In 1993, residents incorporated the area as a village, a move that gave them more of a say in how beach nourishment efforts along its length are managed. Most beach nourishment projects, which involve placing sufficient quantities of beach-quality sand on eroding beaches to offset the effects of erosion, are overseen by the US Army Corps of Engineers and funded with local, state and federal money. Westhampton Dunes was recognized by the American Shore and Beach Preservation Association (www.asbpa.org) as one of the Top Restored Beaches of 2007.

While driving its coastline or sunbathing along its pristine beaches, visitors to Westhampton Dunes can often catch a glimpse of some of the area's other notable residents. "Housewatching gives way to birdwatching" in Westhampton Dunes, writes Long Island Birding.com's Eric Salzman (www.libirding.com). "Westhampton Dunes is, at present, the Piping Plover capital of the world," says Salzman. "Young and old birds of this species will be found everywhere along these shores from early spring well into the fall." The piping plover is a small, stocky, sand-colored shore bird that has a distinctive black band across its forehead. In addition to population of protected piping plovers, lucky birders can also spot such rare species as least terns, red-necked stints, Wilson's plovers, red-necked phalarope, brown pelicans, and royal terns, just to name a few.  In addition to the plovers, the waters of Morches Bay at the western end of Westhampton Dunes is home to harbor seals each year from November through May.  Most days, at low tide, as a sand bar forms in the bay, many seals can be seen frolicking in the water and sunning on the sand.