The sign leading into Brookside Preserve, a 20-acre park in Freeport owned by Nassau County, states the land is intended 'for the enjoyment of nature.' But it…
Brookside Preserve has fallen into disrepair and become an eye sore — not to mention a public safety hazard, locals say, with garbage, broken walking paths and debris scattered throughout the property.
A battle is brewing over a Long Island nature preserve that neighbors say has been left to decay. Conditions have gotten so bad, some community members have even stepped up to try and clean up the trash, but need county help. NBC New York’s Greg Cergol reports. A battle is growing over the condition of a county-owned Long Island nature preserve that some describe as neglected, unsafe and in need of urgent attention. The sign leading into Brookside Preserve, a 20-acre park in Freeport owned by Nassau County, states the land is intended"for the enjoyment of nature." But it has fallen into disrepair and become an eye sore — not to mention a public safety hazard, locals say, with garbage, broken walking paths and debris scattered throughout the property.“This looks like a war zone,” said Jose Cuevas, who first noticed the extent of the problem while hiking in the preserve with his children."I just couldn’t get over it and I said ‘You know what, we need to go, we cannot continue.' And my kids were a little sad and they asked me, ‘Dad, what happened here?’” Lifelong Freeport resident Erica DeVargas said the the space should be an open-space jewel for the community, but it's far from that.Rather than simply raising complaints, Cuevas and DeVargas organized community cleanup efforts and created a nonprofit group. They say the organization volunteered to help maintain the preserve at no cost to the county.From North Shore to North Fork to Long Island Sound and the barrier islands, NBC New York covers Long Island news, weather, traffic and more.But Nassau County has yet to formally respond to the proposal for a partnership, despite repeated outreach over the past several years. “They came to the county with a simple offer: Let us take care of it and we’ll do it for free,” said county legislator Debra Mule. She voiced support for the residents, whose offer has been ignored by the county for almost three years. “It could be very frustrating, yes, because you go to other preserves in the area and they’re getting all the attention it needs, and we’re not,” DeVargas said. The office of Nassau County Executive Bruce Blakeman did not respond to repeated requests for comment on Monday. Residents said they will continue their volunteer cleanup efforts, but stress that meaningful improvements will require action from the county.This story was originally reported for broadcast by NBC New York. AI tools helped convert the story to a digital article, and an NBC New York journalist edited the article for publication.
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Lawmakers, volunteers say Brookside Preserve is unsafe and neglectedAt a press conference Monday, Nassau County Legislator Debra Mulé stood alongside the South Shore Conservation Society, pointing to trash, graffiti, collapsing walkways and what she called “neglect you can see, you can smell, you can trip over.”
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