Connecticut’s Wildlife Action Plan: Public Input and the 2025 Revision

A complete draft of the 2025 Connecticut Wildlife Action Plan is open for public comment from now until 5:00 p.m. EST on July 27, 2025. To review the draft and provide input, please select this link!

Connecticut’s Wildlife Action Plan is being revised for the 2025-2035 period. The updated plan will be submitted to the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service in the summer of 2025. As part of the revision process, we have been incorporating public input. Opportunities for public input continue to be posted on this page throughout the revision process.

On this page: What is a Wildlife Action Plan? | Connecticut’s Wildlife Action Plan | Provide Input! | Revision Timeline

What Is a Wildlife Action Plan?

Since 2005, each state has been required by the federal government to create and submit an updated Wildlife Action Plan every 10 years. Wildlife Action Plans serve as blueprints for wildlife conservation at the state-level and include regional and national conservation goals. This involves identifying Species of Greatest Conservation Need (SGCN) as well as their affiliated habitats and the issues they face. Conservation actions and research needs are then prioritized to conserve these species and habitats. When a state’s Wildlife Action Plan gets approved by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, various organizations can apply for federal funding to implement conservation actions outlined in the Plan. An approved State Wildlife Action Plan makes a state eligible for funding through the State Wildlife Grants Program.

All State Wildlife Action Plans include eight elements:

Connecticut's Wildlife Action Plan

Connecticut’s Wildlife Action Plan provides guidance and vision for wildlife conservation in our state. Accordingly, the Plan:

1. Addresses the broad array of all mammal, bird, reptile, amphibian, fish, invertebrate, and plant species. 
2. Identifies and assesses Species of Greatest Conservation Need and their habitats.
3. Identifies actions needed to maintain species diversity and keep common species common.
4. Builds upon past efforts to help wildlife species.
5. Encourages participation and partnerships with conservation organizations at local, state, and regional levels to enhance opportunities for helping wildlife by implementing action outlined in the Plan.

Connecticut completed its first State Wildlife Action Plan in 2005 (then called a Comprehensive Wildlife Strategy), revised it in 2015, and we are now revising again to set the framework for conservation for 2025-2035. Learn about the history of Connecticut’s Wildlife Action Plan.

Provide Input!

Since November 2023, we have been posting surveys on this webpage to get your thoughts on each aspect of our Wildlife Action Plan. There have been opportunities to provide feedback throughout the revision process, including draft lists of Species of Greatest Conservation Need and Habitats, Issues, and Actions. Finally, we are seeking public input on a full draft of Connecticut's 2025 Wildlife Action Plan! Please visit the 2025 CT Wildlife Action Plan Draft webpage to review the document and provide feedback! This is a plan for all of Connecticut, so everyone's thoughts matter. 

Revision Timeline

The revision process for Connecticut’s Wildlife Action Plan has involved drafting updated lists of Species of Greatest Conservation Need (SGCN), habitats that SGCN depend on, issues that impact SGCN, conservation actions that can help SGCN, and monitoring actions to assess the status of SGCN and their habitats. In addition to these lists, full chapters have been drafted that address the eight elements listed above. For elements one through five, after draft lists or chapters have been completed, they've received evaluation from a team of experts (Expert Evaluation), input from various groups involved in wildlife conservation in Connecticut (Partner Feedback), and input from the public (Public Feedback). See the table below for current progress on elements one through five. The drafted Plan is now being reviewed by partner organizations and the public, and a finalized Plan will be submitted to the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service later this summer.

For quarterly updates on Connecticut's Wildlife Action Plan, the revision process, and implementation of the Plan, we invite you to subscribe to the Wildlife Action Plan Partner Network Newsletter! For more regular updates from the Wildlife Division, also check out our Wildlife Highlights Newsletter and the CT Fish and Wildlife Facebook and Instagram pages.

Content last updated on June 25, 2025.