Press Releases
06/27/2025
DEEP Seeks Public Input on Draft 2025 Connecticut Wildlife Action Plan
Plan Will Guide Conservation in Connecticut Over Next Decade; Accepting Public Comment Through July 27th
(HARTFORD) — Do you care about Connecticut’s native wildlife, fish, and plants? If so, the Connecticut Department of Energy and Environmental Protection (DEEP) would love to hear from you! DEEP has drafted an updated Wildlife Action Plan to help guide conservation in Connecticut over the next decade and encourages residents to review the draft Plan and submit comments. Let DEEP know how wildlife and nature matter to you: visit the Wildlife Action Plan Draft webpage for the draft plan and input form. The 30-day public comment period will end on July 27th.
Since the previous version of the plan was published in 2015, survey efforts such as the Connecticut Bird Atlas, a Checklist of Connecticut Bees, and the Conservation of Amphibians and Reptiles in Connecticut have reflected regional and global declines of species impacted by stressors such as climate impacts (temperature and precipitation changes), water flow alteration, pollution, residential and commercial development, invasive species, and more. While the number of mammal, bird, reptile, and amphibian species remain similar, the 2025 Plan adds invertebrate, plant, and fish species like the yellow bumble bee, little green sedge, and bowfin that are vulnerable and specifies which need more research. Despite these declines, successes are possible. Bald eagles and ospreys, once rare in Connecticut, are back in large numbers. Piping plovers and shorebirds continue to successfully nest on Connecticut beaches through large networks of organizations and volunteers. The Wildlife Action Plan identifies issues and provides priorities to build on those successes for the next decade.
Each state’s wildlife action plan identifies species of greatest conservation need, important habitats, issues that impact wildlife, and actions to protect imperiled species and their habitats. Connecticut’s Wildlife Action Plan aims to conserve our wildlife, fish, and plants for their intrinsic value and the benefits they provide for people. You can learn more about the plan and the history of this critical effort on the Wildlife Action Plan webpage.
Following review of public input and final plan revisions, DEEP will submit the 2025 Connecticut Wildlife Action Plan to the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service later this summer. Since 2005, all states and federal territories have been required to create a Wildlife Action Plan which must be updated every 10 years. These plans create a national conservation blueprint that helps protect our natural heritage. Approval of State Wildlife Action Plans makes states and territories eligible for funding through the federal State Wildlife Grants Program. In Connecticut, this federal grant program is the sole source of federal funds to support crucial efforts to protect animal species of greatest conservation need across all taxonomic groups.
Please take this opportunity to share your thoughts about protecting Connecticut’s incredible diversity of wildlife and the lands and waters we all call home!
Photo: belted kingfisher; photo credit Paul J. Fusco/DEEP Wildlife Division
Suggested caption: The belted kingfisher is one of 573 species identified in the 2025 Connecticut Wildlife Action Plan as a Species of Greatest Conservation Need (SGCN). SGCN include plants, invertebrates, fish, amphibians, reptiles, birds, and mammals.
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DEEP Communications
DEEP.communications@ct.gov
860-424-3110