A new agreement grants the Museum the option to purchase 16+ acres of sensitive land, protecting Fishers Island’s natural character for future generations.
Preserving Fishers Island’s natural character has long been a shared mission of FIDCO and the Henry L. Ferguson Museum’s Land Trust. Now, an important land deal aims to safeguard this legacy for generations to come. The Museum and FIDCO have entered a Memorandum of Understanding whereby the Museum has the option to purchase from FIDCO more than 16 acres of environmentally sensitive land for approximately $3.3 million.
This important conservation effort is the product of a long and fruitful collaboration between the Museum’s Land Trust and FIDCO. Since 1996, FIDCO has sold or donated more than 150 acres to the Land Trust for conservation purposes.
Three land parcels make up the total 16 acres: one is along the North and West shores of Barlow Pond, permanently preserving approximately 75% of that shoreline. The other two parcels front the Main Road across from the Driving Range. Their conservation will connect with and extend the large undeveloped view corridor already held by the Land Trust. All three parcels lie within areas vital to protecting the island’s aquifer and watershed, and once the parcels are transferred, the land will be permanently preserved in its natural state under the Museum’s Land Trust.
FIDCO President, Brad Bradbeer describes the proposed transfer of assets as, “a win/win for Fishers. Environmentally significant land will be preserved to maintain the natural beauty of the Island and the historic character envisaged in the 1926 Olmstead plan.”
Land Trust head Bob Miller says, “It’s wonderful that FIDCO decided, once again, to offer significant parcels to the Museum’s Land Trust for preservation. All we need to do now is raise the money to make it a reality.”
Under the Memorandum of Understanding, the Museum has until December 31, 2026, to assemble funds to acquire these parcels. Assistance is being sought from the Peconic Bay Fund administered by the Town of Southold, which is funded by taxes levied on the sale of real property for the purpose of open space. The remainder will come from private donations. (The purchase price of approximately $3.3 million was established by an independent appraisal, supported by data on the sale of comparable properties.)
The Museum will shortly begin an appeal for contributions for the purchases. The Museum is a public charity with the status of a 501(c)(3) organization for tax purposes. Donations of cash or securities will be fully deductible under relevant provisions of the Internal Revenue Code.
