(HARTFORD, CT) – Governor Dannel P. Malloy today announced that nearly $7.8 million in state grants will assist 25 communities in purchasing 2,237 acres to be preserved as open space. In addition, $96,250 was awarded to establish community gardens in New Haven and Norwalk.
“Conserving land is an important investment in our future, and today’s grants move us closer to meeting our goal of protecting 21 percent of Connecticut’s land as permanently protected open space,” said Governor Malloy. “Preservation projects such as these are fundamental to maintaining our high-quality of life, protecting the immense natural beauty of our state, and making Connecticut a great place to live, work and raise a family.”
The Governor continued, “Our residents and visitors will soon have many new open space areas in which to enjoy family time together outdoors and all that nature has to offer. It is also important to note that these lands will provide very convenient access to the outdoors, as more than 685,000 Connecticut residents – or about 20% of our population – are within a 10-minute drive of one of these properties.”
The grants come through the Open Space and Watershed Land Acquisition program, which is administered by the state Department of Energy and Environmental Protection (DEEP). This program provides financial support to local governments and land trusts in purchasing open space, using state bonds and funding from the 2005 Community Investment Act.
The open space grant program requires the local party to grant the state a conservation and public recreation easement, which ensures that the property is permanently protected for public use and benefit. DEEP prioritizes funding for projects that meet the multiple goals of open space, such as protecting vital habitats, creating and enhancing recreational resources, and protecting our valuable water resources.
These open space grants will help the State of Connecticut achieve its goal of protecting 673,210 acres of land by 2023. Connecticut now has 496,948 acres designated as state or local open space lands, 73.8% of the goal. Since the program was launched in 1998, more than $117 million in state funding has been awarded to municipalities, nonprofit land conservation organizations, and water companies to assist in the purchase of 29,181 acres of land in 135 cities and towns.
The grants for Community Gardens in New Haven and Norwalk are the result of a more recent component of the open space grant program. These grants are designed to create green spaces in city neighborhoods, open up urban lands for outdoor recreation, and help improve community health by encouraging the growing of local fruits and vegetables.
“The community gardens initiative was added to the open space program in 2007 to address multiple open space needs in urban areas,” said DEEP Commissioner Robert Klee. “This portion of the grant program acknowledges that preserving places people care about is as important in our cities and inner suburbs as it is in more rural areas.”
Newtown's grant award summary:
Town: Newtown
Project Title: Chestnut Hill Open Space Preserve
Sponsor: Town of Newtown
Grant Award: $110,000
Total Acres: 36.98
Description: This property is located in the southeast corner of Newtown near the Monroe and Oxford town lines, and will add to existing town-owned open space to create an over 70-acre preserve. The property is within the Halfway River Watershed and contains wetland, vernal pools and deciduous forest floodplains in an undeveloped natural setting. An unnamed tributary to the Halfway River runs through and is likely enjoyed by an Eastern Box Turtle that was recently discovered on the property. The ridgeline topography runs north-south and has a steep slope to the east toward the Halfway River.