News Releases - 2023

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• 10/18/2023 State Environmental Conservation Police Arrest Griswold Man for Armed Robbery

  (HARTFORD) — On October 13, 2023, at approximately 2:00 p.m. the Connecticut Department of Energy and Environmental Protection’s (DEEP) State Environmental Conservation (EnCon) Police took Davontae Fontaine, 21, of 133 Mathewson Street, Griswold, into custody at Troop E in Montville on an arrest warrant. The warrant stems from a lengthy investigation that started on May 17, 2023.

• 10/10/2023 DEEP Begins Fall Atlantic Salmon Stockings

  (HARTFORD) — Connecticut’s Department of Energy & Environmental Protection (DEEP) today announced that its 2023 autumn stockings of Atlantic salmon have begun. DEEP’s Fisheries Division last week released 250 salmon into Crystal Lake (Ellington/Stafford – 125 fish), Mount Tom Pond (Morris/Litchfield/Washington – 125 fish) and the Shetucket River. In addition to these two lakes and this river, the Naugatuck River is typically stocked with salmon several times throughout the fall and will begin soon.

• 10/9/2023 DEEP’s Centennial Celebration of the Burlington State Fish Hatchery is This Saturday

  (HARTFORD) — The Connecticut Department of Energy and Environmental Protection (DEEP) invites the public to attend a celebration of “100 Years of Raising Fish for You” at the Burlington State Fish Hatchery on Saturday.

• 10/4/2023 Governor Lamont Announces Connecticut's Strategic Roadmap for Offshore Wind, Launches Connecticut Wind Collaborative

  (HARTFORD, CT) – Governor Ned Lamont today announced the publication of Connecticut’s first strategic roadmap for economic development in the offshore wind industry, which will be supported by a newly-formed public-private group known as the Connecticut Wind Collaborative. The roadmap can be downloaded online at portal.ct.gov/offshorewind.

• 10/4/2023 Connecticut, Massachusetts, and Rhode Island Sign First-Time Agreement for Multi-State Offshore Wind Procurement

  (HARTFORD, CT) – Connecticut, Massachusetts, and Rhode Island today announced New England’s first offshore wind multi-state coordination memorandum of understanding (MOU), which creates a pathway for a potential coordinated selection of offshore wind as each state solicits offshore wind energy generation through their respective state procurements. This MOU is the first of its kind in the United States.

• 10/3/2023 DEEP Announces Opening Days of Fall Hunting Seasons

  (HARTFORD) — Connecticut’s Department of Energy and Environmental Protection (DEEP) has announced the Opening Days of turkey and small game hunting seasons. A variety of hunting seasons are available each fall.

• 10/2/2023 Connecticut Greenways Council Presents the 5th Annual Connecticut Trails Symposium Oct. 12-13

  (HARTFORD) — The Connecticut Department of Energy and Environmental Protection (DEEP) and the Connecticut Greenways Council, in partnership with the City of Torrington, Five Points Arts Center, and UConn Extension and Center for Land Use Education and Research (CLEAR) are hosting the fifth Annual Connecticut Trails Symposium for local, state, and regional officials, property owners, managers, and volunteers on October 12-13, 2023. The symposium will take place at the Five Points Art Center in Torrington, Connecticut.

• 9/29/2023 Connecticut Department of Energy and Environmental Protection and Worthington Industries Celebrate Results of Cylinder Recycling Pilot Program; Announce Second Location for 2024

  (HARTFORD) — They came. They camped. And for the first time as part of an organized program, they recycled pressurized gas cylinders. As the 2023 camping season winds down, Connecticut’s Department of Energy and Environmental Protection (DEEP) and Worthington Industries announced today the successful collection and recycling of nearly 2,000 one-pound propane camping cylinders at Hammonasset Beach State Park Campground (Hammonasset) in Madison, Connecticut. Worthington Industries is a leading U.S.-based cylinder manufacturer and spearheaded the development, implementation, and management of the season-long pilot program.

• 9/29/2023 DEEP Encourages Continued Bear Awareness During Fall: Bears Increase Food Intake and Are More Active

  (HARTFORD, CT) — The Connecticut Department of Energy and Environmental Protection (DEEP) is reminding residents to follow best practices to reduce the likelihood of an encounter with a bear this fall, as bears’ quest for more food before the winter makes them very active for the next few months. During the fall season, black bears increase their food intake to add fat reserves needed to help them survive winter.

• 9/28/2023 DEEP Mosquito Management Program to Spray for Mosquitoes Carrying EEE in Mt. Misery Area of Pachaug State Forest

  (HARTFORD) — While the end of mosquito season is approaching, and there have been no cases of Eastern Equine Encephalitis (EEE) in humans so far this season, the risk-level in the eastern part of the state for EEE virus remains elevated. The Connecticut Department of Energy and Environmental Protection (DEEP)’s Mosquito Management Program will be conducting spraying today in an area of Eastern Connecticut where mosquitoes containing EEE have continued to be detected at high levels, part of steps the program takes to minimize the potential for spread of the virus to humans.

• 9/25/2023 New England States Issue Invitational Call for Innovative Project Design Concepts to Enhance Grid Resilience and Reliability

  (HARTFORD) — A coalition of New England states today jointly announced a call for project proposals to secure federal funding and advance regional collaboration on grid infrastructure. The Connecticut Department of Energy and Environmental Protection, the Maine Governor’s Energy Office, the Massachusetts Department of Energy Resources, the New Hampshire Department of Energy, and the Rhode Island Office of Energy Resources (Participating States), with support from the Vermont Department of Public Service, issued an Invitational Call for Innovative Project Design Concepts to solicit proposals for an anticipated second round of U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) Grid Innovation Program (GIP) funding.

• 9/20/2023 Governor Lamont Announces Launch of CTParks.com: A Cutting-Edge Website Showcasing Connecticut State Parks

  (HARTFORD, CT) – Governor Ned Lamont today announced the launch of CTParks.com, the new official website for Connecticut State Parks. The website offers visitors with an innovative online platform showcasing Connecticut State Parks in a more exciting, user-friendly way to help them engage with, learn about, and access state parks and the areas around them.

• 9/15/2023 DEEP and City of Stamford Highlight $1.3M in Climate Resilience Grants

  (STAMFORD, CT) — Connecticut Department of Energy and Environmental Protection (DEEP) Commissioner Katie Dykes and Stamford Mayor Caroline Simmons held a press conference today to highlight three separate climate resilience planning projects in Stamford that were part of the inaugural round of $8.8M in DEEP Climate Resilience Fund grants announced by Governor Lamont earlier this summer.

• 9/13/2023 DEEP Announces Urban Forestry Planning Grant Opportunity, Additional Grant Opportunities Coming Soon

  (HARTFORD) — The Connecticut Department of Energy and Environmental Protection (DEEP) is pleased to announce the Urban and Community Forestry Planning Grant Program with support from the U.S. Forest Service. This grant program is available to municipalities and non-profit organizations in Connecticut to pursue planning projects such as tree inventories, management plans, or other monitoring programs that will help communities make informed management decisions about their urban and community forests.

• 9/13/2023 Fall Archery Deer and Turkey Seasons Open in September

  (HARTFORD) — Connecticut’s Department of Energy and Environmental Protection (DEEP) reminds hunters that the 2023 fall archery hunting seasons for deer and turkey open on Friday, September 15, on state and private land.