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

Climate Change and Connecticut Forests

Climate change and Connecticut forests are related in many ways. Climate change and its impacts compromise the health and function of the State’s forests and will continue to do so. Conversely, the State’s forests reduce the rate and scale of climate change and mitigate the negative impacts thereof. 

Well-planned forest management is critical to both prepare forests for future climate conditions and increase their capacity to offset climate change and its impacts. The complex and interconnected relationship between forests and climate change make it difficult to explain and understand, but we at the Division of Forestry aim here to provide information about important concepts and answers to pertinent questions:

How are carbon and forests related?
How does climate change impact Connecticut forests?
How do Connecticut forests offset climate change and its impacts?
What is the role of forest management in the face of climate change?
What can I do to improve the health and function of Connecticut forests in the face of climate change?

A thinned stand of oak.

Content last updated in April 2022.