Assemblyman Fred W. Thiele, Jr. today announced the inclusion of $450,000 in the SFY 2021-22 final budget for the Peconic Estuary Partnership. Last year, as in years prior, the Peconic Estuary Partnership (PEP) received $200,000 in funding through the state budget. This monumental funding increase more than doubles PEP’s previous allocation and will assist in essential environmental protection and programming.

Dubbed one of the "Last Great Places in the western hemisphere” by the Nature Conservancy, the Peconic Estuary is situated between the North and South Forks of Long Island. The watershed begins at Brookhaven National Lab with the headwaters of the Peconic River, spans the several bays from Flanders to Gardiners, and ends in Block Island Sound between Plum Island and Montauk Point. More than 125,000 land acres and 158,000 surface water acres are included in the Peconic Estuary.

In 1992, the Peconic Estuary became the 20th estuary in the nation to receive the designation as an “Estuary of National Significance” by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). Currently there are 28 estuaries in the program. As part of the National Estuary Program (NEP), the Peconic Estuary Partnership is an innovative partnership of local, state, and federal governments, citizen and environmental groups, businesses and industries, and academic institutions.

Assemblyman Thiele stated, “On eastern Long Island, our environment is our economy. Since its inception, the Peconic Estuary Partnership has worked diligently to protect our water, habitat and wildlife, and to support coastal resiliency projects throughout the estuary. The work of the Peconic Estuary Partnership in protecting water quality on the East End has been unmatched, and this funding is essential to ensuring it can continue this vital work on behalf of our environment and our community. I thank my colleagues for recognizing the importance of this program and supporting this funding in the final budget.”