News Releases

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• 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.

• 9/12/2023 Bat Appreciation Day to Be Held at Old New-Gate Prison and Copper Mine on Sunday, Sept. 17

  (HARTFORD) — Join the Connecticut Department of Energy and Environmental Protection (DEEP) Wildlife Division and the Department of Economic and Community Development (DECD) for a celebration of bat conservation at the Old New-Gate Prison and Copper Mine in East Granby on Sunday, September 17, 2023, from 11:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. To raise awareness of the plight of bats and their importance to our ecosystem and our economy, the DEEP Wildlife Division and DECD Office of Culture and Tourism have joined forces to host the seventh annual Bat Appreciation Day.

• 9/1/2023 Migratory Bird Hunting Season Dates Set

  (HARTFORD) — Connecticut’s Department of Energy and Environmental Protection (DEEP) today announced the dates for the 2023-2024 migratory bird hunting seasons, which include seasons for ducks, geese, woodcock, snipe, rails, and crows.

• 9/1/2023 State Emergency Response Commission to Conduct Interagency Emergency Preparedness Training Exercise Sept. 7

  (HARTFORD) – The Connecticut Department of Energy and Environmental Protection (DEEP) announced today that several emergency preparedness and response agencies will gather on September 7 in Bridgeport and Fairfield to conduct a full-scale field training emergency preparedness exercise.

• 8/31/2023 DEEP Urges Caution as State Park Lifeguard Presence Reduced on Labor Day Weekend

  (HARTFORD, CT) – The Connecticut Department of Energy and Environmental Protection (DEEP) today reminded state park visitors that the number of lifeguards at state park swimming areas will be reduced over Labor Day weekend, and that Monday, September 4, will be the last day for lifeguard coverage in the state park swimming areas.

• 8/24/2023 DEEP Announces Connecticut Interstate Fire Crew's Return from Montana Deployment

  [HARTFORD, CT] – The Connecticut Department of Energy and Environmental Protection (DEEP) is thrilled to announce the safe return of the Connecticut Interstate Fire Crew (CIFC) following their recent deployment to Montana. Having deployed on August 8th, 2023, to the Colt fire a few miles northwest of Seely Lake, the crew of 16 battled fires in near red flag conditions.

• 8/10/2023 DEEP’s Next No Child Left Inside® Families in the Parks Program is Saturday August 12, 2023

  (HARTFORD) — The Connecticut Department of Energy and Environmental Protection (DEEP) presents its next 2023 No Child Left Inside® (NCLI) Families in the Parks Program at Fort Trumbull State Park in New London on Saturday, August 12, 2023, from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. alongside DEEP’s Fish with CARE team.