Suffolk County Moves to Acquire Plum Island From Federal Government

Suffolk County is pursuing ownership of Plum Island, the 822-acre former federal research outpost sitting roughly a mile east of Orient Point, and the move is raising questions about how much say Southold Town will have in determining what happens to the property.

County Executive Ed Romaine announced last week that the county intends to seek a transfer of the island from the federal government and is pursuing state funding to commission a comprehensive plan examining security needs, infrastructure, conservation potential, scientific research uses and public access. No cost estimate for developing the plan has been released.

Southold Town Supervisor Al Krupski, who recently toured the island alongside representatives from Romaine's office and the offices of U.S. Sen. Chuck Schumer and a Connecticut senator, said the town expects to be at the table. Southold holds zoning jurisdiction over Plum Island, giving it authority over any future land uses.

"If a government entity is willing to take it over and assume the management of it, the town needs to be a partner there on the usage of it," Krupski told the Riverhead News-Review and Suffolk Times.

Krupski acknowledged that the county has far greater resources than Southold to manage such a complex acquisition, but cautioned that the process could take years. He noted that any development proposal would be subject to a public review.

The federal transfer process has several steps before Suffolk could formally claim the property. The U.S. Department of Homeland Security, which currently manages the Plum Island Animal Disease Center, must first issue a Report of Excess once its research mission concludes. Other federal agencies would then have the opportunity to seek ownership before the General Services Administration could designate the island as surplus property. County officials said that designation could come as early as next year if no other federal agency steps forward.

Should the island be declared surplus, Suffolk could pursue what is known as a public-benefit conveyance — potentially receiving the property at no acquisition cost, though the county would still bear the expense of developing and maintaining it.

The Preserve Plum Island Coalition, a broad-based conservation group, publicly backed the county's plan and said it is not aware of any federal agency currently seeking the property.