Bartlett Land Preserve​ Acquisition 'Protects, Preserves' Site

GUILFORD, CT —The $127,500 acquisition of the 64-acre Bartlett Land Preserve announced by Gov. Ned Lamont Thursday as part of the state's $5.5 million in grants to buy nearly 3,000 acres of land to protect and preserve open space across Connecticut means the "public can continue to use these trails in perpetuity."

The site is part of a traprock ridge at the northern reaches of Totoket Mountain in North Guilford. 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, contains a wetlands area and lies within the Coginchaug River watershed.

Thursday, Lamont announced a total of $6.2 million in funding to protect and preserve open space lands, $5.5 million to support 29 grants toward the purchase of nearly 3,000 acres of land, plus an additional 5 grants totaling more than $700,000 for distressed communities to promote the use of open space in urban settings.

The grants are authorized under the state’s Open Space and Watershed Land Acquisition Program and the Urban Green and Community Garden Program, which are administered by the Connecticut Department of Energy and Environmental Protection (DEEP) and assist local governments, land trusts, and water companies in purchasing land to protect as open space. These open spaces have tremendous value for the state by protecting wildlife habitat, offering recreation opportunities, and protecting ecosystems that are sequestering carbon.

“Our administration has set high goals to mitigate the effects of climate change and implement policies that better preserve our air, water, and natural resources,” Lamont said. “This program is an important component of preserving some of the best and most beautiful land in the world, and by partnering with our municipalities and nonprofits we can ensure that these valuable resources are preserved in perpetuity for generations to come.”

The projects bring the total land in Connecticut designated as state or local open space to more than 512,000 acres – approximately more than three quarters of the way toward the state’s goal of having 673,210 acres designated as open space.

DEEP’s 2021 grant rounds for both of these grant programs are now underway, with applications due by September 30, 2021. These programs use funding from the Community Investment Act and state bond funds and require matches by the grant recipient and stipulations that the land be protected by a conservation and public recreation easement, ensuring that the property is forever protected for public use and enjoyment. Projects are evaluated by statutorily defined parameters and ranked, according to natural resource and recreational value, and natural area resiliency and adaptation to mitigate climate change. Updated applications for the 2021 grant round are available on DEEP’s Open Space website.

“Open space is key to ensuring a bright economic future for our state,” DEEP Commissioner Katie Dykes said.

“These natural assets are valuable as we attract and retain residents who are increasingly looking for varied recreational opportunities where they work, play, and live," Dykes said. "No single entity can accomplish the critical goal of protecting our lands with significant conservation values now and for future generations. We need continued cooperation of land trusts, our towns and cities, and conservation-minded citizens to build upon existing and form new partnerships and new approaches to protecting open space.”