The protected area of the Silvio O. Conte Fish and Wildlife Refuge has grown, and the public will gain enhanced access in a place of significance to American naturalist history, with transfer by The Nature Conservancy of 96 acres of land to the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. The transfer includes a 40-acre parcel in East Hampton that contains a half-mile of Pine Brook, a direct tributary of the Salmon River. This property was transferred jointly by The Nature Conservancy and the Middlesex Land Trust.