“The quality and character of the lives of the people of New York depend upon the quality and character of the land on which we live. Our mountains, lakes, rivers, forests and coastlines, our natural landscapes, historic sites and urban parks shape the way we spend our leisure time, affect the long term strength of our economy, determine whether we have clean air and water, support the web of living things of which we are a part, and affect how we think about ourselves and relate to other New Yorkers”

These words, from New York’s Open Space Conservation Plan 2001, aptly summarize the many reasons why we must preserve our special natural resources, our open spaces for ourselves and future generations. Failure to do so would fulfill the dreadful prophecy in 1988 of Secretary of the Interior Stewart L. Udall: “(we are) poised on a pinnacle of wealth and power, yet we live in a land of vanishing beauty, of increasing ugliness, of shrinking open space and of an overall environment that is diminished daily by pollution and noise and blight.”

An opportunity presents itself now that Westchester county must exercise. Davids Island, a 78 acre island treasure off the populated coast of New Rochelle across a short stretch of water from Glen Island Park, is available for sale to the county for parkland. Davids Island will be the “jewel in the crown” of the county’s magnificent parks system.

The struggle to preserve Davids Island has been a long one and we at FCWC have a certain sense of déjà vu in joining with others yet again to fight for Davids Island as a park. The battle was fought when Con Edison wanted to put two nuclear power plants on the island. The battle was fought when Xanadu’s proposal was being considered to build 50 story apartment buildings and an 800 boat marina and a helipad and a large bridge on the island. The battle was fought when Trump wanted to build luxury town houses on the island. The time has come to end the battle for all time.

County Executive Spano has announced an agreement with Mayor Idoni of New Rochelle to acquire the island for $6.5 million for parkland. We must all make sure that even in this difficult budget year, all who control the progress of this purchase understand that open space acquisitions must go on and that Davids Island must be acquired; once developed our few existing open space parcels in Westchester will be gone forever leaving our children bereft of the natural settings so critical to our social fabric and so essential to our economic well being. Call or write to the County Executive and the County Legislature now (address at end of article) to make sure they appreciate the breadth of support for the acquisition of Davids Island.

The facts supporting the acquisition of Davids Island are compelling:

Every study of Long Island Sound and each open space policy statement sets forth recommendations and criteria that dictate that Davids Island remain undeveloped and be preserved for public use.
The New York State Open Space Plan designates Davids Island as a priority area for preservation. The Long Island Sound Coastal Management Plan recommends that Davids Island be retained for public use. Davids Island falls squarely within several of the open space acquisition criteria set forth in Patterns for Westchester and the County’s Open Space Policies.

Davids Island would serve the densely populated areas in the southern part of the county.
Southern Westchester is highly developed and congested with little open space or opportunity to enjoy nature. The principal growth in population in the last decade has been in the urban southern part of Westchester requiring additional parks in the south to meet the needs of this growing population. People tend to go to parks that are close to their home, thus the parks in northern Westchester cannot alone satisfy this demand. The traditional rule of thumb for parkland level of service is a minimum of 10 acres of parkland per thousand people. Many communities near Davids Island have much less – even less than the 7.2 acres of parkland per thousand people found in New York City.

Davids Island would fill an expressed parks need in a location already heavily utilized.
Davids Island is adjacent to Glen Island, which was visited by over 130,000 people in 2001 and is one of the most heavily used parks in the county. Davids Island, will provide precisely those facilities identified in a recent recreation survey as most desired - more beaches and more swimming. Such attractions draw people from longer distances and will draw people to Davids Island from far beyond its neighboring communities.

Davids Island is unique.
Davids Island will not only be another tract of protected open space. Davids Island is an island – surrounded by water – and that makes it unique. An island provides the unique chance to actually get away from the “mainland”. As an island, its horizons are larger, its sky is bigger; from it you can see New York City’s skyline, Westchester, Long Island, Connecticut and the grand bridges – the Whitestone, Triborough and the Throgs Neck. From Davids Island visitors can see the region, not just the fields, woods, or path before them.

Davids Island park would provide greatly desired waterfront access.
There is very little public access to the shore on Long Island Sound. For people to have an opportunity to enjoy the Sound, people need to be able to get to the water. Davids Island will provide much needed access to the Sound for beaches, boating, and swimming.

Making Davids Island a park will help preserve water quality in Long Island Sound.
If Davids Island were developed, sewage and nonpoint source pollution in the Western Sound would increase and could have devastating results on water quality. Long Island Sound is already significantly impaired with findings of hypoxia ( low dissolved oxygen, a condition that does not sustain life) in its harbors. While progress has been made, concerted action, including land acquisition, continues to be necessary to restore and protect the Sound.

Preserving Davids Island will preserve wildlife habitat in Long Island Sound.
The Sound, an estuary where salt water and fresh water meet, has been designated an Estuary of National Significance. Estuaries support a very rich variety of wildlife. The tidal wetlands remaining on Long Island Sound estuary, including those on Davids Island, must be preserved for the protection of habitat. Acquisition of Davids Island and its use as a public park sensitive to its important ecological values, will advance the program to create a Long Island Sound Marine Reserve.

Davids Island has historical and cultural significance that should be preserved.
Davids Island was a US military base for 100 years and was one of the major recruiting stations in the East during WWI and II. It was part of the New York Harbor Defense System in the late 1800’s and a military hospital during the Civil War.

This piece of Americana, once lost, is irretrievable.
Preserving Davids Island will enhance the natural environmental reputation of Westchester County as a desired place to locate and live.

Parkland is not a discretionary frill; as study after study have shown, investment in parkland is a critical contributor to the bottom line and social well being. Investments in parkland are as important to the economic health of the region as investments in other types of infrastructure such as roads, sewers and utilities. Parkland contributes both to the value of property , the social fabric and to the attraction of businesses and visitors. Westchester competes with other suburbs of New York in attracting businesses. Business location decisions have been shown to be made by the “footloose” businesses of today largely on the basis of quality of life considerations; parkland/recreational opportunities are considered in all analyses to be a central factor in evaluating the quality of life.

Acquisition of parkland and open space required for the population must continue through good times and bad.
It is adherence to the principle that open space acquisitions must be made in good times and bad that has created our great park system here in Westchester and in New York State. As has been recognized, land once developed is gone forever. Moreover, Davids Island is not just any open space parcel but a unique island parcel which once lost, simply cannot be duplicated. The $6.5 million acquisition does not have to be paid in its entirety in this difficult budget year.

The purchase price will be bonded and paid off over a twenty year period at a projected low interest rate of 4% so those who enjoy the park in the years to come can also help to pay for it.

The preservation of Davids Island will provide years of enjoyment to millions of people and protect water quality and wildlife on the Sound. In the words of the noted American conservationist, Aldo Leopold: “ A thing is right when it protects and enhances the integrity, stability and beauty of the ecosystem. It is wrong when it tends otherwise.” Buying Davids Island for parkland is the right thing to do. Let’s get it done.

Please write to both the County Executive and the Board of Legislators and ask that your letter be distributed to all members of the county legislature. Your two letters should be addressed to: County Executive Andrew Spano and The Honorable Lois Bronz, Board of Legislators, 148 Martine Avenue, White Plains, NY 10601. To call Westchester County legislators call 995-2800.

Edna Sussman is the executive director of Federated Conservationists of Westchester County, Inc.