When CCOM was founded in 1970, its challenge was to save what is now Theodore Roosevelt County Park from being developed into 1,400 tract houses.  (Can you imagine!?!)  In the following decades, CCOM was a driving force in the land preservation effort that led to 70% of Montauk’s land being protected as open space for all to enjoy.

Today, it isn’t just land preservation that’s being threatened, it’s the very sustainability of the environmental infrastructure itself.  The environment’s capacity to absorb and process the increasing stress and pollution we place on it is at stake.  We are at The End, where the extent of SPRAWL is obvious. There is no more land beyond us to distribute the load.  The next large land mass further East is …Portugal!

Lake Montauk, Fort Pond, our beaches, bays, woods and nature preserves are being neglected and even abused by residents, visitors, businesses, even levels of East Hampton government.  (The Town Board closed Fort Pond House to the community, yet ignores the abuses of the Surf Lodge, whose septic and overcrowding seriously threaten the Pond.)

Professional  Help

CCOM’s pockets aren’t deep, but we felt we needed to meet these challenges with our own professional team. Thanks to your generous donations, CCOM has engaged the part-time help of two devoted professionals, Laurie Gordon, our outreach coordinator, and Jeremy Samuelson, our environmental advocate. This professional expertise leverages the effectiveness of our volunteer local talent, a board that is 23 members strong, and a very passionate Montauk community.

New Design Team

We also gave ourselves a face-lift!  Blumenfeld+Fleming, who donated our new logo and tagline, redesigned our website, brochure, and newsletter.  Through our website and Facebook page (and this blog!) we will keep the community informed about the environmental challenges facing Montauk and let you know how to make your voice heard!  Our nonprofit legal team, the Sag Harbor-based Northern Environmental Law Center, is providing very cost-effective, subsidized legal research and action and The Group for the East End’s professional environmental expertise lets us do specific projects (like our own water testing) and guides us with respect to scientific research and evaluation.

All these professionals are assisting us for far less than their usual fees because they believe in the importance of our mission.

Outreach

CCOM has also partnered with Third House Nature Center Inc., The SurfridersClean Ocean Action, and Peconic Baykeeper, sharing the load and bringing their expertise and assets together  to preserve and protect Montauk.

All these changes reflect increased efforts to reach and involve more members.  We want to know your concerns and involve you in our activities.

Please let us know how we’re doing and join us in our efforts to Keep Montauk Montauk!  Email us at info@preservemontauk.org or post your comments below.   We want to hear from you!