Massapequa Preserve Project set to move forward

By Tiffany Elliott

A project to return the Massapequa Preserve to its natural state is due to begin, almost a year later than originally planned due, primarily to financial constraints. The county is expecting to start the work early this summer.

The 423-acre preserve was to originally undergo rehabilitation starting in September 2007. That work calls for enhancing stream flow, adding native plants and introducing wild fish.  Originally slated to cost about $7 million, that amount was added to the county’s capitol fund. But the lowest bidder on the project came in at $7.9 million. This year, the county took the additional $900,000 needed to complete the work from other projects within the 2008 budget and applied those funds to the Preserve. The other projects were not a priority, said county officials, and can wait until other funds become available or until next year.

Watch next week's edition for more details.