Environmentalists and town officials are squaring off over open land in Calverton.

Environmentalists from the L.I. Pine Barrens Society have recommended adding hundreds of acres called the EPCAL property to New York's open space acquisition list. Town officials say conserving the land is a back-door attempt to kill a huge development plan for the East End.

Developers are hoping to turn the property into a resort area, complete with eight hotels and a 350-foot tall ski mountain. Town officials say the development would produce jobs and lower taxes in the area.

Pine Barren Society members are dumbfounded by the thought of building on the land, fearing not only the loss of open space but the construction's impact on local endangered species.

The DEC is currently evaluating whether to add the property to the open space list or not.