help protect and restore the Central Pine Barrens, which is vital to protecting water quality, wildlife habitat, endangered species and recreational opportunities.

East Hampton Town will receive $64,000 for open space SPB management. Southampton Town will receive $28,050 for the removal of hazard trees at Good Ground Park and Foster Avenue Park in Hampton Bays.

“We’re gratified to see that this money is returning to the local level to solve this problem in East Hampton and Southampton,” stated Assemblyman Thiele, who worked alongside Assemblyman Steve Englebright to ensure that adequate state funding was provided in the state budget for southern pine beetle management.

“The invasion of the southern pine beetle represents a significant threat to one of the state’s most important ecosystems: the Central Pine Barrens,” Assemblyman Thiele continued. “We have worked for decades to acquire more than 50,000 acres of Central Pine Barrens on Eastern Long Island. The health of this resource is critical for our water supply and our rural character.”

The invasive SPB pest has killed thousands of pine trees on Long Island since it was first discovered in 2014.