Long Island lawmakers are considering revisions to a farmland preservation program.

A giant ear of corn attracts customers to the Hayground Farm Stand in Bridgehampton. (AP Photo/Kathy Willens)

The proposed revisions would allow greenhouses, farm stands and alternative energy systems on land bought by Suffolk County.

The county land purchases date to the 1970s. They’re designed to protect the East End’s scenic rural appeal and preserve 31,000 acres still used for farming or related industries.

The county has bought building rights on 9,000 acres. Now, lawmakers want to spell out what’s allowed on the land. Legislators were expected to discuss the issue Tuesday.

The Long Island Pine Barrens Society fears widespread construction of “industrial greenhouses.” The Long Island Farm Bureau calls those concerns overblown. 

Copyright 2010 The Associated Press.