4 New London County Towns Awarded 5 Open Space Grants

HARTFORD, CT — In an effort to "protect wildlife habitats, offer recreational opportunities, and serve as a buffer and adaptation to climate change," Gov. Ned Lamont announced Connecticut is awarding $9.1 million to support grants for 24 communities in the purchase of 2,466 acres of land that will be designated as open space.

The grants are authorized under the state’s Open Space and Watershed Land Acquisition Program, which is administered by the Connecticut Department of Energy and Environmental Protection and assists local governments, land trusts, and water companies in purchasing land to protect open space.

Recipient projects are required to supplement the state funding with matching funds or other grants, and the land being purchased must be protected by a conservation and public recreation easement that will ensure the property is forever protected for public use and enjoyment.

“Open space is vital to environmental protection and a bright economic future for our state,” Lamont said. “This program is an important component of preserving some of our state’s best and most beautiful land, 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 500,000 acres – approximately two-thirds of the way toward the state’s goal of having 673,210 acres designated as open space. In December, the State Bond Commission, which is chaired by Governor Lamont, approved an allocation of $5 million to fund the program.

In New London County, four towns and a total of five sites, will be receiving grants: East Lyme, Groton, Ledyard and Montville, the latter has two sites included in the grants.

"I’m grateful that our communities will benefit from these resources which will expand and preserve land open to the public," State Rep. Christine Conley (D-

Groton/Ledyard) said.

"It goes without saying that we know how beautiful our towns are, and I’m excited that through these additional funds, the Groton Open Space Association and Avalonia Land Conservancy will be able to dedicate their time to making our natural resources more accessible to the wider community of Southeastern Connecticut."

Here are the grant award recipients:

Town: East Lyme
Project Name: Pattagansett River Watershed Preserve
Sponsor: East Lyme Land Trust
Grant: $179,200
Total Area: 38.7 acres
Description: This property is surrounded on three sides by more than 3,000 acres of protected forest. A wetland on the easterly boundary forms the headwaters of the Pattagansett Watershed, which supplies half of the drinking water for the Town of East Lyme. Some 15 acres are in early successional forest providing habitat for the New England cottontail. Other features of the sight include wetlands, vernal pools, and rock ledges. There is potential to create trails that connect to the 14-mile Goodwin Trail

Town: East Lyme & Montville
Project Name: Nehantic Nature Preserve
Sponsor: Woodsman Land Trust Inc.
Grant: $560,000
Total Area: 320 acres
Description: This proposal is for a large tract of forestland on the Montville/East Lyme border. The site is less than half a mile from the Holmes Road entrance to the Nehantic State Forest. This property is located in the Latimer Brook watershed which flows into the Niantic River. Important features of the site include ledge outcrops, inland wetlands, and two ridgelines. Mixed hardwoods such as black oak and shagbark hickory grow here. Red maple, black gum, and American elm grow in the wetlands on site. An Eversource powerline right-of-way creates borders of young forest growth. The site is located within multiple Natural Diversity Database areas. The Woodsmen Land Trust plans to create a hiking trail that will connect to the Nehantic State Forest trails.

Town: Groton
Project Name: Sheep Farm South
Sponsor: Groton Open Space Association
Grant: $600,000
Total Area: 103.49 acres
Description: The Groton Open Space Association seeks to secure 100 acres of open space to add to their recently secured Sheep Farm property. The acquisition of this second parcel would provide a link between Groton’s east-west X-Town Trail and north-south greenbelt. More than 1,700 acres of open space are adjacent to the property. A unique vernal pool system connects to Fort Hill Brook. Fort Hill Brook flows through the property into Mumford Cove, a rehabilitated coastal area. Access to the property will be available from Fort Hill Road and Flanders Road. A trail will be built to connect the Flanders Road entrance to trails on the initial Sheep Farm property.

Town: Ledyard
Project Name: Maynard Farm
Sponsor: Avalonia Land Conservancy
Grant: $108,000
Total Area: 99.82 acres
Description: Maynard Farm borders Avery Preserve and would almost double its size. There are 30 acres of wetlands on the site which flow into Billings-Avery Brook and then into Morgan Reservoir. This reservoir provides drinking water for the towns of Groton, Ledyard, and Preston. The property is part of one of the largest intact coastal forests in Connecticut. The site is part of a proposed greenway/wildlife corridor in Ledyard. Habitats within the property include a red maple swamp and an acidic Atlantic white cedar swamp. A mixed hardwood forest and former pasture create habitat for an array of plant and animal species. Access to the property from 32 Avery Hill Road will offer passive recreation on 1.37 miles of trail. A link will be created to the trails on Avery Preserve. Maynard Farm is less than 10 miles from Groton, Norwich, and New London.

Town: Montville
Project Name: The Bond Property
Sponsor: Avalonia Land Conservancy, Inc.
Grant: $2,340,000
Total Area: 669 acres
Description: The Avalonia Land Conservancy seeks to purchase 669 acres of land previously used for sand and gravel extraction. The property lies within the Niantic River watershed. Barnes Reservoir and Bogue Brook Reservoir lie to the north and south of the property respectively and are part of the New London water system. Latimer Brook runs along the western boundary of the property and will allow for trout fishing opportunities. Prior gravel extraction on the property has resulted in multiple states of forest regrowth. The property lies within the Lower Connecticut River New England Cottontail Conservation Focus Area. Flooded quarries, accessible by dirt roads with parking areas, will offer paddling and fishing opportunities. Thirty acres of the property are currently being used to grow feed hay which the conservancy will continue to allow.

“This open space grant round represents an important investment and continued partnership with land trusts, our towns and cities, water companies, and conservation-minded citizens in preserving open space that makes progress toward climate response and provides greater opportunities for people to connect to our natural lands,” DEEP Commissioner Katie S. Dykes said.