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

Press Releases

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06/26/2023

Governor Lamont and Commissioner Dykes Statements on President Biden’s Announcement of $144 Million To Improve Broadband Connectivity in Connecticut

(HARTFORD, CT) – Governor Ned Lamont and Department of Energy and Environmental Protection Commissioner Katie Dykes released the following statements in response to the announcement made today by President Joe Biden and the U.S. Department of Commerce’s National Telecommunications and Information Administration that Connecticut is receiving $144 million in federal funding to support its ongoing efforts in deploying affordable, reliable high-speed internet service statewide:

Governor Lamont said, “Today’s announcement by the Biden administration that Connecticut will receive $144 million to expand broadband deployment is welcome news to the residents and businesses of our state. We know that fast, reliable internet connectivity is a necessity in our increasingly digital world. Thanks to President Biden and Connecticut’s amazing Congressional delegation, this funding will help us connect unserved and underserved residents and small businesses in our state, leveling the playing field as we work toward our goal of universal access to one gigabit per second download speeds and 100 megabits per second upload speeds that are becoming the standard of the industry.”

Commissioner Dykes said, “Internet connectivity has become a requirement to participation as more elements of daily life migrate to the digital space, and it’s critical that people aren’t being left behind. The funding announced for the Broadband, Equity, Access, and Deployment Program today is a huge step toward ensuring access first and foremost to those unserved, and underserved in our state, and closing our connectivity and opportunity gap. The Department of Energy and Environmental Protection’s Office of Telecommunications and Broadband continues to work hard on our Five-Year Action Plan for broadband, due in August. Thank you to the Biden administration, the National Telecommunications and Information Administration, and our federal delegation for bringing this critically impactful funding to Connecticut.”

States, D.C., and territories receiving funding under today’s announcement will receive their formal notice of allocation on June 30, 2023. Under the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, eligible entities have 180 days from the date of that formal notice to submit their initial proposals describing how they propose to run their grant programs. Once the National Telecommunications and Information Administration has approved an initial proposal, which will occur on a rolling basis, eligible entities will be permitted to request access to at least 20% of their allocated funds.

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