Search Results

Page 239 of 286

• CT Greenways Council Holds 21st Annual CT Greenway Awards October 1

  The Connecticut Greenways Council (CGC) will hold its 21st Annual CT Greenway Awards on Thursday, Oct. 1 at 4 p.m. at the Rotary Pavilion in Charter Oak Park in Manchester. The event will celebrate the Charter Oak Greenway, Manchester’s Charter Oak Park, and the Community of Manchester, CT. The CGC consists of members appointed by the Governor and the leaders of the General Assembly. Their duties include advising and assisting in the coordination of state agencies, municipalities, regional planning organizations and private citizens in voluntarily planning and implementing a system of greenways. A greenway is a corridor of open space that may protect natural resources, preserve scenic landscapes and historical resources or offer opportunities for recreation or nonmotorized transportation. A greenway may also connect existing protected areas and provide access to the outdoors; may be located along a defining natural feature, such as a waterway; along a man-made corridor, including an unused right-of-way, traditional trail routes or historic barge canals; or may be a greenspace along a highway or around a village. Greenways in Connecticut cover thousands of acres throughout every county in the state and may include paved or unpaved trail systems, ridgelines, or linked parcels of open space. Many other communities around Connecticut have chosen, through greenway designation, to recognize the importance of river corridors for natural resource protection, recreational opportunities, and scenic values. The CT Greenways Council website contains details on how to get designations, assistance and a map of our State Greenways: http://www.ct.gov/deep/greenways. Each year, the CGC holds an awards ceremony to celebrate greenways and to highlight the efforts of individuals and organizations that have made significant contributions to the promotion, development and enhancement of the state’s greenways. Event speakers include CGC Chair Bruce Donald, Manchester Mayor Jay Moran, Connecticut Department of Energy and Environmental Protection (DEEP) Deputy Commissioner Mason Trumble, and Dr. Bob Rodney, past Rotary President and past Greenway awardee, who will offer brief comments about an October 3 Rotary in Motion event leaving from Charter Oak Park. "Once again I'm very pleased to host the Trails Awards,” CGC Chair Bruce Donald said. “In this year of COVID-19 we have seen trail usage grow across the state anywhere from 60% to 220%, proving our outdoor facilities are magnets for folks desperate for safe outdoor enjoyment. It is a great joy to honor those advocates, professionals, and municipalities that make all of the various types of trails possible in our state." Trumble, who will be speaking about the importance of greenways, underscored their importance from both an access and a health standpoint. “Greenways provide an accessible venue for all people to enjoy the outdoors,” Trumble said. “Outdoor spaces provide an immeasurable mental and physical health benefit to Connecticut residents – especially during a pandemic. Greenways provide a valuable economic benefit as well. Currently outdoor recreation is driving Connecticut’s tourism economy as people look to the outdoors to replace other forms of entertainment. Certainly, Connecticut’s greenways have never been more important than they are in 2020. I commend the great work of the CGC and this year’s awardees for all that they have done—and continue to do—to preserve and raise awareness about these open spaces.” Prior to the event, at 3 p.m., those interested have the option of participating in a walk on the Charter Oak Greenway or a mountain bike ride at Case Mountain. The ride will be led by Al Tinti of the New England Mountain Biking Association. Please contact peburton@aol.com for more ride information. Safe social distancing will be practiced at this event. Attendees are asked to be mindful of this and to please be considerate of others. This year’s awardees are: • Bike-Walk Bolton, will receive the CT Greenways Council’s Nonprofit Award. • Aaron Budris, Senior Regional Planner at Naugatuck Valley COG - will receive the CT Greenways Council’s Unsung Hero Award. • Penny Foisey, the Connecticut Horse Council Volunteer Horse Patrol Coordinator for Mashamoquet State Park and Pomfret, will receive the CT Greenways Council’s Volunteer Award. • The Ebony Horsewomen Junior Mounted Patrol (JMP) program will receive the CT Greenways Council’s Community Connection Award. • Amy Hernandez and Andrés Calle-Otero, of Latino Outdoors Connecticut, will receive the CT Greenways Council’s User Engagement Award. • Meg Sautter of Newington will receive the CT Greenways Council’s Volunteer Award. • Matthew House, President of CT Off-Road Enthusiasts Coalition (COREC), will receive the CT Greenways Council’s Advocacy Award. • Kim Bradley, President of South East CT NEMBA, will receive the CT Greenways Council’s Volunteer Award. • Scott Bushee, P.E., Project Manager in Highway Design at DOT, will receive the CT Greenways Council’s Design Award. • Charlie Tracy will receive the CT Greenways Council’s Lifetime Achievement Award. *Debbie Livingston, who received the 2019 CT Greenways Council’s Volunteer Award, will be presented with her award at the Oct. 1 ceremony, as she was unable to attend last year’s event. More at: portal.ct.gov/deep| Follow on Facebook at CTDEEP| Follow on Twitter @CTDEEPNews ###

• DEEP Responding to Oil Spill in Sympaug Brook in Danbury

  The Connecticut Department of Energy and Environmental Protection (DEEP) is overseeing the clean-up of an oil spill into the Sympaug Brook in Danbury, which flows into the Still River.

• DEEP to Re-Open Lattins Cove Boat Launch at Half Capacity

  The Connecticut Department of Energy and Environmental Protection (DEEP) announced today that Lattins Cove state boat launch on Candlewood Lake will re-open tomorrow at 50% capacity.

• State One Step Closer to Establishing National Research Reserve

  More great news to share this Earth Week as the National Oceanic & Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) recently announced its approval of a network of state-owned properties and coastal waters in Lyme, Old Lyme, and Groton to be the site of the state’s first National Estuarine Research Reserve (NERR).

• DEEP Advises Against Contact Recreation in Mill Brook, Packers Pond, and Quinnebaug River Below Mill Brook Intersection Over Next 48 Hours Due to Sewage Bypass

  The Connecticut Department of Energy and Environmental Protection (DEEP) has been advised that 150,000 gallons of partially treated, but not disinfected, wastewater has bypassed the Plainfield Village wastewater treatment facility in Plainfield, CT.

• DEEP Assisting North Windham Fire Department with Wildfire in Natchaug State Forest

  The Connecticut Department of Energy and Environmental Protection (DEEP) is assisting the North Windham Fire Department and several other local departments with a contained wildfire in the Natchaug State Forest in Windham.

• DEEP Launches Electric Vehicle Roadmap

  Coinciding with the 50th Anniversary of Earth Day, the Connecticut Department of Energy and Environmental Protection has issued its Electric Vehicle Roadmap for Connecticut (EV Roadmap), a comprehensive strategy for achieving widespread deployment of electric vehicles in the state, and a key tool in the state’s effort to improve air quality for residents while also addressing the climate crisis.

• Statement on Transportation Climate Initiative Program Benefits and Consumer Price Protections

  HARTFORD, CT) – Katie Dykes, Commissioner of the Department of Energy and Environmental Protection, today released the following statement regarding estimates of the regional environmental, health, and economic benefits and costs of the Transportation and Climate Initiative Program (TCI-P), a historic program to reduce carbon pollution by 26% from transportation sources and invest $1 billion in Connecticut by 2032.​

• Connecticut Celebrates the New Year with First Day Hikes on January 1 - Virtual and Self-Guided Hikes at 10 Parks and Forests Across the State

  The Connecticut Department of Energy and Environmental Protection (DEEP) and its partners at the various State Parks and Forests Friends Groups are encouraging residents to get the New Year started off right by getting outside and safely partaking in a “First Day Hike,” at a state park or forest close to home.

• State Eyes Full Resumption of Bottle Redemption

  Following extensive discussion between the Connecticut Department of Energy and Environmental Protection (DEEP) and many stakeholders, retailers will resume bottling redemption activities on a limited basis beginning May 20, with a full resumption of operations by June 3.

• DEEP Encourages Continued Bear Awareness Heading into Fall

  Heading into the fall season, in which black bears increase their food intake to add fat reserves needed to help them survive winter hibernation, the Connecticut Department of Energy and Environmental Protection (DEEP) is reminding residents of several best practices they can incorporate to help reduce the likelihood of an encounter with a bear.

• Prepare for Winter with Free Energy Efficiency Assessment

  The Connecticut Department of Energy and Environmental Protection (DEEP) reminds residents to prepare for the cold months ahead by signing up for an energy efficiency assessment through Home Energy Solutions.

• DEEP Responds to Heating Oil Release in Avon

  DEEP Emergency Response Unit personnel this evening responded to a heating oil release in Avon, the result of an accident involving an oil truck, at the location of Nod Road and East Main Street, at the base of Avon Mountain.

• Governor's Council on Climate Change Kicks off Public Review and Forums Period

  Today, the Governor’s Council on Climate Change (GC3) is launching a series of public forums in which working groups for the GC3 will present their draft reports and seek input from the public on recommendations to keep Connecticut on track to meet its goal of a 45 percent reduction in greenhouse gas emissions and how to adapt and become resilient to the impacts of climate change.

• DEEP Requests PURA Issue Emergency Orders to Protect Utility Ratepayers During COVID-19 Pandemic

  HARTFORD, CT – On March 17, 2020, the Connecticut Department of Energy & Environmental Protection (DEEP) petitioned the Public Utilities Regulatory Authority (PURA) to investigate and address several issues to help protect Connecticut residents and businesses during the public health and civil preparedness emergencies related to the COVID-19 coronavirus outbreak in Connecticut, and for a period of economic recovery afterward.