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Fire Island National Seashore

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Fire Island National Seashore (FINS) is a United States National Seashore that protects a 26-mile (42 km) section of Fire Island , an approximately 30-mile (48 km) long and 0.5-mile (0.80 km) wide barrier island separated from Long Island by the Great South Bay . The island is part of New York State's Suffolk County and the Outer Barrier .

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24-473: There are 17 private communities within the boundaries of Fire Island National Seashore including Saltaire , Fire Island Pines , and Ocean Beach . Only two bridges lead to Fire Island and the national seashore and there are no public roads within the seashore itself. The Robert Moses Causeway leads to Robert Moses State Park on the western end of Fire Island while the William Floyd Parkway leads to

48-590: A 1931 Nor'easter created the Moriches Inlet, which enlarged between 1933 and 1938. The Suffolk County Parks Department acquired the park in the 1950s, and by the 1970s Cupsogue Beach County Park was given a pavilion and boardwalk . A breach connecting the Atlantic Ocean and Great South Bay occurred on the east end of the park as a result of high tides during Hurricane Sandy in 2012. The breach widened from 150 feet (46 m) to 300 feet (91 m) less than

72-417: A first aid center (staffed by an EMT during the summer months), showers and changing rooms are all situated at Cupsogue's pavilion. Camping and recreational vehicles are permitted along the access road running parallel to the outer beach. Diving is permitted at slack tide on the bay side of the park only, where the water depth is approximately 12 feet (3.7 m). Most facilities at the park can be found on

96-415: A household in the village was $ 75,252, and the median income for a family was $ 49,500. Males had a median income of $ 51,250 versus $ 41,250 for females. The per capita income for the village was $ 17,125. None of the population and none of the families were below the poverty line . The Saltaire Yacht Club was founded in 1911. All property owners and renters in the village are eligible to join. The Village

120-581: A signer of the Declaration of Independence . The William Floyd House is listed on the National Register of Historic Places and is located in Mastic Beach, New York . The Otis Pike Fire Island High Dune Wilderness , also known as Fire Island Wilderness , is a 1,380-acre (5.6 km; 2.16 sq mi) wilderness area on Fire Island. It is approximately seven miles (11 km) long and located on

144-466: Is a 296-acre (1.20 km ) park at the eastern end of Fire Island and the western end of Westhampton Island , known locally as Dune Road, one of Long Island 's easternmost barrier islands . The Atlantic Ocean , Moriches Inlet and Moriches Bay surround the park. Though the park exists on both sides of the Moriches Inlet and is located entirely within the Town of Brookhaven , it is only accessible from

168-535: Is governed by a Mayor and Board of Trustees. Children of year-round residents are zoned to Fire Island School District . They attend the sole school of the district, Woodhull School in Ocean Beach until grade 6, at which point they are bussed to Long Island for grades 7-12, with a choice of either the Bay Shore School District (which operates Bay Shore Middle School and Bay Shore High School ) or to

192-635: Is land and 0.04 square miles (0.1 km ), or 18.04%, is water. Among other things, Saltaire is known for its great softball league in the summer. The village encompasses the widest portion of Fire Island, at approximately 0.5 miles (0.80 km). Saltaire can be reached by the Fire Island Ferries, by private boat, by walking, or by car. Fire Island Ferry service to Saltaire leaves from the Fire Island ferry terminal in Bay Shore, New York . The village

216-513: Is on the western part of Fire Island between the Great South Bay and the Atlantic Ocean and between the hamlets of Kismet (to the west) and Fair Harbor (to the east). There are 459 housing units in the community, as well as a Village Hall and Court, general market, fire house, two churches, and a members yacht club. Saltaire is the second-largest Fire Island community, and is on

240-573: Is the only federally designated wilderness area in New York State and one of the smallest wilderness areas managed by the National Park Service . The wilderness includes pine forests, grassy wetlands, and dunes that serve as habitat for white-tailed deer, herons and migratory waterfowl. The wilderness area does not technically include the beaches that face the Atlantic Ocean. Hiking, back-country camping, and fishing access are available within

264-556: The Islip School District (which operates Islip High School ). They may also be bussed to one of the many private and parochial schools on the mainland. The Saltaire Volunteer Fire Company was established in 1969 to provide fire suppression services to the village. In 1986, the fire company became the first Fire Island fire department to provide Emergency Medical Services to the village and surrounding communities. Cupsogue Beach County Park Cupsogue Beach County Park

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288-610: The breach's formation, along with repopulation of fish and clams that had been absent from the bay for decades due to pollution. Officials moved to close two breaches which formed on either side of Moriches Inlet following Hurricane Sandy — one in Cupsogue Beach County Park and the other in Smith Point County Park. A draft plan for action was scheduled to be released in summer 2016. The National Park Service ultimately decided not to take any action and instead let

312-539: The breach. Contingency plans put in place to manage breaches within the wilderness area called for initial monitoring of the breach; as of 2014, the breach has stabilized and monitoring continues. Some residents have called for closure of the breach, due to perceived increases in flooding after the breach's opening. However, the breach has been responsible for increased water quality in Great South Bay, which had been becoming increasingly polluted by suburban runoff prior to

336-468: The east side of Moriches Inlet. The segment of the park on the west side is preserved land that is divided by a strip of town parkland separating Cupsogue from Smith Point County Park . This park is home to many piping plovers , a federally-protected shorebird . Dated from the 1690s, the Native American word Cupsogue means "a closed inlet". The park's land was entirely part of Fire Island until

360-455: The eastern end of the island. The seashore can also be accessed by private boat or by ferry from the communities of Patchogue , Sayville , and Bay Shore on Long Island. Fire Island National Seashore was established as a unit of the National Park Service on September 11, 1964. A separate unit of Fire Island National Seashore located on Long Island protects the home and estate of William Floyd , an American Revolutionary War general and

384-551: The eastern side of Fire Island. The United States Congress designated the Otis Pike High Dune Wilderness Area in 1980. The wilderness area is named for former New York Congressman Otis G. Pike , who co-sponsored the bill which created the Fire Island National Seashore and worked hard to secure public support and the legislation's passage through Congress to establish the new national park. It

408-467: The landscape evolve naturally. By summer 2022, the breach was filling with sand, having shrunk tenfold to less than 100 feet wide. Saltaire, New York Saltaire is a village on Fire Island in the Town of Islip , in Suffolk County , New York , United States. The year-round population was 113 at the time of the 2020 census, which, as a summer beach community, increases many times over in

432-555: The summer. Saltaire was founded in 1910 and incorporated in 1917. The village was heavily damaged and six residents killed in the Hurricane of 1938 . In early 2009, the village underwent a beach restoration project. The village was damaged by Hurricane Sandy in 2012. According to the United States Census Bureau , the village has an area of 0.27 square miles (0.7 km ), of which 0.23 square miles (0.6 km )

456-411: The village was 79.07% White , 9.30% Asian , and 11.63% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 2.33% of the population. There were 14 households, out of which 35.7% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 57.1% were married couples living together, and 28.6% were non-families. 14.3% of all households were made up of individuals, and 14.3% had someone living alone who

480-557: The western terminus of Dune Road, which itself is in the Town of Southampton . The closest bridge to the park is for Jessup Lane in the village of Westhampton Beach between Moriches Bay and Moneybogue Bay. The park's eastern border is the Brookhaven/Southampton town line and the village of West Hampton Dunes . This 296-acre (1.20 km ) barrier beach park offers lifeguard-supervised swimming, sunbathing, fishing, scuba diving, and special events. A food concession, restrooms,

504-456: The widest part of the island. The following demographics represent year-round Saltaire households (not representative of total ownership, or summer population): As of the census of 2000, there were 43 people, 14 households, and 9 families residing in the village. The population density was 155.0 inhabitants per square mile (59.8/km ). There were 401 housing units at an average density of 1,445.2 per square mile (558.0/km ). The racial makeup of

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528-454: The wilderness. Access to the Otis G. Pike Wilderness can be obtained either from Watch Hill (which is accessible seasonally by ferry or private boat) or Smith Point County Park , accessible year round by car or bus. The Wilderness Visitor Center is located on the eastern edge of the wilderness, adjacent to Smith Point County Park. Privately owned Bellport Beach is located near the central area of

552-621: The wilderness. Old Inlet, just west of Smith Point County Park in the wilderness, has been the site of breaches of Fire Island causing the Atlantic Ocean to join with the Great South Bay . The most recent breach occurred during the high tides associated with Hurricane Sandy in October 2012. The breach was 276 feet (84 m) wide on the Atlantic side a week after the storm and 856 feet (261 m) wide on April 5, 2013. National Park Service officials have been debating whether to take action to close

576-434: Was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 3.07 and the average family size was 3.50. In the village, the population was spread out, with 37.2% under the age of 18, 25.6% from 25 to 44, 16.3% from 45 to 64, and 20.9% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 36 years. For every 100 females, there were 152.9 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 107.7 males. The median income for

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