As president of the Friends of Massapequa Preserve, I wish to thank your newspaper for taking the time to report on the public meeting regarding Massapequa Preserve and the adjacent woodlands (Residents Voice Concerns Regarding Preserve Plan, June 27). As reported, the meeting did answer many questions regarding issues in the preserve and surrounding areas. Unfortunately, because of the overlapping jurisdictions, the confusion about exactly what's going on, and who is responsible, continues. Questions that have been repeatedly asked year after year still have not been satisfactorily answered, either at the meeting or in your article.

For the past seven and one-half years, Friends of Massapequa Preserve have been addressing, and trying to resolve, the issues caused by divided layers of governmental responsibility, which directly relate back to the federal/state/county/town/village conflicts so prominent in today's headlines. Since these issues, especially regarding maintenance and safety, have been neglected for decades, let me address just four points:

1) Massapequa Preserve consists of the 423 acres of Nassau County parkland south of Linden St./Southern State Parkway. The woodlands north of the parkway are owned by the N.Y. State Parks Dept. The eastern fork of these woodlands, known as the viceroy section, are leased as Nassau County parkland from N.Y. State Parks.

2) These are currently two completely separate major construction projects being undertaken in the area - the U.S. government/EPA project to remediate the Liberty site, and the Massapequa Creek Stream Flow and Pond Restoration Project. The EPA project involves dredging Pond A behind Farmingdale High School on N.Y. State property. The Massapequa Creek project involves only Nassau County owned Massapequa Preserve. There is no connection at all between the two projects.

3) A year ago, another public meeting was held regarding the same topics. At that time, the county and state promised to erect signs north of the Southern State Parkway delineating ownership of each section, rules for its use, and who to call to report problems. As a result of that meeting, Nassau County placed their signs properly, but N.Y. State Parks, which promised their signs by last August, has still not posted correct signs. And the EPA still hasn't posted signs by Pond A that explain what's going on, and who to call with problems.

Your reporter never mentioned that two key invited guests, who provided significant input at the latest meeting, were present on the podium: the N.Y. State Police, and the Friends of Massapequa Preserve.

Richard Schary

President, Friends of Massapequa Preserve