THE EDGEWOOD OAK BRUSH PLAINS SITE

THE EDGEWOOD PRESERVE SITE

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WELCOME to the Edgewood Preserve site. This special place is the last major piece of the globally rare Oak Brush Plains left intact on Long Island. Find out about how you can use this valuable resource for recreational, educational, and other purposes, and how you can help make sure it will continue to be a great place. Learn about the past, the present,and the future plans to hook all of the great LI outdoor resources together with extended recreational paths. If you never been there before, be sure to visit on your own, or perhaps join us for a hike, bike ride, run or other events. Send any information and photos of Edgewood include any comments or ideas you may have. I'd like to hear a little about your experiences there, and please share your photos or stories.

We are still hopeful that a final transfer of additional state lands to the preserve will take place in 2015. Check out the rest of the site links. Your interest in the open space, forest and historical aspects is appreciated! There is nothing to lose. Thanks for visiting, come back often and have fun.

The Edgewood Preserve is an 843 acre site, located mainly in Deer Park and Dix Hills. It is owned by New York State and managed by the NYS Dept. of Environmental Conservation. The site is open to the public, but a free NYS DEC permit is required for all activities including walking and biking, except during special organized events. Get it here at: DEC ONLINE PERMITS. Activities that are approved are hiking, walking, running, road bicycling, mountain bicycling, falconry, geocaching and dog training (seasonal). The Old Commack Road Bike and Walking path was cleared by NYDEC last summer so it now has clear sight-lines and a good paved surface for all bicycles and road runners. The Pavilion is now complete, and was dedicated to former State Senator Owen Johnson in an Earth day ceremony in spring 2014. There are several picnic benches now available for public use at the site. Model remote-control airplanes are also flown just east of the parking lot but you must become a member of the Edgewood Flyers. No motorized vehicles of any sort are allowed beyond the parking area on Commack Road, except for access to the Flyers Field by members. No ATV's or motorcycles are allowed under any circumstances. Please leave before it gets dark! The preserve was created in the late 1980's when the state decided a renovation (which I supported) of the old abandoned Edgewood hospital buildings into condominiums was too controversial, and it was decided the entire site would remain undeveloped. We have to thank NYS Senator Owen Johnson for having the vision to create this wonderful preserve and writing the key legislation behind it. It is a rare ecosystem, and we are lucky it is there at all, since the early design plans for the hospital called for a much larger complex that would have wiped out almost all of the wooded area that is now preserved.

North view of Old Commack Road

2004 through 2014 were indeed busy years at the preserve. Many events and cleanups took place, the perimeter was secured, and I hope the future will be even better! Your support and participation is important. In 2011, LIGHT signed on as one of the preserve stewards and has been maintaining the entire hiking trail system, and also helps CLIMB maintain the mountain biking trails if and when needed. LIGHT also maintains Old Commack Road as a paved bike and walking path. Send info to denisbyrne@yahoo.com Help is needed with getting a new bridge in place of the one demolished in June 2009, building more regional recreational trails, saving more forests and key open space parcels, and helping with the preserve and stopping illegal dumping and preventing construction of the TRIM intermodal facility. I will gladly lead hikes and bike rides for any person or group that would like a tour of the preserve and nearby lands. We are working to expand the mountain bicycle trail system at the preserve and on some adjacent property. Join in for a hike or bike ride now and then all over LI. Anything you can do to help out is deeply appreciated!

THE EDGEWOOD SITE IS NOT AN OFFICIAL SITE OF ANY GOVERMNETAL ENTITY, GLOBALDYNE CONSULTING CORPORATION, GLOBAL MACHINE DYNAMICS, FRIENDS OF EDGEWOOD, THE EDGEWOOD FLYERS, STEWARDS OF EDGEWOOD OR ANY OTHER KNOWN ENTITY IN THIS UNIVERSE. IT DOES NOT NECESSARILY STATE ANY OFFICIAL VIEWS, OPINIONS, FACTS, OR POLICIES OF ANY PERSON OR ENTITY. IT IS RUN BY CURRENT LI RESIDENT DENIS BYRNE. IT DEPENDS ON VARIOUS SOURCES FOR THE ACCURACY AND RELIABILITY OF IT'S INFORMATION. THEREFORE, NO RESPONSIBILITY IS ASSUMED BY THE SITE OR ITS AGENTS, AUTHORS, AND OWNERS FOR ERRORS, OMISSIONS, OUT OF DATE INFORMATION, IMPROPERLY POSTED INFORMATION OR ANY INCIDENTS OR INJURIES TRACEABLE TO THE SITE, ON THE GROUNDS, ON ANY PAGES DISPLAYED, OR ANY OTHER LINKED SITES OR PAGES. THE ALUMNI REGISTRY FURTHER EXPRESSLY DISCLAIMS ALL WARRANTIES, EXPRESS OR IMPLIED, INCLUDING ANY IMPLIED WARRANTIES OF MERCHANTABILITY OR FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE. USE OF THIS WEBSITE OR PARTICIPATING IN ANY OF THE MENTIONED ACTIVITIES, BE THEY LEGAL OR NOT, AND THOSE OF ANY LINKED SITES IS SOLELY AT YOUR OWN RISK. PROCEED WITH EXTREME CAUTION AND AT YOUR OWN RISK.

Denis Byrne has resigned from the president's position on the board of directors of the Friends of the Edgewood-Oak Brush Plains preserve and will instead be active as committee chair of LIGHT (LI Greenways and Healthy trails), and board member of Stewards of Edgewood, hopefully leading to a large network of trails connecting all of the great open spaces of LI, including Edgewood, together. You will still see me at Edgewood making sure it stays safe, secure from dumping and clean.