79 Elm Street • Hartford, CT 06106-5127 www.ct.gov/deep Affirmative Action/Equal Opportunity Employer Open Space Report to the Finance, Revenue and Bonding Committee and the State Bond Commission January 2018 Overview Section 22a-6v of the General Statutes of Connecticut requires the Commissioner of the Department of Energy & Environmental Protection to submit a report to the joint standing committee of the General Assembly having cognizance of matters relating to finance, revenue and bonding and to the State Bond Commission each month. The report provides information on the acquisition of land or interests in land by the state, a municipality, water company or nonprofit organization using funds authorized for the Open Space and Watershed Land Acquisition Program established under Sections 7-131d and the Recreation and Natural Heritage Trust Program established under Sections 23-73 to 23-79 of the Connecticut General Statutes. Open Space and Watershed Land Acquisition Grant Program The Open Space and Watershed Land Acquisition Grant Program provides grants to municipalities and private nonprofit land conservation organizations for the acquisition of open space land and to water companies to acquire land to be classified as Class I or Class II watershed land. The State of Connecticut receives a conservation and public access easement on property acquired to ensure that the property will be protected and available to residents of Connecticut as open space in perpetuity. There were no open space and watershed acquisition grants closed in January 2018. Recreation and Natural Heritage Trust Program The Recreation and Natural Heritage Trust Program is the State of Connecticut’s primary program for the acquisition of lands for the beneficial use and enjoyment of the public as additions to the State’s system of parks, forests, wildlife, fisheries and natural resource management areas. The program acquires land that represents the ecological diversity of Connecticut, including natural features such as rivers, mountainous areas, coastal systems and their natural areas, in order to ensure the conservation of such land for recreational, scientific, educational, cultural and aesthetic purposes. There were no Recreation and Natural Heritage Trust Program acquisitions closed in January 2018. 79 Elm Street • Hartford, CT 06106-5127 www.ct.gov/deep Affirmative Action/Equal Opportunity Employer Open Space Report to the Finance, Revenue and Bonding Committee and the State Bond Commission February 2018 Overview Section 22a-6v of the General Statutes of Connecticut requires the Commissioner of the Department of Energy & Environmental Protection to submit a report to the joint standing committee of the General Assembly having cognizance of matters relating to finance, revenue and bonding and to the State Bond Commission each month. The report provides information on the acquisition of land or interests in land by the state, a municipality, water company or nonprofit organization using funds authorized for the Open Space and Watershed Land Acquisition Program established under Sections 7-131d and the Recreation and Natural Heritage Trust Program established under Sections 23-73 to 23-79 of the Connecticut General Statutes. Open Space and Watershed Land Acquisition Grant Program The Open Space and Watershed Land Acquisition Grant Program provides grants to municipalities and private nonprofit land conservation organizations for the acquisition of open space land and to water companies to acquire land to be classified as Class I or Class II watershed land. The State of Connecticut receives a conservation and public access easement on property acquired to ensure that the property will be protected and available to residents of Connecticut as open space in perpetuity. The following grants were closed in February 2018. Additional information on these projects follow. Sponsor Project Acres Town of Coventry Williams Property, Coventry 55.75 Winchester Land Trust Tor-Win Farm, Torrington & Winchester 118.60 Williams Property, Coventry Town of Coventry Fee Acquisition The Williams property has significant frontage on the Willimantic River by Eagleville Pond, protecting the Willimantic River corridor, a State- recognized Greenway. The property possesses an extensive hiking trail which connects to the adjacent Joshua’s Trust Property. Multiple Joshua’s Trust properties are further south and the Town is hoping to purchase additional land that will provide an extensive open space corridor. A majority of the property is forested and contributes to a 225+ acre unfragmented forest block. The property frontage possesses prime important farmland soils with a long standing history as a hay field for production as well as pasturing for livestock. This purchase will provide passive recreation opportunities on established trails and provide river access for fishing, canoeing, kayaking and wildlife viewing. Tor-Win Farm, Torrington and Winchester Winchester Land Trust (WLT) Fee Acquisition This 118 acre property, straddling the Torrington and Winchester town line, protects and compliments a large wilderness corridor with a headwater wetland and a stream, which flows through Paugnut State Forest and into Burr Pond. This property has a fascinating history dating back to the 1800s, when it was owned by Gail Borden, of condensed milk fame. After the flood of 1955, the owners made the fields into an airstrip, which was used to bring in supplies. The property is beautiful with 22 acres of grassland bordering the roadway and mature trees beyond. It presents a beautiful vista for passing motorists. The large grassland provides habitat for bobolink, woodcock, turkey and other wildlife. The scenery and gentle terrain are perfect for passive recreation. WLT intends to create a loop trail on the property and hopes to one day link the loop trail to the Paugnut State Forest to the north and south. This acquisition will protect nearly 100 acres of intact mature forestland and wildlife that require large areas of intact forest such as neotropical migrant birds, large mammals and other wildlife that depend on pristine wetlands and coldwater streams. Recreation and Natural Heritage Trust Program The Recreation and Natural Heritage Trust Program is the State of Connecticut’s primary program for the acquisition of lands for the beneficial use and enjoyment of the public as additions to the State’s system of parks, forests, wildlife, fisheries and natural resource management areas. The program acquires land that represents the ecological diversity of Connecticut, including natural features such as rivers, mountainous areas, coastal systems and their natural areas, in order to ensure the conservation of such land for recreational, scientific, educational, cultural and aesthetic purposes. There were no Recreation and Natural Heritage Trust Program acquisitions closed in February 2018. 79 Elm Street • Hartford, CT 06106-5127 www.ct.gov/deep Affirmative Action/Equal Opportunity Employer Open Space Report to the Finance, Revenue and Bonding Committee and the State Bond Commission March 2018 Overview Section 22a-6v of the General Statutes of Connecticut requires the Commissioner of the Department of Energy & Environmental Protection to submit a report to the joint standing committee of the General Assembly having cognizance of matters relating to finance, revenue and bonding and to the State Bond Commission each month. The report provides information on the acquisition of land or interests in land by the state, a municipality, water company or nonprofit organization using funds authorized for the Open Space and Watershed Land Acquisition Program established under Sections 7-131d and the Recreation and Natural Heritage Trust Program established under Sections 23-73 to 23-79 of the Connecticut General Statutes. Open Space and Watershed Land Acquisition Grant Program The Open Space and Watershed Land Acquisition Grant Program provides grants to municipalities and private nonprofit land conservation organizations for the acquisition of open space land and to water companies to acquire land to be classified as Class I or Class II watershed land. The State of Connecticut receives a conservation and public access easement on property acquired to ensure that the property will be protected and available to residents of Connecticut as open space in perpetuity. There were no open space and watershed acquisition grants closed in March 2018. Recreation and Natural Heritage Trust Program The Recreation and Natural Heritage Trust Program is the State of Connecticut’s primary program for the acquisition of lands for the beneficial use and enjoyment of the public as additions to the State’s system of parks, forests, wildlife, fisheries and natural resource management areas. The program acquires land that represents the ecological diversity of Connecticut, including natural features such as rivers, mountainous areas, coastal systems and their natural areas, in order to ensure the conservation of such land for recreational, scientific, educational, cultural and aesthetic purposes. There were no Recreation and Natural Heritage Trust Program acquisitions closed in March 2018. 79 Elm Street • Hartford, CT 06106-5127 www.ct.gov/deep Affirmative Action/Equal Opportunity Employer Open Space Report to the Finance, Revenue and Bonding Committee and the State Bond Commission April 2018 Overview Section 22a-6v of the General Statutes of Connecticut requires the Commissioner of the Department of Energy & Environmental