Suffolk County sits within the Central Pine Barrens, one of the highest wildfire-risk regions in the Northeast. The Central Pine Barrens Joint Planning and Policy Commission and NYSDEC require defensible space around structures in the Core Preservation Area. Property owners are generally expected to maintain 30 feet of clearance around homes with reduced fuel loads.
Under Environmental Conservation Law Article 57 (Pine Barrens Protection Act), development in the 102,500-acre Core Preservation Area is restricted. Firewise USA recommendations adopted by Suffolk County towns call for Zone 1 (0-5 ft: noncombustible), Zone 2 (5-30 ft: mowed, limbed trees), and Zone 3 (30-100 ft: thinned). Towns of Brookhaven, Riverhead, and Southampton have Pine Barrens-specific brush ordinances. DEC Forest Rangers and local fire districts coordinate wildfire response.
Overgrown brush creating fire hazard: town code enforcement abatement order, costs lien on property. Illegal clearing in Core Preservation Area: up to $10,000 per acre under Pine Barrens Act. Failure to maintain defensible space after fire marshal notice: $500-$1,000.
Calverton, NY
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Suffolk County, NY
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Suffolk County, NY
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Side-by-side rule comparisons with other cities in Suffolk County.
See how other cities in Suffolk County handle brush clearance.
See how Calverton's brush clearance rules stack up against other locations.
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