Lower Farmington River Greenway Designation Application May 1, 2014 Prepared for: Connecticut Greenways Council 79 Elm Street Hartford, Connecticut 06063 Prepared by: Farmington River Watershed Association 749 Hopmeadow Street Simsbury, CT In conjunction with: Towns of Windsor and Bloomfield, Connecticut Nomination for Official Designation of Greenway ............................................................ 1 Farmington River Watershed Association .......................................................................... 3 Proposed Greenway Description......................................................................................... 4 Plans of Conservation and Development and other Relevant Documents ......................... 8 Background: Lower Farmington River and Its Resources ................................................ 15 Appendix A: Potential Greenway Corridor Figures ......................................................... 16 Appendix B: Municipal Resolution & Support Letters .................................................... 17 This Designation Application was made possible through a grant from Hartford Foundation. CT Greenways Council Nomination for Official Designation of Greenway 2014 1. Name of Greenway: Lower Farmington River Greenway - Windsor, Bloomfield 2. Sponsoring Organization: Farmington River Watershed Association 3. Contact Name: Jeff Bolton 4. Contact Email: [email protected] 5. Contact Address: 749 Hopmeadow Street, Simsbury, CT 06070 6. Contact Phone: 860-658-4222 7. Town(s) in which greenway is/are located: Windsor and Bloomfield 8. Purpose of greenway (resource protection, recreation, etc) See application under "Designation Purpose and Goals" 9. Does the corridor connect existing open space, trail segments, historical/cultural assets; provide alternative transportation opportunities; connect neighborhoods to schools, town centers, parks and recreation areas, transportation centers, or open spaces? Yes No 10. Is the segment submitted for designation a key link in an emerging greenway, either for conservation or recreation purposes? Yes No If yes, please provide name and location of said greenway: Upper Connecticut River Greenway - Windsor (proposed/emerging); Metacomet Ridge Greenway (Simsbury/Bloomfield); Mill Brook Greenway (Windsor, proposed/emerging) 11. If the greenway is a municipal project, is it included in local plan of Conservation and Development? Yes No 12. Has your project been endorsed by the local government through a municipal resolution or compact? Yes No (If yes, please include copy – scan or digital photo) Greenway Designation Nomination Form 1 of 2 Rev. 02/04/14 13. If the greenway is a regional project, is it included in plans of relevant Regional Planning Agency, or Council of Governments, with endorsements by the affected municipalities; or, has an inter-municipal compact been developed between towns? Yes No (If yes, please include copies– scan or digital photo) 14. If the greenway is a non-governmental project, is it sponsored by an organization with a proven record of land use protection/recreational use, or with proven resources needed for project success; are licensing, easements, or other agreements for use of state, municipal, or private land on file? Yes No (If yes, please include copies– scan or digital photo) 15. Please include a written description of the project including a map showing location, connections (existing or potential), and adjacent open space if applicable on a 1:24,000 scale USGS Topographic Map. Digital photos and maps (digital photos taken of hard copy maps are acceptable) are preferred. Nomination forms must be returned by May 1, 2014. Please return this form to: Laurie Giannotti, via email [email protected] . The preferred method of submission is via email. Alternatively, you may mail digital reports on a CD or other electronic storage devices as appropriate. Digital photos and maps (digital photos taken of hard copy maps are acceptable) are also preferred. Contact information: Laurie Giannotti Trails and Greenways Coordinator Department of Energy & Environmental Protection 79 Elm Street Hartford, CT 06106 Phone (860) 424-3578 The Connecticut Department of Energy and Environmental Protection is an Affirmative Action/Equal Opportunity Employer that is committed to complying with the requirements of the Americans with Disabilities Act. Please contact us at (860) 418-5910 or [email protected] if you: have a disability and need a communication aid or service; have limited proficiency in English and may need information in another language; or if you wish to file an ADA or Title VI discrimination complaint. Greenway Designation Nomination Form 2 of 2 Rev. 02/04/14 Farmington River Watershed Association At its November 2009 Board Meeting, the Farmington River Watershed Association (FRWA) Board approved a motion to pursue greenway designations for the Farmington River and its tributaries. The FRWA is the nominating organization for the Lower Farmington River Greenway and will be the lead in overseeing and coordinating the greenway efforts with the Towns of Windsor and Bloomfield. The FRWA was founded in 1953 and has a proven record working for decades to protect the Farmington River, its major tributaries, its watershed and adjacent watersheds. The FRWA is a citizen-based, non-profit 501(c)(3) organization at the forefront of restoration and conservation issues such as water quality, water allocation, recreational usage, open space, and wetland and floodplain protection. FRWA works with federal, state and local governments, business and industry, and the people of the watershed’s 33 communities to protect the river and the region’s natural resources. Another key partner for FRWA is the Lower Farmington River/Salmon Brook Wild & Scenic Study Committee, a group comprising representatives from 10 lower watershed towns and other river stakeholder groups, including FRWA. The Committee completed an advisory Management Plan for the lower Farmington River in 2011 that included a recommendation to seek state greenway status for eligible lands along the river corridor. The FRWA was instrumental in getting Congressional and Presidential approval of the Lower Farmington River and Salmon Brook Wild and Scenic River Study Act of 2005 (Public Law 109–370—Nov. 27, 2006, 120 STAT. 2643) which authorized the study for the potential addition of the lower Farmington River and Salmon Brook to the National Wild and Scenic Rivers System. Currently, the nomination of the Lower Farmington River and Salmon Brook for Wild and Scenic designation is pending in Congress. FRWA was also instrumental in seeking and obtaining Wild & Scenic status for the Upper Farmington River in 1995. As part of the Lower Farmington River and Salmon Brook Wild & Scenic Study, a wealth of information has been collected for the Farmington River that is directly transferrable to meeting the Connecticut Greenway criteria and seeking greenway designation is one of the management goals ( Lower Farmington River and Salmon Brook Management Plan, June 2011 [“Management Plan”], page 50) FRWA’s regional presence and long history of land use protection/recreational use are benefits to spearheading a regional approach to greenway designation within the Farmington Watershed, including making connections with other greenways and potential greenways. Over the long term, FRWA seeks Connecticut Greenway designation for entire Farmington River within Connecticut, tributaries or key inter-connections where possible. In 2010, FRWA in conjunction with the Town of Granby was successful in obtaining State Designation for the Salmon Brook Greenway. That said, FRWA will work cooperatively and in partnership with the towns and others and will not seek greenway designation should a host town not be supportive of designation. This Greenway application is thus another step in a long-term planning effort to make greenway connections in the Farmington River Watershed. This application also recognizes the other FRWA 2014 nominations, Mill Brook Greenway - Lower Farmington River Greenway Designation Application Windsor, and Upper Connecticut River Greenway – Windsor, as these nominations play key roles in forming connections and opportunities that benefit the Lower Farmington River Greenway. Proposed Greenway Description This nomination application only pertains to the Farmington River within the Towns of Windsor and Bloomfield, Connecticut. The conceptual greenway entails the following parameters: x The greenway “route” is generally within 500 feet from the River’s edge and can be on either side of the River; x Connect with existing open space parcels through the shortest route, but still near the River; and x Right-of-ways can be used to connect with other open space parcels or trails, including cross over from one-side of the River to the other. Actual routes (or trails) would be coordinated at the town level for the purposes of ensuring sound engineering and public safety. Alternative routes are acceptable especially when connection routes between open spaces are not feasible for any reason, such as, but not limited to, ownership, natural resources constraints, or economic constraints. For detailed figures on the proposed greenway designation areas, please see Appendix A. Designation Purpose and Goals The purpose of the proposed designation is to promote the natural, recreational, and cultural resources of the Lower Farmington River. The goals of the Lower Farmington River Greenway proposal