I strongly support Governor Cuomo’s proposal in the state budget to preserve the 800 acre Shoreham Woodlands. The coastal forest is a threatened landscape which contains rare, threatened, and endangered species. Clearing and developing this land would negatively affect our ecosystem, groundwater, and quality of life. As a member of the Suffolk County Renewable Energy Taskforce and as the former director of the Energy Department for the Town of Brookhaven, I support renewable energy projects. However, we should not compromise open space and natural habitat for the development of large solar arrays. I will continue to be a strong advocate to preserve the Shoreham Woodlands and I believe this proposal is a step in the right direction.