GOING OUTSIDE in CONNECTICUT The Statewide Comprehensive Outdoor Recreation Plan SCORP 2017–2022 GOING OUTSIDE in CONNECTICUT The Statewide Comprehensive Outdoor Recreation Plan 2017–2022 Dannel P. Malloy, Governor State of Connecticut Robert J. Klee, Commissioner Department of Energy and Environmental Protection Susan K. Whalen, Deputy Commissioner Environmental Conservation Branch Michael D. Lambert, Bureau Chief Bureau of Outdoor Recreation December 2017 State of Connecticut Department of Energy & Environmental Protection 79 Elm Street Hartford, CT 06106-5127 www.ct.gov/deep The preparation of this plan was financed in part through a planning grant from the National Park Service, Department of the Interior, under provisions of the Land and Water Conservation Fund Act of 1965 (Public Law 88-578, as amended). The Department of Energy and Environmental Protection is an affirmative action/equal opportunity employer and service provider. In conformance with the Americans with Disabilities Act, DEEP makes every effort to provide equally effective services for persons with disabilities. Individuals with disabilities who need this information in an alternative format, to allow them to benefit and/or participate in the agency’s programs and services, should call 860-418-5910 or e-mail the ADA Coordinator at [email protected]. Persons who are hearing impaired should call the State of Connecticut relay number 711. ii TABLE OF CONTENTS List of Tables . .vi List of Figures . vi The Purpose of This Book. 3 Benefits of Outdoor Recreation. 4 PART I: Connecticut. 7 Geography. 8 Climate. 9 Ecological and Developmental History. 10 Department of Energy and Environmental Protection Agency Structure . 12 Outdoor Recreation in Connecticut. 14 Major Accomplishments 2011 – 2016. 15 Introduction . 15 Land Acquisition and Management Unit. 16 State Parks and Public Outreach Division. 17 Connecticut Trails and Greenways Program. 26 Boating Division. 29 State Environmental Conservation Police Division . 31 Bureau of Natural Resources. 32 Forestry Division. 33 Fisheries Division – Inland. 35 Fisheries Division – Marine. 36 Wildlife Division. 38 Additional Reading on 2011-2016 Accomplishments. 42 PART II: The Plan . 43 Goals, Strategies, and Objectives. 45 Connecticut’s 2017-2022 Outdoor Recreation Goals. 45 Goal 1: Protect, conserve, and manage Connecticut’s natural, cultural, and historical resources as they support outdoor recreation.. 46 Strategy 1A: Continue Green Plan implementation. 46 Strategy 1B: Increase technological innovations for customer service. 49 Strategy 1C: Improve DEEP’s understanding of where and when facilities are most heavily used. 51 Strategy 1D: Strategically coordinate SCORP goals internally and with other stakeholders . 52 Strategy 1E: Identify new opportunities for collaboration with additional state resources. 52 Strategy 1F: Implement conservation objectives for the Wildlife Action Plan (WAP). 53 CONTENTS | STATEWIDE COMPREHENSIVE OUTDOOR RECREATION PLAN | SCORP | 2017–2022 iii Goal 2: Provide clean, safe, well-maintained outdoor recreation areas and facilities.. 54 Strategy 2A: Implement or update general management plans for each state outdoor recreation unit. 54 Strategy 2B: Use data-driven decision making practices. 55 Strategy 2C: Communicate recreation facilities’ conditions to potential users to better inform visitor expectations. 55 Strategy 2D: Manage varied user groups to maximize access and minimize conflicts. 56 Goal 3: Ensure that all residents and visitors can locate and access all outdoor recreation areas and facilities.. 57 Strategy 3A: Implement a wide range of public outreach and communication tools. 57 Strategy 3B: Increase accessibility to outdoor recreation facilities for people with disabilities .. 58 Strategy 3C: Remove impediments to visiting outdoor recreation facilities. 59 Strategy 3D: Identify, increase, and promote the availability of public transportation to and from outdoor recreation facilities . 59 Goal 4: Promote healthy lifestyles through increased participation in outdoor recreation.. 60 Strategy 4A: Encourage schools to include outdoor recreation in educational programming. 60 Strategy 4B: Encourage support of related agency outdoor programs. 60 Strategy 4C: Develop partnerships in healthy lifestyle promotion. 61 Strategy 4D: Determine whether affordability creates a barrier for some potential users. 62 Strategy 4E: Implement a Recruitment, Retention, and Reactivation (R3) Program . 63 Strategy 4F: Continue to expand the National Archery in the Schools Program (NASP) . 63 Strategy 4G: Encourage more residents to participate in hunting. 63 PART III: The Data . 65 2017-2022 Statewide Comprehensive Outdoor Recreation Data. 66 Executive Summary. 67 Overview . 67 Assessment of Supply. 67 Assessment of Demand. 68 Projections of Future Trends and Funding Directions. 71 Focus Group Findings . 72 SECTION 1: Introduction and Methodology . 73 About this Study. 73 Review of Previous SCORP Methodologies . 73 Methodology for the 2017-2022 Plan . 74 Statewide Demographics. 75 Study Participant Demographics. 78 SECTION 2: Assessing Supply . 87 Measuring Inventory: Supply of State Recreation Facilities. 87 Assessing Quality of Supply. 95 iv STATEWIDE COMPREHENSIVE OUTDOOR RECREATION PLAN | SCORP | 2017–2022 | CONTENTS SECTION 3: Assessing Demand. 101 Profile in Participation: Statewide Outdoor Recreation . 101 Profile of Participation: Outdoor Recreation Enthusiasts. 106 Profile of Participation: Statewide Demographic Trends. 112 Profile in Participation: Where Do People Recreate?. 121 Assessing Modes of Transportation . 125 Demand for Out-of-State Recreation . 126 Town Officials Identify Age-group Demands . 130 Assessing Demand for Additional Facilities. 132 SECTION 4: Barriers to Outdoor Recreation . 139 Residents Identify Barriers to Outdoor Recreation. 139 Outdoor Enthusiasts Identify Barriers to Outdoor Recreation. 140 How Connecticut Citizens Learn about Recreation Facilities and Activities . 142 SECTION 5: Projections of Future Trends and Funding Directions. 144 Town Officials Project Trends and Needs. 144 Residents Rank the Most Important Facilities to Develop . 145 Funding for Outdoor Recreation. 148 Town Officials’ Rankings of Community Needs. 150 Measuring Support for Fee Increases. 151 SECTION 6: Focus Group Findings . 153 Outdoor Recreation Enthusiasts. 153 Limited Outdoor Recreationists . 154 Appendices. 159 Appendix A: Wetlands Management Information . 159 Appendix B: Open Project Selection Process. 162 Appendix C: 2017-2022 SCORP Advisory Committee Membership. 163 CONTENTS | STATEWIDE COMPREHENSIVE OUTDOOR RECREATION PLAN | SCORP | 2017–2022 v List of Tables Table 1. Agency Structure for the Department of Energy and Environmental Protection. 12 Table 2. Financially Complete/Closed Acquisitions. 17 Table 3. Osborne Homestead Museum Attendance 2013 – 2016 . 22 Table 4. Recreational Trail Development Grants 2011 – 2016 . 28 Table 5. Increasing Angler Participation in Connecticut . 35 Table 6. Open Space Grants – Financially Completed. 47 Table 7. State Open Space Land Acquisitions by Land Designation and Funding Source. 48 Table 8. Green Plan Open Space Targets Set for DEEP and Partners through 2020. 48 Table 9. Uses of Data by Park and Recreation Agencies . 49 Table 10. Towns Represented by Town Officials Survey Respondents. 86 Table 11. Connecticut Recreation Supply 2005 . 88 Table 12. Resident Access to State DIRPs in 2005 . 89 Table 13. Sites with Recreational Resources by County (by number of sites per 10,000 residents) 91 Table 14. Ownership of State DIRPs in 2005. 92 Table 15. Additions to Outdoor Recreation Supply Since 2005. 93 Table 16. Comparative Use Frequency Indices for All Outdoor Recreational Activities. 108 Table 17. Activity Participation Rates Over the Past 5-10 Years as Ranked by Town Officials .... 120 Table 18. Ranking of Most Popular Town Activities/Resources by Town Officials. 131 Table 19. Activities Predicted by Officials to Gain or Lose Popularity over the Next 5-10 Years .. 144 List of Figures Figure 1. U.S. Forest Service Ecoregions of Connecticut. 8 Figure 2. Shaded Relief Map of Connecticut . 9 Figure 3. Connecticut Officially Designated Greenways . 26 Figure 4. East Coast Greenway in Connecticut. 27 Figure 5. Facilities for Coastal Transient Boaters. 30 Figure 6. Gallons of Recreational Boat Sewage Pumped. ..