News Releases

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• 11/23/2022 Celebrate Holiday Food Traditions and Twilight Tours at DEEP Osborne Homestead Museum

  (HARTFORD, CT) – Get ready for a “Holiday Feast” at the Connecticut Department of Energy and Environmental Protection (DEEP) Osborne Homestead Museum in Derby. Celebrate holiday food traditions of different cultures and nationalities, and the diversity of American food through visual and creative decorations.

• 11/18/2022 Gillette Castle State Park Undergoing Improvements

  (HARTFORD, CT) – The Connecticut Department of Energy and Environmental Protection (DEEP) announced today that it has embarked on needed construction upgrades at Gillette Castle State Park in East Haddam. The construction work will restore the historic terrace overlook adjacent to the castle and includes a new drainage system and railings for visitors to safely view the Connecticut River from this location. In addition, this project will re-point the wall facing the river to maintain its proper structural shape. The castle interior will be closed during the upcoming winter holidays and into the spring, but several holiday events are scheduled thanks to the partnership with the Friends of Gillette Castle State Park.

• 11/10/2022 Bishop Swamp Wildlife Management Area Adds Acreage

  (HARTFORD, CT) – The Connecticut Department of Energy and Environmental Protection (DEEP) is pleased to announce that 284 acres in Hebron, formerly the Fracchia property, have been added to the 752-acre Bishop Swamp Wildlife Management Area (WMA) in Andover and will be open for specific regulated hunting seasons starting this fall. Bishop Swamp WMA now consists of two sections: the original section in Andover and the new property acquisition nearby in Hebron. Abutting state lands include Gay City State Park (closed to hunting) and a section of Meshomasic State Forest that is open to hunting.

• 11/4/2022 DEEP Encourages Continued Bear Awareness During Fall

  (HARTFORD, CT) – The Connecticut Department of Energy and Environmental Protection (DEEP) is reminding residents of several best practices to reduce the likelihood of an encounter with a bear, as bears’ quest for more food 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.

• 10/25/2022 DEEP Announces Nearly 5 Million in Sustainable Materials Management Grant Awards

  (HARTFORD)-The Connecticut Department of Energy and Environmental Protection (DEEP) is pleased to announce the first round of grant awards for the Sustainable Materials Management (SMM) Grant program. The SMM grant program supports the development of food scrap collection and unit-based pricing pilot programs, the type of waste diversion efforts recommended by the Connecticut Coalition for Sustainable Materials Management (CCSMM), a coalition of over 100 municipalities across the state working on ways to reduce waste and increase reuse and recycling. Fifteen municipalities and three regional groups have been notified of the Department’s intent to award funds for their pilots.

• 10/24/2022 Connecticut Celebrates Bat Week From Oct 24-31

  (HARTFORD, CT) –The Connecticut Department of Energy and Environmental Protection (DEEP)celebrates Bat Week starting on October 24, as part of an international conservation awareness effort focused on the week prior to Halloween. Across Connecticut, bats are on the move; three species of tree bats are moving south for the winter, while the six cave bat species are moving shorter distances where they will spend the winter hibernating underground.

• 10/21/2022 DEEP Announces More than 1M in Fed Grant Funds Available for Clean Vehicle and Equipment Projects

  (HARTFORD, CT) – The Connecticut Department of Energy and Environmental Protection (DEEP) has announced the availability of up to $1,188,612 in federal funds for grants to local and state governments, as well as businesses and organizations, who want to replace large, older diesel engines and equipment with electric vehicle equivalents or newer, cleaner-burning engines.

• 9/28/2022 DEEP Reports Die-off in Local White-tailed Deer Herd

  (HARTFORD, CT) –​The Connecticut Department of Energy and Environmental Protection (DEEP) today announced that hemorrhagic disease was recently confirmed in white-tailed deer for the third year since it was first documented in our state in 2017. The first positive case of 2022 came from a deer found in Goshen. A second positive deer was found on a property in Kent where an additional five deer have been found dead. The third positive case was from a property in East Haddam where an additional three deer have been found dead. Reports to DEEP of dead deer in multiple other towns, mainly in the northwest and southeast of the state, fit the description of animals affected by the disease.

• 9/27/2022 DEEP Advises Motorists to Watch for Moose

  (HARTFORD, CT) – Recent sightings of moose in Woodbury, Southbury, Danbury, Newtown, and New Fairfield, though believed to be the same moose, serve as an important reminder for motorists to be aware that increased moose activity near roadways can pose a hazard. Though Connecticut’s moose population is small (about 100 individuals), moose can pose a serious threat to public safety when they wander onto roadways. Moose are more active and often travel farther distances during the fall breeding season, which peaks in September through October.

• 9/22/2022 MEDIA ADVISORY - DEEP to Hold Virtual Forum on Climate Resilience Fund Launch

  (HARTFORD, CT) – DEEP is holding a virtual launch event and webinar on Friday, September 23, from 12 noon-1 p.m. on the Climate Resilience Fund. With Governor Lamont’s announcement on Tuesday, the fund is aimed at helping communities plan and prepare for the effects of climate change by initiating planning projects for climate resilience that can be implemented and constructed with federal funds.

• 9/21/2022 DEEP Announces Opening Days of Fall Firearms 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.

• 9/21/2022 Visitor Center at Dinosaur State Park Reopens After Infrastructure Update

  (HARTFORD) – Bring a sense of wonder on your next visit to Dinosaur State Park in Rocky Hill! The Visitor Center recently reopened for indoor public visits and viewing of the dinosaur footprints trackway. The Visitor Center was closed for several months for an infrastructure modernization which included a complete replacement of its heating and air conditioning system.

• 9/16/2022 Regional Emergency Preparedness Exercise To Be Held in Capitol Region Sept. 17

  (HARTFORD)—Several emergency preparedness and response agencies are gathering on Saturday, September 17th in Windsor Locks to conduct a full-scale training exercise. The Connecticut Department of Energy and Environmental Protection (DEEP), State Emergency Response Commission, the Connecticut Department of Emergency Services (Division of Emergency Management and Homeland Security (DEMHS) and Connecticut Commission on Fire Prevention and Control), the Connecticut Military Department’s New England Disaster Training Center, the Town of Enfield, fire departments from Enfield and Windsor Locks, Hartford County Fire Coordinators, DEMHS Regional representatives and the Connecticut Capitol Regional Hazardous Materials Team. Other participating agencies include the Massachusetts Emergency Management Agency, the United States Environmental Protection Agency, and the United States Coast Guard. Vinal Technical High School emergency management program students assisted with exercise logistics as part of their training.

• 9/13/2022 The Connecticut Department of Agriculture Confirms Incidence of Rabbit Hemorrhagic Disease Virus in Hartford County

  The Connecticut Department of Agriculture has confirmed Rabbit Hemorrhagic Disease Virus Type 2 (RHDV2) at a private residence in Hartford County.

• 9/13/2022 Fall Archery Deer and Turkey Seasons Open in September

  (HARTFORD, CT) - Connecticut’s Department of Energy and Environmental Protection (DEEP) reminds hunters that the 2022 fall archery hunting seasons for deer and turkey open on Thursday, September 15, on state and private land.