“If you’re a fisherman, it’s hard to imagine a more picture-perfect spot than Plum Island, New York.” So says Richard Remmer — an angling enthusiast and activist from Sayville, New York — who’s assisting an effort to Preserve Plum Island from development, since the federal government has put 600-plus acres of wild lands on the island, about 15 miles northwest of famed Montauk, up for sale to the highest bidder. “The island is an amazing parcel, with incredible fishing, and it should always be a public resource,” says Remmer. “We don’t need another golf course or real-estate development.” The Preserve Plum Island Coalition is endorsing the idea that all or a majority of the island be protected as a National Wildlife Refuge, administered by U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. Remmer hopes anglers from all over the country will help in this effort, “no matter where they live,” and ask their federal lawmakers to support Senate Bill S1675 and House Bill HR1887; both bills would block this sale. Anyone interested in helping in this effort can find specifics of how to do that here.
