Note Type
Historical NoteNote
Charlene Briand (b. 1937), a year-round Montauk resident, graduated from Syracuse University and earned designation as a State Certified Assessor. She worked as Town Assessor in East Hampton Town during the 1980s. She was a homemaker turned environmental activist, after she joined with neighbors to fight proposals to expand commercial uses on East Lake Drive.
From 1982-1986, Charlene was active with The Coalition for Hither Woods and worked in the opposition of development and private sale of Hither Woods, fighting for the protection of approximately 1357 acres of forest, meadow, coastline, and its underlying groundwater. The group advocated for preserving the lands as a park system and proposed its addition to Hither Hills State Park. The continued efforts were successful and in 1986, 557 acres were added to the state park system, with an additional 777 acres added in 1987.
In 1983, the General Services Administration attempted to sell the recently shuttered Montauk Air Force Station and surrounding properties to private real estate developers. Along with other environmental activists and conservation groups, Charlene opposed this plan and fought to preserve the land’s unique ecosystems and animal habitats. A portion of the property was obtained as affordable housing for local families. The remaining 278 acres were transferred to the National Parks Service and turned over to the New York State Office of Parks, Recreation and Historic Preservation. The park is now known as Camp Hero State Park.
Charlene later became an active member of the East Hampton Town Zoning Board of Appeals. She was married to Thomas Briand, and together the couple had two daughters, Laura and Elizabeth.Note Type
Folder ListNote
Series 1: Shadmoor 1981-1982
- Shadmoor
Series 2: Air Force Base, 1981–1984
- Air Force Base, 1984
- Air Force Base – For the beauty of the Earth, 1984
- Air Base Housing, 1981-1982
- Air Force Base May – December, 1983
- Air Force Base Reports, 1981-1982
- [Federal land surplus] 1981-1982
- Misc.
Series 4: Planning Department Abolish, 1981
- Abolish the Planning Department, 1981
Series 5: Hither Woods, 1981-1986
- Clippings
- Duplicates, 981-1982
- Endangered species
- For the beauty of the Earth, 1986
- Hither Woods, 1982-1986
- Hither Woods Agencies and Correspondence, 1982
- Hither Woods – Black-and-white photographs
- Hither Woods current, 1982-1983
- [Hither Woods draft report by Richard Whalen] 1982
- Hither Woods Fact Sheets, 1982
- Hither Woods – Funds, 1982
- Hither Woods Goals – Letters of support, 1982
- Hither Woods legislature correspondence/contacts, 1982-1983
- Hither Woods L.I. Groundwater Conference, 1982
- Hither Woods Notes, 1982
- Hither Woods Organization Contacts, 1982
- Hither Woods Planning Board, 1982-1983
- Hither Woods Task Force Meetings, 1982
- Hither Woods Town Board, 1982-1983
- New York State Legislature, 1982
- Park Proposal, 1982
- Rick Whalen Correspondence, 1985
- Sunbeach, 1982
- Oversize, 1982