New York State Department of Environmental Conservation

The town board voted unanimously last Tuesday to authorize a lawsuit commenced three weeks earlier on its behalf by an outside law firm — after deputy town attorney Ann Marie Prudenti spent about 20 minutes explaining why it wasn't really necessary.

Charging the State Department of Environmental Conservation with flagrant violations of the state law, Riverhead Town is asking a court to nullify the agency's decision against an in-depth environmental review for the expansion of a Calverton mine to a depth 89 feet below groundwater.

Benjamin Franklin preferred this native American bird over the Bald Eagle for the centerpiece of the Great Seal of the United States. As the wild turkey population has rebounded from virtual extinction to about 6,000 on Long Island, not all residents would agree with the Founding Father's assessment.

Riverhead Town will release documents submitted to the State Department of Environmental Conservation in connection with the town’s Wild Scenic and Recreational...