New York AG Reached Settlement with Landscaping Company for Destroying Protected Natural Resources

APRIL 9, 2024

New York Attorney General Letitia James—along with the Central Pine Barrens Joint Planning and Policy Commission—announced a settlement with a Affa Organics, a landscaping supply company, and its owner to resolve allegations. According to the AG’s office, the company destroyed acres of the Pine Barrens—a protected area that serves as Long Island’s largest source of drinking water—by “by bulldozing and excavating soil, cutting down trees, and clearing natural ground cover.” Under the settlement, the company’s owner is required to pay $100,000 in civil penalties and restore the destroyed area, or face $200,000 in additional penalties if he fails to do so.