Meet Suffolk County Legislator Ann Welker

Recently elected Suffolk County Leg. Ann Welker of District 2 may be new to the job, but she knows her district well. One of her driving passions is the protection of working waterfront property. It is an initiative that she is working on with Catherine Stark, who is the District 1 legislator. Between the two of them, they each have miles of waterfront in their districts, more than any other legislator.

“My district encompasses 60 miles of ocean-front beach,” Welker says. Her district runs from Moriches Inlet to Montauk Point, encompassing most of the Town of Southampton and the whole of the Town of East Hampton. “We don’t just look [to protect] the beach. We are concerned with the changing climate, sea levels and erosion. We are the canary in the coal mine when it comes to waterfront property.”

She’s passionate about protecting the livelihoods of those who depend upon the waterfront. This includes oystermen and women, those who fish commercially and marina owners.

She and Stark have introduced the bipartisan Introductory Resolution #1520 protecting working waterfront property.

“This is not just about the East End, it covers all of Suffolk County,” Welker explains. “We’re working with Suffolk County Executive Ed Romaine, the Department of Economic Development, commercial fishermen, marine owners, those who sell and repair boats, oyster farmers and others.

“Suffolk County has a farming and fishing tradition. That includes fin and shellfish, as well as recreational uses,” Welker says.

“You protect what you love,” Welker says. “Education and outreach are also part of this, to help others understand why this initiative is so important.

“We are paying attention to what happened in Maine,” Welker explains. “They have 5,000 miles of waterfront and only 25 miles are preserved. We have a tremendous amount of shoreline and it is vital that we preserve it. Not just for aesthetics, but for the people who depend upon it for their livelihood.”

Welker adds that a single oyster can filter 50 gallons of water a day. At one point, Long Island had so many oysters that the shells were used to line the streets. Now, Long Island is working to restore the oyster industry.

“The Great South Bay was full of oysters and oystermen,” Welker says. “Oysters are definitely on the rise again. The benefits include jobs, tourism, festivals. There are 50 oyster farmers in Peconic Bay alone, all providing economic and water-quality benefits.”

The two legislators are working closely with all parties to move it along.

“If this passes through committee, it would be groundbreaking,” Welker says of the possibility of being the first county in New York to protect its working waterfront.

“We’re following in Maine’s footsteps, but also forging our own path here on Long Island,” Welker says.

She also is a strong advocate of the Suffolk Transit On-Demand Bus system, which was launched in Southampton Town in 2021, an initiative of former Suffolk County Legislator Bridget Fleming. For $2.25, you can travel from the Stony Brook Southampton Campus to South Ferry in North Haven. It includes the Village of Sag Harbor, North Sea, Southampton Village and parts of Tuckahoe. It also operates throughout the Town of East Hampton from the East Hampton railroad station to Montauk Point.

There is an app available and a ride can be called from your phone.

“We meet with DPW every couple of months,” Welker says. “Traffic on the East End is a challenge. We just want to get some of the cars off the road.”

Welker also serves on the following committees: Environment, Parks & Agriculture; Health; Public Works, Transportation & Energy; Veterans; and Ways & Means.

A native of the East End, Welker has spent her life on or in the waters of Southampton Town. She is a former Southampton Town Board trustee, where she represented the hamlets of Water Mill, Bridgehampton, Noyac, Sag Harbor and Sagaponack. Her district at the time included Mecox Bay, Sagaponack Pond and the coastal ponds found in the Long Pond Greenbelt. She has been a long-time steward of the area’s water bodies. First elected to the Southampton Town Board of Trustees in 2017, she was the first woman to have been elected to the Board since its inception in 1686.

Welker has set some very ambitious goals for her first term, but just as she has a love for the outdoors, she has a love for the Hamptons and the East End and works tirelessly for all her constituents.

Todd Shapiro is an award-winning publicist and associate publisher of Dan’s Papers.