|
About CLCC
The mission of the CT Land Conservation Council is to advocate for land preservation, stewardship and funding, and ensure the long term strength and viability of the land conservation community.
|
|
April 30
Community Investment Act Day
State Capitol
Old Judiciary Room
Hartford, CT
10am - 2pm
Press Conference at 11am
|
Executive Director
Amy B. Paterson, Esq.
Steering Committee
Tim Abbott
Litchfield Hills Greenprint
Alicia Sullivan
Trust for Public Land
David Bingham
Salem Land Trust
Hunter Brawley
Brawley Consulting Group
Sandy Breslin
Audubon Connecticut
Margot Burns
Lower CT River Council of Governments
Kevin Case
Land Trust Alliance
Stephanie Clark
Joshua's Tract Conservation and Historic Trust
Jim Gooch
Connecticut Farmland Trust
Ginny Gwynn
Greenwich Land Trust
Eric Hammerling
Connecticut Forest & Park Association
Mary-Michelle Hirschoff
The Garden Club of New Haven
Elaine LaBella
Housatonic Valley Association
Connie Manes
Kent Land Trust
Tom ODell
CT Association of Conservation & Inland Wetland Commissions
David Sutherland
The Nature Conservancy
Humphrey Tyler
Lyme Land Conservation Trust
|
|
|
|
|
Executive Director's Message
Thank you for making CT Land Conservation Day a success!
 | |
2014 CT Land Conservation Day Button
Want one? Contact me!
|
Dear Friends -
The 2014 Connecticut Land Conservation Day was a huge success, with approximately 75 conservationists, legislators, agency staff and others participating throughout the day. Click here for a re-cap of the day's events. To download a copy of the Summary of Conservation Issues we reviewed, which includes updates and action steps on important bills we are following, click here. (More under State Policy Updates below)
 | |
Via twitter
@CommissionerRob: Great land conservation event ... with #CTLCC Amy Paterson land trusts, town officials and #DEEP staff
|
April 23 was a day to celebrate your community's conservation success stories and to share your conservation values (and expectations) with your elected officials! YOUR VOICE MATTERS! Thank you for making the day a success and for all you continue to do in support of CLCC and land conservation throughout Connecticut. Spring is finally here ... enjoy the land that you work so hard to protect! With warmest regards, Amy
|
|
Community Investment Act Day
Wednesday, April 30 2014
10am - 2pm
Press Conference with Senator Donald E. Williams, Jr. at 11am
Old Judiciary Room, State Capitol
210 Capitol Avenue, Hartford, CT 06106
For parking info and directions to the Capitol, click here.
Please join us at the State Capitol to celebrate the successes of the Community Investment Act (CIA), which implements the goals of the State of Connecticut to protect and preserve the beauty and unique character of the state for future generations through a designated funding stream for open space, farmland/dairy support, historic places, and affordable housing.
CIA funds are critically important to DEEP's open space grant program. The event will include a display of 60 CIA success stories, including 15 conservation and community garden projects funded by the CIA through the Open Space & Watershed Land Acquisition and Urban Green/Community Garden Programs.
For more information, please contact CLCC Executive Director Amy B. Paterson at [email protected] or at 860-685-0785.
|
State Policy News: Updates and Action Needed on SB70 and More
The Legislative Session ends on May 7. Please take a moment to read our Summary of Conservation Issues and take action on bills and issues of importance to land conservation, including the following:
SB70 (Protection of State Conservation Lands)
An Act Concerning the Grant of Property Interests in Property Held by the Departments of Agriculture and Energy and Environmental Protection and the Establishment of a Public Use and Benefit Land Registry
- Update: The bill, as amended, was approved by the state Senate on April 22 and is on the House calendar. Click
for a summary of the bill, including amendments approved by the Senate. Click here for bill status and history.
- Action:
Please thank your Senator and the Governor's office for supporting SB70. Please ask your Representative for their support of SB70, which provides an important step forward in identifying, designating and protecting state lands valuable for conservation and agricultural purposes.
SB405 (Limitation on Local Public Hearings)
An Act Concerning Public Hearings on Subdivision Applications
- Update: Moved to foot of Calendar, Senate. Click here for bill status and history.
- Action: If you haven't already done so, please contact your Senator to express your opposition to this bill. Click here to view sign-on letter.
Please click here for additional summaries and action needed to support funding for State Open Space Acquisition Programs, State Parks, and the protection of The Preserve (see update below), as well as for legislation to protect birds and bird habitats on state lands.
PLEASE WATCH FOR IMPORTANT ALERTS ON THESE ISSUES THIS WEEK AND NEXT!
ADDITIONAL UPDATE:
HB5550 (Annual Conveyance Bill)
Recently amended to authorize sale of Seaside Regional Center, Waterford
- Update
: The 2014 Conveyance Act was amended last week to include a section authorizing the sale of the Seaside Regional Center in Waterford to "the entity selected to purchase the property" in an RFP issued by the state in 2009. The developer has until January 1, 2015 to buy the property. Click here to read the text of the amendment. - Action:
Please contact your legislators if you have any questions or concerns about this amendment. There will not be an opportunity for a public hearing.
View CLCC's testimony on these and other bills on our website. For more information please contact CLCC Executive Director Amy B. Paterson at [email protected] 860-685-0785.
|
|
State Conservation News
Governor Malloy Announces Support for Protection of The Preserve
 On Friday, April 25, Governor Dannel P. Malloy announced a plan for the state to play a major role in purchasing and protecting as open space the 1,000-acre parcel along Long Island Sound known as The Preserve, which is located in the towns of Old Saybrook, Essex and Westbrook.
The Preserve is considered to be the last, large unprotected coastal forest between New York and Boston. The property is rich in natural resources, wildlife, and habitat areas and will offer hiking and other passive outdoor recreational opportunities. The Preserve, which also provides an important coastal buffer against storm waters, connects to 500 acres of existing parklands in adjoining towns and miles of hiking trails.
Click here to read the Governor's full press release and here for additional press on the announcement.
To learn more about The Preserve conservation project, please contact CLCC Steering Committee Vice-Chair, Alicia Sullivan (State Director, Trust for Public Land) at [email protected].
Governor Malloy Announces Agreement to Help Protect CT's Working Farms
Earlier in the month, Governor Malloy, Department of Agriculture Commissioner Steven K. Reviczky, and USDA State Conservationist Lisa Coverdale announced an agreement that will allow Connecticut to utilize more than $8 million in federal funds to keep farmland in agricultural production. For more information, please visit Governor Malloy's website.
Connecticut Revising its Wildlife Action Plan
(Reported April 22 by Environmental Headlines - CT Environmental News)
Connecticut is currently revising its Wildlife Action Plan to establish a framework for proactively conserving our fish and wildlife and their habitats for the next decade. Connecticut's list of Species of Greatest Conservation Need also is being revised.
Participation by conservation partners, academic institutions, and the public is the key to making the revised Plan an effective tool for conserving Connecticut's diversity of wildlife resources for future generations. Now is the time to provide input while the Plan is being revised. The current plan may be viewed here. Submit comments to the DEEP Wildlife Division via email at [email protected] or visit the Get Involved webpage.
|
|
Federal Policy News
Enhanced Conservation Easement Incentive Update
 | |
2014 Land Trust Advocacy Day
|
Earlier this month, CLCC Executive Director Amy B. Paterson joined a record number of land trust leaders from across the country for Land Trust Advocacy Day. The timing could not have been better. On April 3, the Senate Finance committee voted to extend the Conservation Easement Incentive Act (H.R. 2807), which would extend the deduction for the donation of a conservation easement to tax years 2014 and 2015. The committee action may soon be followed by a vote on the Senate floor, but enactment will require action by the House of Representatives. We need your help to enact that legislation.
For a further federal policy news, including updates on conservation funding programs, please click here.
|
|
Training & Education Opportunities
CLEAR Offers Introduction to GPS and On-Line Mapping Training
The course covers the basics of the Global Positioning System (GPS) and provides hands-on instruction on how to use a handheld GPS receiver to collect data in the field. It also teaches participants how to download GPS data and create custom interactive maps on the web.
Date: May 21, 2014 (full day)
Where: Haddam, CT
For more information and to register, click here
.
Land Trust Alliance Offers Neighborhood/Small Parcel Webinar
Are you interested in expanding your conservation portfolio to a neighborhood/urban garden or small parcel project close to home but are not sure where to start? Or are you doing these deals already but want to see what others are doing to glean some new ideas? If small-parcel projects are where you are heading, then join conservation experts Judy Anderson and Jane Calvin as they discuss the ins and outs of neighborhood conservation. Contact Mary Burke at [email protected].
Date: May 1, 2014
Time: 2:00 - 3:30pm ET
For more information and to register, click here.
|
|
Rally 2014 - Awards, Scholarships & Volunteer Opps!
From the Land Trust Alliance -
Awards
Nominate a conservation hero today! Recognize a volunteer or land trust for their hard work and conservation successes by nominating them for the Kingsbury Browne Award, Land Trust Excellence Award or Ambassador Award. The deadline for Awards nominations is June 18th. For more information click here. Scholarships
We are pleased to offer scholarships to qualifying staff and board of Alliance member land trusts to help offset the cost of attending Rally. Scholarship awards will range from $500 to $1,000. The scholarship application will be posted on May 21st, when Rally registration opens. The Alliance must receive completed applications by Wednesday, July 16th. Please help us spread the word!
Volunteers
We are looking for volunteers to assist as meeting monitors on Friday, September 19th and Saturday, September 20th. Volunteers who work one of the two days will be able to attend workshops the other day, and will receive a complimentary basic registration. For more information click here. |
Long Island Sound Futures Fund (LISFF) 2014 Request for Proposals (RFP)
The National Fish and Wildlife Foundation recently announced that the LISFF RFP and Application are now available on-line. The RFP is briefer and more sharply focused on support of projects that address the specific commitments and recommendations of the Comprehensive Conservation and Management Plan for Long Island Sound that serves as the blue print for actions needed to conserve the Sound. To review the application, narrative and uploads, and for more information on three proposed webinars offering application, new budget guidance, and other information, please visit the NFWF website or contact John Wright at [email protected].
|
|
Conservation Job Opportunity
Farmington River Coordinating Committee River Steward Position
The FRCC seeks an individual to help launch an outreach program this summer on the federally - designated Wild and Scenic West Branch of the Farmington River in CT. The program's objective is to recognize, engage, and enlist recreational users (paddlers, anglers, tubers, pedestrians) as good river stewards who practice river etiquette and safe, responsible behavior. Click here for the job description and qualifications - deadline for applications is May 5. Contact: Liz Lacy, Director, FRCC (National Park Service Representative) - please apply by email - send a resume and cover letter to [email protected] by COB May 5th, 2014.
|
|
Thank you!
We count on your support!
Click here to contribute!
|
|
|
