This week the Environment Committee voted to pass certain bills, and unfortunately,
HB 5254 was not one of them.
One of CLCC’s top conservation priorities, the bill enables a pilot group of towns to adopt a buyer’s conveyance fee program to
fund open space and farmland acquisition, stewardship, and other environmental projects.
While frustrated and disappointed by this setback,
we will continue to explore with legislators and the administration other avenues to pursue a municipal land conservation and stewardship funding option. Stay tuned.
We applaud the
leadership and foresight of the 15 towns that asked to be included in this pilot program as well as your consistent efforts in advocating for the bill’s passage.
HB 5254
generated morepublic support for a municipal open space funding option than ever before, which
bodes well for our continuing efforts to advance the proposal.
Thank you for
continuing to be vocal, strong and relentless in your advocacy in support of policies that will protect our land, water, and other natural resources. Onward!
With a record crowd of
550 participants, Connecticut now boasts the largest state land trust association conference in country!
A full re-cap is in the works. Meanwhile,
enjoy photos (and please add your own), read about our
2019 Excellence in Land Conservation Award honorees, and send in those
evaluations!
As part of our
Northeast Land Trust Advancement Initiative, CLCC and
The Last Green Valley are seeking a communications intern to focus on community engagement and communications to raise the visibility of land trusts in Northeast CT and help lay the groundwork for a larger, watershed-wide regional conservation strategy.
With the 2019 legislative session at a mid-way point, we have mixed news to share with respect to CLCC’s conservation priorities...
Seeking Input on 2019 Model Conservation Easements
CLCC's 2019 Model Conservation Easement and Model Forever Wild Easement were presented in draft at the annual Conference and are ready for your review. Your input is important before we finalize these documents! Please contact Amy at
abpaterson@ctconservation.org with your suggestions and comments.
Congratulations to the New Canaan Land Trust for earning national accreditation from the Land Trust Accreditation Commission, making it the 26th accredited land trust in Connecticut. Read more >>
Cuts to Department of the Interior by $1.5 billion, including $52 million from the National Park System’s operations, $31 million from National Recreation and Preservation, and almost all funding for the Land Acquisition and State Assistance program;
Complete elimination of funding from the Highlands Conservation Act; and
Complete elimination of funding for the Land and Water Conservation Fund (LWCF) – a program that Congress just overwhelmingly voted to permanently reauthorize.
The Connecticut Land Conservation Council advocates for land conservation, stewardship and funding, and works to ensure the long term strength and viability of the land conservation community.
