Under Steve Levy's leadership, Suffolk County maintains an extraordinarily active environmental protection and preservation program recognized across the nation.
In 2003, Suffolk's once-vibrant Open Space Protection Program was near-dormant and scandal-ridden. Upon taking office in 2004, Steve jump-started the program. As a result, under Levy's leadership, Suffolk County has preserved nearly 6,000 acres of open space and farmland -- more than 6 times the size of New York's Central Park -- as well as preserving 65 farms.
Under Steve's leadership, Suffolk has invested more than $300 million in open space and farmland preservation over the last six years.
Steve's many environmental initiatives include:
· Proposing and passage of the $75 million 2004 SOS (Save Open Spaces) Bond Act;
· Creating the national award-winning Environmental Legacy Fund, which is used for acquisitions for which other municipalities or not-for-profit interests provide matching funds;
· Extending the Clean Water Act through 2030;
· Implementing more than $30 million worth of projects to control pollution from road runoff and to restore wetland habitats;
· Initiating the largest scallop reseeding program on the East End (over $1.9 million invested);
· Working with the Legislature in reseeding more than 1 million clams into the Great South Bay;
· Retrofitting county facilities for energy conservation and reduced emissions, saving over $1 million annually in energy costs;
· Replacing the county fleet with hybrid vehicles;
· Promoting the use of bio-diesel fuels in the county truck fleet;
· Promoting the use of county properties to establish solar-generating facilities;
· Adding cleaner-burning diesel buses and electric-hybrid buses, reducing pollutant particulates by 85 percent;
· Developing a long-term pesticides phase-out program on county land;
· Authoring landmark legislation to control the application of fertilizers;
· Preventing the dumping of polluted dredge spoils from Connecticut into the Long Island Sound;
· Developing a program to give homeowners financial incentives to cap underground oil tanks;
· Issuing an executive order requiring new county buildings over 10,000 square feet to contain solar panels.
Steve has been recognized by numerous environmental advocates for his programs and policies, including the Sierra Club, the Long Island Neighborhood Network, the New York League of Conservation Voters as Environmentalist of the Year, and the National Association of Counties.
