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

News Releases

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  • 2/17/2023 DEEP Statement on Connecticut Air Quality Inquiries

    The Connecticut Department of Energy and Environmental Protection (“DEEP”) has a statewide air quality monitoring network in place that constantly monitors the air we breathe and a practice of issuing air quality alerts if we have reason to believe our air quality will be impaired.

  • 2/8/2023 DEEP Launches 2023 Seasonal Staff Recruitment

    (HARTFORD, CT) – The Connecticut Department of Energy and Environmental Protection (DEEP) is seeking applicants to join our seasonal workforce. A wide variety of jobs are available that combine spending time outdoors, conserving and providing access to the state’s most beautiful areas, and serving as introductions to potential careers at DEEP. The positions benefit from recently raised hourly rates, ranging from $15 to $19/hour.

  • 2/3/2023 DEEP Launches Free Swimming Lesson Program in Partnership with Connecticut YMCAs

    (WATERBURY, CT) – Lt. Governor Susan Bysiewicz and Department of Energy and Environmental Protection (“DEEP”) Commissioner Katie Dykes joined U.S. Senator Chris Murphy, D-Conn., U.S. Rep. Jahana Hayes (CT-05), local and state elected officials, and YMCA leaders today to announce $1.5 million to fund free swimming lessons to qualifying children. The partnership with the YMCA will enable 14 participating YMCA pools in the state to offer lessons over the next three years.

  • 2/3/2023 DEEP to Host 17th Annual No Child Left Inside® Winter Festival

    (HARTFORD, CT) – Winter is a great time to celebrate the outdoors, so children and their caregivers are invited to join the Connecticut Department of Energy and Environmental Protection’s (DEEP) No Child Left Inside® 17th annual Winter Festival at Burr Pond State Park, 384 Burr Mountain Road, Torrington. Multiple outdoor winter activities for the entire family are planned for Sunday, February 5, 2022, from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. The Winter Festival is a partnership between DEEP’s No Child Left Inside® and Fish with CARE (Connecticut Aquatic Resources Education) programs along with the City of Torrington.

  • 2/2/2023 DEEP Reminds Residents of “Best Burn” Practices to Limit Exposure to Air Pollution Caused by Residential Wood Smoke

    (HARTFORD, CT) – With the arrival of seasonable winter temperatures across Connecticut, many residents are burning wood as an economical option to heat their homes. Depending on the source of the wood, it can be a cost-effective alternative to using fossil fuels. The Connecticut Department of Energy and Environmental Protection (DEEP) is urging residents to protect their health and that of their family, friends, and neighbors by employing “best burn” practices to limit exposure to wood smoke, which is a hazardous air pollutant.

  • 2/1/2023 DEEP Announces Funding and Path Forward to Improve Seaside State Park

    (HARTFORD, CT) – The Connecticut Department of Energy and Environmental Protection announced today funding for improvements at Seaside State Park in Waterford.

  • 1/25/2023 Connecticut, Maine, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, Rhode Island, and Vermont Working Together on Multi-State Transmission Infrastructure

    (HARTFORD, CT) - A coalition of New England states today jointly announced steps they are taking to pursue federal funding designed to encourage transmission infrastructure investment.

  • 1/20/2023 2023 Connecticut Junior Duck Stamp Art Competition Welcomes Entries through March 15, 2023

    (HARTFORD, CT) – Attention all creative young artists and art educators in Connecticut! Entries are now being accepted for the 2023 Connecticut Junior Duck Stamp Art Competition. This annual competition is coordinated and sponsored by the Connecticut Waterfowl Association, in cooperation with the Connecticut Department of Energy and Environmental Protection (DEEP) Wildlife Division. The competition is part of a U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS) environmental education program known as the Federal Junior Duck Stamp Conservation and Design Program.

  • 12/30/2022 Spend the First Day of 2023 Hiking in Connecticut’s State Parks and Forests

    (HARTFORD, CT) – The Connecticut Department of Energy and Environmental Protection (DEEP) State Parks and its partners are encouraging people to get outside walking and hiking to enjoy nature on January 1st as Connecticut takes part in celebrating America’s State Parks First Day Hikes.

  • 12/29/2022 2023 Connecticut Duck Stamp Reproductions Now Available

    (HARTFORD, CT) – Connecticut’s Department of Energy and Environmental Protection (DEEP) is pleased to announce that the 2023 Connecticut Migratory Bird Conservation (Duck) Stamp, which features Connecticut artist Sophie Archer’s depiction of an Atlantic brant, is now available in limited quantity as a Conservation Edition Print. Sophie, of Old Lyme, is the two-time winner of the Connecticut Junior Duck Stamp contest.

  • 12/29/2022 Dinosaur State Park Offers New Interactive Exhibits

    (HARTFORD, CT) – Dinosaur State Park in Rocky Hill is open during upcoming school vacations and encourages families to come visit new indoor and outdoor exhibits. The new outdoor StoryWalk® along with two new indoor exhibits that offer high-tech augmented graphics complement the visitor center’s 200-million-year-old fossil trackway containing over 750 dinosaur tracks, hands-on exhibits, local geological history, displays, animal encounters and more.

  • 12/22/2022 Four Years On DEEP Continues to Build on 20BY20 Initiative

    (HARTFORD, CT) – The Connecticut Department of Energy and Environmental Protection (DEEP) announced today a suite of new online services and tools that continue the progress of DEEP’s “20BY20 Initiative,” a list of 20 measurable process improvements aimed at increasing predictability, efficiency, and transparency of DEEP’s regulatory processes. Though the initiative formally concluded at the end of 2020, it laid the foundation for process improvements the agency continues to make, including the new web-based tools announced today.

  • 12/16/2022 Connecticut’s Clean Energy Investments Helping to Reduce High Energy Costs

    (HARTFORD)—Amid historically high electricity prices this winter, Connecticut’s investments in clean energy are helping to reduce the burden of high energy costs on state residents.

  • 12/16/2022 DEEP Unveils Fresh, Modern Look

    New Agency Seal and Brand Elements Reflect DEEP’s Mission and Provide Versatility and Functionality

  • 12/2/2022 DEEP Requests Proposals for Recreational Trails Grants

    (HARTFORD, CT) – Connecticut’s Department of Energy and Environmental Protection (DEEP) is now accepting proposals for the State’s Recreational Trails Grants. This request for applications is the largest funding round in the history of the Recreational Trails Grant program since it was established in 1997. It will make $9 million available to improve Connecticut’s trail infrastructure, which has seen significant usage increases since the onset of the pandemic. Applications will be accepted through March 1, 2023.