Plum Island is shrouded in mystique.
Long ago, the Montaukett tribe fished and farmed the land. Now, passengers experience it from the Cross Sound Ferry, as they slide to or from New London, Conn. Like Willy Wonka’s chocolate factory, it has never been opened to the public and so has become a place of speculation.
The 822-acre island (for comparison, Montauk State Park is 862 acres) has been largely untouched by development except for the Plum Island Animal Disease Center, and has been described as an environmental jewel. It has even birthed conspiracy theories — some blame it for tick-borne illnesses.
Last week, Suffolk County Executive Ed Romaine announced that the county intends to purchase the island.
Mr. Romaine’s office did not respond to multiple requests for comment and clarification, but State Assemblyman Tommy John Schiavoni said in a phone call Monday that “this is being led by Suffolk County.”
“I give the county executive a lot of credit for stepping up,” he said. “Of all the levels of government, it’s Suffolk County raising their hand on this, to explore the possibility of preserving Plum Island. What it can be used for is a real question.”
A consortium of 130 organizations named the Preserve Plum Island Coalition enthusiastically agreed. The coalition “supports Suffolk County’s strategic planning toward developing future partnerships and securing the preservation of Plum Island after the U.S. Department of Homeland Security departs,” the coalition said in a statement. “While seeking partners and studying preservation needs, the County can officially express its intention to acquire the island after the federal government declares the asset to be Surplus Property. First, D.H.S. will issue a Report of Excess when the science mission at the Plum Island Animal Disease Center has come to an end, giving an opportunity for other federal agencies to consider ownership. The P.P.I.C. is unaware of any such U.S. agency interested in acquiring the island.”
In 2024, Republican Representative Nick LaLota helped push the Plum Island National Monument Act through the House Natural Resources Committee, but it has since stalled and never received a full floor vote. That law would only have allowed for a study of the island, to assess whether it would be an appropriate national park or national wildlife refuge. The Star once observed in an editorial that in the past, President Donald Trump had inquired with the Town of Southold about building a golf course there.
Mr. LaLota did not respond to calls for comment this week.
“That Suffolk County has expressed its interest in pursuing the permanent preservation of Plum Island is music to the ears of countless Long Islanders who support the goal of preserving the highly significant cultural, historical, and ecological resources of Plum Island,” said John Turner, a spokesman for the Plum Island Coalition, in its statement. “We strongly support the County’s request to secure state funding to help provide a path for achieving these important goals, and we express our gratitude and appreciation to Executive Ed Romaine for his unwavering support for protecting Plum Island.”
Mr. Turner did not respond to a request for further comment.
“This is a hallelujah moment,” said Louise Harrison, Long Island project manager and senior science adviser for Save the Sound, in the same release. “County Executive Romaine has raised the hopes of everyone who cares about the preservation of Plum Island. This is a giant step that inspires our imaginations about the possibilities for future partnerships with many parties, focused on conservation, research, education, cultural heritage of the Montaukett Indian Nation, and sustainable public access.”
However, Sandi Brewster-walker, the Montauketts’ executive director and government affairs officer, did not share the enthusiasm for the purchase.
“The Montaukett Indian Nation strongly believes that it is morally wrong for Suffolk County to seek to acquire Plum Island’s 840 acres of land without consulting the Montaukett Indian Nation,” she stated in the release. “This is part of our ancestral territory, and once again decisions are being made without any consultation with the Nation; we see this as Colonialism 2.0. We should be at all discussions concerning our stolen lands.”
According to the county’s statement, the Plum Island Coalition was formed after rumors that the island would be put up for public auction. Its steering committee has been meeting monthly, working to determine its vision for the island and to encourage elected officials — including U.S. senators and representatives from New York and Connecticut — to explore every possibility to secure its permanent preservation.
