Long Island's Plum Island: Group shares vision for conservation, expanding public access

Sitting in Gardiners Bay, just beyond Long Island's North Fork, is a mysterious 840-acre dot of land known as Plum Island.

Over the years, it has been the focus of intense interest, ranging from those who want to conserve its natural wonders to those with conspiracy theories about the animal disease federal government research conducted there. The island has even been the subject of a thriller by one of Long Island's most famous writers.

On Tuesday, it was the preservationist vision of the mostly undeveloped island that took center stage during a Zoom presentation to the Long Island Regional Planning Council.

The Preserve Plum Island Coalition, which includes municipalities, wildlife advocates and others from Long Island and Connecticut, said it wants the island to include a wildlife refuge or other protected land that allows for equitable public access to the island.

The island is home to wildlife such as the state-endangered piping plovers, and nearly 230 bird species that enjoy its freshwater wetlands, advocates say. It hosts a lighthouse and Fort Terry, which was built by the military in the 20th century to ward off naval assault. Between 1954 and 2025, the island housed a federally run animal disease center that studied livestock infections such as foot-and-mouth disease.

The coalition’s plan envisions people being able to visit the lighthouse, and a research area with limited public access. The group also would like to see nature trails, cultural exhibitions and a historical district around Fort Terry.

"We're trying to secure the permanent protection of the significant natural and historical and cultural resources of Plum Island," said Robert DeLuca, president of the Group for the East End, which is part of the coalition.

Obstacles to conservation 

But there may be obstacles, the coalition said. Currently, Plum Island is in the hands of the federal government as contaminated research facilities are decommissioned. The sale of the island will be jump-started once the Department of Homeland Security signs off on the completion of its research mission. Then, the federal government’s General Services Administration (GSA), which functions like the federal government’s realtor, will identify potential caretakers of the property.

Louise Harrison, of the Save the Sound and Preserve Plum Island Coalition, said in the meeting that the GSA will see whether federal or state agencies, the county, the Town of Southold or nonprofit organizations have an interest in the property. If no owner is identified, she said, it will go "on the auction block."

"This is something we must prevent," Harrison said. "We're working assiduously to make sure this does not happen."

Harrison told the Long Island Regional Planning Council that the GSA has already been showing the island to employees who work at the federal, local and regional levels. She added that a consortium of multiple entities could come together to take over the property for the purpose of conservation.

A GSA spokesman said in an email to Newsday on Wednesday that its "timeline for disposition of Plum Island is dependent on numerous factors including decommissioning of the current facility, and any applicable remediation necessary." The GSA did not respond to the question on the price of the island. 

A Suffolk County spokesman told Newsday in an email on Tuesday that "the county would have an interest in acquiring Plum Island if available." He went on to note that Rep. Nick LaLota "continues to lead the effort to preserve the island, which would be one of the greatest environmental victories in Suffolk County history."

In 2023, LaLota (R-Amityville) introduced the Plum Island National Monument Act, which would make the stretch a national monument, according to a news release from his office. 

The measure did not pass, but LaLota told Newsday on Tuesday that the "effort remains one of my top priorities."

"I continue to work closely with the Preserve Plum Island Coalition, the Trump Administration, and colleagues on both sides of the aisle on a path that offers the strongest path forward for Long Island," LaLota said in a statement.

A storied past

No matter what the next chapter for the island is, the enclave has had a storied history, sometimes intersecting with intrigue.

Plum Island, the coalition said, had been part of the historical territory of the Montaukett Indian Nation, which was dispossessed of the land in the 1600s. The property eventually went into private ownership and was bought by the federal government in the 1890s to develop the fort.

The U.S. Department of Agriculture took over the island in 1954, and it became home to the Plum Island Animal Disease Center, serving as "as the nation’s premiere defense against the accidental or intentional introduction of transboundary animal diseases" — and attracting public interest.

Nelson DeMille’s 1997 novel, "Plum Island," features a retired NYPD detective who solves killings involving employees on the island, uncovering biowarfare along the way. Robert F. Kennedy Jr., secretary of health and human services, has repeated the claim that Lyme disease started on the island as a biological weapon. The assertion has been debunked. 

After Tuesday’s presentation, the Long Island Regional Planning Council had its own questions about the island, including whether it will be financially viable to buy and sustain for whoever decides to buy it. Members also asked about public access to the island via ferry.

The Preserve Plum Island Coalition responded by suggesting private ferries may be an option for tourists. They said they hoped that whatever entity takes on the island works toward understanding the financial requirements for its upkeep.

"This has been a long journey, but it's a journey worth taking," DeLuca said.

Newsday’s Nicholas Spangler and John Asbury contributed to this story.