In an article on page 3 of last week's edition of the Syosset-Jericho Tribune, Nassau County Executive Thomas Gulotta announced an agreement among municipalities of Nassau County, the Town of Oyster Bay and the State of New York in an effort to acquire the 81-acre Underhill property in Jericho and preserve it as open space.

According to Joe Lorintz, former president of the Society to Preserve Underhill, the article and comments by Gulotta alluded to a solidified agreement to preserve the property and this is untrue.

"There is no agreement for the Preservation of the property," said Lorintz. "We still have to agree on a price and get the matching funding from the state. Gulotta's press release was inaccurate."

Lorintz explained that in order to have an agreement, first the seller must be willing to sell. Then a price needs to be agreed upon and all parties need to come forward with the funding mechanisms. "None of this has been agreed on," said Lorintz.

Lorintz worries that if people believe Gulotta's comments that this deal is solidified and Underhill is guaranteed to be preserved, residents will not make an effort to continue to fight for preservation. "[Gulotta] gave people the false impression that the property has been saved and preserved and unfortunately people who get that impression, may fail to continue the type of efforts that are necessary," said Lorintz. "It makes our job as the organization pressing for preservation that much more difficult. People still need to do something. The property has not been preserved."

The legislature voted last week to make $5 million available for the joint purchase of the land. According to a press release issued by Judy Jacobs, state, county and local government officials have all agreed on the importance of preserving the Underhill property and have expressed a desire to join in purchasing the land before it is developed. The state, however, still has to allocate the matching funds to proceed with the purchase.

"In terms of its environmental significance, the Underhill property stands as the most important piece of undeveloped property in Nassau County," said Nassau County Legislator Brian Muellers. "We must now work with New York State and the town of Oyster Bay to make sure this land is never developed."

"Our desire to preserve this land is only overshadowed by the need to do so," said Nassau County Legislator Judy Jacobs. "Our actions today will, hopefully, mark the beginning of the end, where the call to save Underhill will be concluded by its purchase and preservation."