Connecticut Department of Energy & Environmental Protection

Emergency Burn Ban In Effect 10/26/24 - An emergency burn ban is now in effect for all Connecticut State Parks, Forests, and Wildlife Management areas, prohibiting the use of all outdoor grills, firepits, and campfires, and the kindling and use of flame outdoors. DEEP and local agencies are working to contain several active fires across the state. Please avoid all affected State Parks and Forests, as well as the blue-blazed Mattabesett Trail. The Enduro Trail in Voluntown and portions of North Stonington within the Pachaug State Forest are closed at this time. Please note that today's forest fire danger report remains at an 'extreme' level. More information about the current fire danger, burn ban and recommended safety measures can be found here

Adapting To Connecticut’s Changing Climate

The Connecticut Department of Energy and Environment Protection has developed a series of initial climate adaptation fact sheets, Facing Our Future, that detail current observations and provide some cursory recommendations for alternative approaches to foster adaptation at the local and regional level.  These fact sheets address overlapping technical areas or categories: biodiversity and habitat, fisheries, forestry, infrastructure, natural coastal shoreline environment, outdoor recreation, water resources, and wildlife.

The initial climate adaptation fact sheets are available for download in two ways. You may download the entire document, Facing Our Future (PDF, 3 MB) or you may download individual sections.

Facing Our Future - Sections

(PDF)
  • Biodiversity (PDF): Discusses the importance of biodiversity, phenology, habitat and the food web.
  • Fisheries (PDF): Discusses the vulnerability of Connecticut’s abundant fisheries from invasives, warming waters, and other stressors that may be magnified by Connecticut’s changing climate.
  • Forestry (PDF): Describes the current state of the forest and the potential impacts of changes to the region's climate and points to the benefits of proper forest management.
  • Infrastructure (PDF): Introduces the potential vulnerability to our state’s infrastructure associated with a changing climate and the ability of our built environment to magnify or mitigate the effects of climate change.
  • Natural Coastal Shoreline Environment(PDF): Describes the these habitats, threats, as well as conservation actions and monitoring needs to facilitate adaptative decision making.
  • Outdoor Recreation(PDF):  Describes how projected change may influence the way we interact with our outdoor environment.
  • Water Resources (PDF): Describes the influences on water quality, water quantity, and the importance of heeding the projected changes in frequency of storm events.
  • Wildlife (PDF): Describes in broad terms species and key habitats, and how effective conservation actions must include diversity of species and incorporate adaptive management.
    • Content Last Updated March 20, 2009