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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  • 6/3/2021 CT Greenways Council to Hold 22nd Annual Greenway Awards and Kick-Off CT Trails Day Events: June 4 - 6

    (HARTFORD)- The Connecticut Greenways Council (CGC) will hold its 22nd Annual CT Greenway Awards on Friday, June 4, at 10 a.m. at the Brookfield Town Hall Bandshell in Brookfield. The event, traditionally held on the Friday before CT Trails Day weekend on June 5 and 6, will celebrate the Still River Greenway.

  • 5/28/2021 Share the Shore with Nesting Birds

    Connecticut’s Department of Energy and Environmental Protection (DEEP) today announced that Charles Island in Milford and Duck Island in Westbrook will be closed to the public from now through September 9, 2021, to prevent disturbances to nesting birds. Both islands have been designated by DEEP as Natural Area Preserves, primarily due to their importance as nesting habitats for several state-listed birds, including snowy egrets and great egrets (state threatened species), glossy ibis, and little blue herons (state special concern). The two islands also have been designated as Important Bird Areas by Audubon Connecticut.

  • 5/28/2021 DEEP Announces the Great Outdoor Pursuit 2021

    The Connecticut Department of Energy and Environmental Protection (DEEP) is pleased to announce that registration for the No Child Left Inside® Great Outdoor Pursuit 2021 – Connecticut State Parks’ Family Adventure, will open on 9:00 a.m., Saturday, May 29, 2021 at www.NoChildLeftInside.org. Get outside with the family for some healthy fun, exercise, and to make memories together.

  • 5/27/2021 Gillette Castle to Reopen for Tours Starting May 29

    The Connecticut Department of Energy and Environmental Protection (DEEP) is pleased to announce that, for the first time in 524 days, the interior of Gillette Castle will open to the public for tours.

  • 5/21/2021 First Class in Reinvented Special Conservation Officer EnCon Ranger Program to Graduate May 23

    The first group of recruits in the Connecticut Department of Energy and Environmental Protection (DEEP)’s reinvented Special Conservation Officer (SCO) Environmental Conservation (EnCon) Ranger Program will graduate in a ceremony this Sunday, at 3 p.m., under an outdoor tent at Old Lyme High School

  • 5/13/2021 DEEP EnCon Officer Named 2020 CT Wildlife Officer of the Year

    (Hartford)- Connecticut Department of Energy and Environmental Protection (DEEP) Environmental Conservation Officer John Chickos was recently named the 2020 Connecticut Wildlife Officer of the Year by the Northeast Association of Fish & Wildlife Agencies (NEAFWA).

  • 5/11/2021 DEEP Advises Motorists to Watch for Deer and Moose this Spring

    (Hartford)-Connecticut’s Department of Energy and Environmental Protection (DEEP) advises motorists to be watchful of increased deer and moose activity along roadways, especially during early morning and evening hours.

  • 5/6/2021 DEEP Encourages Residents to Come out for “Free Fishing Day” May 8

    (Hartford)- Fishing is free this Saturday! The Connecticut Department of Energy and Environmental Protection (DEEP) is encouraging residents and families to head out to a local waterbody this Saturday for “Free Fishing Day,” also known as “Family Fishing Day,” a day where no fishing license is required to come out and fish.

  • 5/5/2021 DEEP Accepting Grant Proposals for Clean Vessel Act program for 2022 Boating Season

    The Connecticut Department of Energy and Environmental Protection (DEEP) is now accepting competitive grant proposals for the federal Clean Vessel Act (CVA) program for the 2022 boating season.

  • 5/4/2021 DEEP Announces Recipients of Inaugural Round of Grants for Aquatic Invasive Species Control on Lakes, Ponds and Rivers

    The Connecticut Department of Energy and Environmental Protection (DEEP) today announced the recipients of the inaugural round of grant funding through the Aquatic Invasive Species Grant Program, with a total of $360,000 going to 21 projects to reduce impacts of aquatic invasive species on inland waters in Connecticut.

  • 4/23/2021 Recovering America’s Wildlife Act Introduced in the U.S. Congress

    (HARTFORD, CT) – The Connecticut Department of Energy and Environmental Protection and our Conservation Partners applaud the introduction of the bipartisan Recovering America’s Wildlife Act (RAWA) in the U.S. Congress yesterday.

  • 4/23/2021 RecycleCT Announces New Grant Honoring Lee Sawyer

    The Connecticut Department of Energy and Environmental Protection (DEEP) and the RecycleCT Foundation are pleased to announce a new grant opportunity, the Lee Sawyer Community Waste Reduction and Recycling Grant, which supports waste reduction and reuse in addition to recycling and composting efforts.

  • 4/23/2021 Learn to Fish with the DEEP CARE Program This Spring/Summer!

    Interested in learning how to fish? The Connecticut Department of Energy and Environmental Protection (DEEP)’s Fisheries Division, through its Connecticut Aquatic Resources Education (CARE) program, is here to help you get into fishing by offering free Introduction to Fishing ZOOM classes and special “fishing field trips” offered through the summer at waterbodies around the state!

  • 4/6/2021 DEEP Conduct Prescribed Burn Near Summit of Mohawk Mountain

    (Hartford, CT) – The Connecticut Department of Energy and Environmental Protection (DEEP) plans to conduct a prescribed burn of about 3 acres of brush in Mohawk State Forest in Cornwall, near the summit of Mohawk Mountain, tomorrow, April 7th, weather and conditions permitting.

  • 3/31/2021 DEEP Expanding Non-Resident Fee Collection at Certain State Parks

    The Connecticut Department of Energy and Environmental Protection (DEEP), building off of a successful pilot program launched last fall, is expanding its remote non-resident parking fee system to more state parks beginning Thursday, and will resume in-person non-resident parking fee collection at several state parks beginning Memorial Day Weekend.