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

CT CARES Act Assistance to Fisheries Participants (CAAFP)

The Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act signed into law on March 27, 2020 authorized the U.S. Secretary of Commerce to provide $300 million of economic assistance to marine fishery participants impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic via the CARES Act Assistance to Fishery Participants (CAAFP) aid program. The Connecticut Department of Energy and Environmental Protection (DEEP) and the Connecticut Department of Agriculture (DOAG) developed a “spend plan” for the $1.8 million in CAAFP aid funds allocated to Connecticut and worked with the Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission (ASMFC) to distribute the aid funds in December 2020.

The Consolidated Appropriations Act, signed into law on December 27, 2020, authorized the U.S. Secretary of Commerce to provide an additional $255 million of economic assistance to marine fishery participants via aid programs previously authorized by the CARES Act, essentially providing a “second round” of CAAFP aid. During 2021, DEEP and DOAG collaborated on spend plan development for the $3 million in second round CAAFP aid funds allocated to Connecticut and then worked with ASMFC to distribute those funds in 2022.

The ASMFC received approval in 2022 from NOAA National Marine Fisheries Service to reallocate CAAFP Round 2 funds that went unused by some Atlantic coastal states to states that still had need for fishery aid funds. Connecticut’s share of those reallocated Round 2 funds was $985,375, which the DEEP and DOAG authorized a third distribution to CT CAAFP Round 2 aid recipients whose 2020 and/or 2021 COVID-19 related revenue losses were not fully covered by Round 2 payments. DEEP and DOAG collaborated on allocations for each sector, the development of the spend plan for the additional assistance, and worked with ASMFC to distribute those funds in 2023.  

Currently, all available CAAFP aid funds have been distributed to qualified aid recipients. If additional CAAFP aid funds become available, DEEP and DOAG will provide notice to marine fishery participants.

For questions related to CAAFP aid to the commercial fishing, for-hire fishing, or seafood dealing/wholesaling/processing sectors, please contact the DEEP Marine Fisheries Program by email at deep.marine.fisheries@ct.gov or call DEEP Marine Fisheries at 860-434-6043.

For questions related to CAAFP aid to the aquaculture sector, please contact David Carey (Director, DOAG Bureau of Aquaculture) by email at david.carey@ct.gov.

Content last updated on October 4, 2024.