To: CT General Assembly Finance, Revenue, and Bonding Committee From: Thomas Broderick, Trumbull Re: SB 887 Date: March 20, 2021 Dear Finance, Revenue, and Bonding Committee, Over the past year of the covid-19 pandemic, Connecticut’s trails, open spaces, and parks have been my constant companion; indeed, it’s not too far to say that they kept me sane. When our local town parks shut down in March 2020, my wife and I immediately began to explore at all the state parks. We spent time together seeing the state and going to places we’d never been despite living here for years: the Tunxis Trail and Indian Council Caves, the Narragansett Trail and Lantern Hill, the Natchaug Trail and its river system, James L. Goodwin State Forest, Naugatuck State Forest—and so many more. Even in non-pandemic times, though, our open spaces make Connecticut great. Residents can go from the beaches of Hammonasset to the grand views at Chaugham overlook in the People’s State Forest. As a Trumbull resident, I live a half mile from the Pequonnock River Trail and see first-hand how it’s not just a greenway but a gathering place. On any given day there are seniors out for a stroll, children learning to ride their bikes, dog walkers of all ages and runners out for exercise. This same dynamic is repeated in our parks, greenways, and trails across the state. Our open spaces are central to building healthy, vibrant communities, and I want to ensure the General Assembly protects places like the Pequonnock River Trail for future generations, too. I support our state investing in four programs in the Governor’s Budget for 2022-2023: ❏ CT Recreational Trails & Greenways: this matching grant program supports efforts by municipalities, land trusts, and other non-profits to improve, connect, and publicize outdoor recreational opportunities on trails. This important program gave its last grants in 2019 and is currently out of funding. Support Governor’s Budget recommended level of $3 million in both 2022 and 2023. ❏ Open Space and Watershed Land Acquisition (OSWA): this matching grant program supports the acquisition of land by land trusts, municipalities, and water companies as well as Urban Green and Community Garden grants. OSWA is receiving significantly more applications than it can fund. Support DEEP requested level of $10 million in both 2022 and 2023. ❏ Recreation and Natural Heritage Trust: this program enables DEEP to acquire land from willing sellers to be State Parks, Forests, and Wildlife Management Areas for the public. Support DEEP requested level of $10 million in both 2022 and 2023. ❏ State Park Infrastructure Investments: would fund alterations, renovations, and new construction at State Parks and other DEEP recreation facilities, including Americans with Disabilities Act improvements. Support DEEP requested level of $41 million in 2022 and $44 million in 2023. I want to end with a line from Ralph Waldo Emerson’s Self-Reliance: The rage of travelling is a symptom of a deeper unsoundness affecting the whole intellectual action. The intellect is vagabond, and our system of education fosters restlessness. Our minds travel when our bodies are forced to stay at home. I love traveling and seeing the world, but this last year taught me how lucky I am to live in such a fantastic state. For Connecticut residents, being “forced to stay home” means being able to explore some of the most beautiful places on earth. Please protect and expand the trails, open spaces, and parks for our current generation and posterity, alike. Thank you for the opportunity to provide this testimony. Sincerely, Thomas Broderick Trumbull.