Shop

Newsday examined the land speculation, political conflicts and environmental threats to the Fire Island and Hamptons areas of Long Island, perhaps its greatest asset in terms of self-image and tourism dollars. But rather than focus on the back-and-forth arguments offered by policy wonks, Maier and his colleague John Riley examined hundreds of land records and other documents. They hope their experience at Newsday might provide helpful hints for other reporters checking out shoreline development in their regions. This tip sheet focuses on how to get beyond the storm - looking at court documents, environmental records and land deeds to get the broader picture.