GUILFORD – State Senator Christine Cohen (D-Guilford) and state Representative Sean Scanlon (D-Guilford) today welcomed the state Department of Energy and Environmental Protection’s announcement that an open space project in Guilford has been awarded a 2020 Open Space and Watershed Land Acquisition Grant.
Sponsored by the Guilford Land Conservation Trust, the Bartlett Land Preserve, Bluff Head project will receive $127,500 to protect 64 acres that is part of a traprock ridge at the northern reaches of Totoket Mountain in North Guilford. Totoket Mountain is part of the Metacomet Ridge.
“I enthusiastically advocated for this grant to be awarded to the Guilford Land Trust because open space is about more than just pretty places. It’s about history. It’s about our environment. It’s tourism and quality of life and home values and a future for our children,” said Sen. Cohen, who is Senate Chair of the Environment Committee. “I want to thank the governor and DEEP for their ongoing commitment to growing and protecting Connecticut’s open spaces so we all have room to relax and enjoy them in the year and years to come.”
“During my time in office I have been so proud to help the Guilford Land Conservation Trust receive state funding to acquire new properties and protect open space in our community”, said Rep. Scanlon. “Thanks to the generous support of many in our community and this latest round of state funding, the land trust will be able to purchase a beautiful piece of property and preserve Bluff Head for future generations to enjoy.”
The Bartlett Land Preserve parcel is surrounded by over 400 acres of protected open space owned by the Guilford Land Conservation Trust, the South-Central Regional Water Authority and the Town of Guilford. It contains a wetlands area and lies within the Coginchaug River watershed. The Connecticut Forest and Park Association has Blue-Blazed trails on the property for public use, and this acquisition will ensure that the public can continue to use these trails in perpetuity.
“The Guilford Land Conservation Trust greatly appreciates being awarded an OSWA grant in connection with the acquisition of the Bartlett Preserve in North Guilford,” said David Grigsby, President of the Guilford Land Conservation Trust. ”The past year’s challenges have demonstrated to us all how important access to open space can be in our lives. The challenging fundraising environment of the last year also demonstrates what an important resource the State’s OSWA grant program is for those seeking to preserve natural resources. I thank Governor Lamont, Senator Cohen and Representative Scanlon for their efforts in helping the GLCT to secure this grant.”
The Guilford Land Conservation Trust will also be acquiring an open space parcel to the east to be incorporated into the preserve.
Connecticut’s goal is to protect 673,210 acres, or 21%, of Connecticut’s total land area as open space by 2023. Ten percent of this open space is to be DEEP-owned as state parks, forests, and wildlife areas, while the other 11% is to be owned by towns, private non-profit land conservation organizations, water companies, and the federal government. The state is approximately 80% of the way toward its goal, with more than half a million acres already protected.