Shore thing.

The Port Authority has acquired 9.7 acres of environmentally land on Staten Island's North Shore, which will be preserved for public use by the New York City Department of Parks & Recreation.

The property, known as the Blissenbach Marina or North Shore Waterfront Park, is located between Richmond Terrace and Tompkins Court in the West Brighton neighborhood. It will provide Staten Island residents with water front access and outstanding views of ship traffic traveling along the Kill van Kull.

"Working closely with environmental groups, we will continue to identify key tracts, such as the Blissenbach Marina, that will provide access to the waterfront and improve ecologically sensitive areas for future generations," said Gov.George Pataki. "The Staten Island waterfront is a regional treasure and we must do whatever we can to preserve sections of it for public use."

The Trust for Public Land, a non-profit conservation organization, negotiated the Staten Island land purchase for preservation on behalf of the New York City Department of Parks & Recreation in cooperation with the Port Authority. The Department of Parks & Recreation will conduct a study to determine the best public use for the land.

The property was acquired under a $60 million program designed to help the Port Authority balance its redevelopment plans with the need to preserve critical habitats and waterfront areas for public use in New York and New Jersey. The properties considered for the program are sites that environmental groups have identified as candidates for preservation, and are required to meet at least one of several criteria, including the ability to provide public access to waterfront areas; the ability to provide buffer areas around existing Port Authority facilities; and the ability to preserve key natural resource areas.

"I congratulate the Port Authority for acquiring this important area," Staten Island Borough President James P. Molinaro said. "It is admirable that they are donating this land to the New York City Department of Parks & Recreation. The North Shore community has long sought to create a vibrant waterfront park and I am thrilled that this area will be preserved for the betterment of Staten Island."

The Port Authority will also invest $350 million to upgrade the New York Marirre Terminal at Howland Hook, and the agency also is beginning a major initiative to explore the long-term future of the Goethals Bridge, a key crossing that transports Staten Island residents to and from New Jersey.

"The acquisition and preservation of this waterfront property continues to demonstrate the Port Authority's ongoing commitment to Staten Island," said Joseph J. Seymour, Port Authority Executive Director.