Save The Scraggy Hill Forest for Generations to Come
The Scraggy Hill Forest is a roughly 18 acre tract of mature
woodland owned by the Port Jefferson School District, adjacent to the Edna
Louise Spear Elementary School athletic field.
Shaped by the glaciers that formed Long Island thousands of years ago,
its rolling terrain and natural depressions are part of a landscape that has
evolved over millennia. Today, Red Oak, White Oak, Chestnut Oak,
native maple, American Beech, Mountain Laurel and other native trees and plants
form a mature, biodiverse woodland.
A landscape shaped over thousands of years cannot simply be recreated
once it is lost. Preserving Scraggy Hill Forest means protecting this
irreplaceable piece of Port Jefferson’s natural history for generations to
come.
The Port Jefferson School District serves our community in many important ways
and must balance a wide range of responsibilities and priorities. It has begun
a process that could lead to the sale and potential development of a portion of
Scraggy Hill Forest, creating an opportunity to support its permanent
preservation as open space.
An initial round of bidding has taken place. While the property’s future remains
undecided, now is the time to explore options for permanently preserving this
woodland.
Why the Scraggy Hill Forest Matters
Preserve Open Space
The forest is a beautiful, mature woodland and an increasingly rare piece of undeveloped land in Port Jeff.
Shaped by the glaciers that formed Long Island thousands of years ago, its rolling terrain and natural depressions are part of a landscape that has evolved over millennia.
Saving the forest as open space would protect something that, once lost, can never truly be replaced.
Protecting the Heart of Port Jeff
Helping Protect Our Village from Flooding
Port Jeff has experienced severe flooding that has inundated businesses, residences, roads and even our firehouse, disrupting commerce, tourism and daily life.
Helping Protect the Health of Our Historic Harbor
The harbor is at the heart of our Village, shaping its history, character and economy. Protecting its health means protecting a defining part of Port Jeff.
The forest helps protect our Village and harbor. Its mature trees and soils absorb rainfall, reduce runoff and naturally filter water that reaches the harbor.
Protect Our Water and Wildlife
The forest’s trees and soils help rainfall soak into the ground, supporting the groundwater that supplies Long Island’s drinking water.
Protecting the forest keeps its mature trees and natural ecosystem intact, supporting native plants and providing food, shelter and space for birds and other wildlife.
Preserve Character of Port Jeff
The forest is part of the natural beauty and wooded landscape that make Port Jeff such a special place to live.
Our wooded hillsides, harbor, historic neighborhoods and remaining open spaces all contribute to the distinctive character of our Village. Scraggy Hill Forest is part of that landscape.
Protecting the forest means preserving the natural character that makes Port Jeff such a special place.
Help Save the Scraggy Hill Forest
Join the Effort
Join other local residents working to preserve this beautiful woodland as permanent open space.
Help build community support for preserving the forest. Tell your friends and neighbors about the effort and encourage them to visit this web site to learn more.
www.portjefffcivic.com/scraggy-hill-forest
Make Your Voice Heard
Let School District and our elected officials know that preserving this important open space matters to you.
Thank Our Elected Officials — Support Their Efforts
Local elected officials are already working to explore opportunities to preserve Scraggy Hill Forest.
Let them know that you appreciate and support their efforts to protect this important open space for our community.
Port Jefferson School District
The Port Jefferson School District serves our community in many important ways and must balance a wide range of responsibilities and priorities.
As decisions about the Scraggy Hill Forest property move forward, let District leaders know that preserving this beautiful woodland is also important to our community.
Kathleen McLane Biography
Inspired by the inaugural meeting of the revived Port Jeff Civic Association in January 2023, Kathleen stepped up to serve on the board. Over the past three years, as Corresponding Secretary, she put her journalism background to work by authoring petitions, letters to the editor, and local calls to action.
Her advocacy has focused on critical Village challenges, including flooding, erosion, and over-development. To amplify these efforts, she spearheaded a Tri-Civic collaboration with neighboring leaders in Port Jefferson Station/Terryville and Three Village. This coalition successfully petitioned the Town of Brookhaven to form a Battery Energy Storage Systems (BESS) task force and established regular briefings with elected officials to keep local concerns front and center.
Now serving as Vice President, Kathleen remains dedicated to growing and strengthening the Civic, fostering community connections, and advocating for Port Jeff’s future.
