East Hampton, Portland To Get $364K In Open Space Funding Program

EAST HAMPTON, CT — East Hampton and Portland will get $364,000 for the Meshomasic’s Rattlesnake Brook Preserve, part of the $7.29 million in state funds set to be distributed to 17 communities to buy and protect open space.

The funding was announced by Gov. Ned Lamont Wednesday. The state funds will protect 1,013 acres of open space in 17 communities across the state.

According to the statement, the property on Great Hill Pond Road in Portland and Cobalt Road in East Hampton will buffer and expand upon the more than 15,000-acre Meshomasic State Forest greenway.

"The acquisition protects the area’s water quality and habitats, expands upon existing passive recreation with additional hiking trails, bird watching, fishing, and improved access to hunting opportunities on state lands," the statement reads. "The Middlesex Land Trust will add a connector, loop trail that connects to the Shenipsit Blue-blazed Trail, securing a key ridgeline section of the trail. The purchase will protect an existing wildlife migration corridor, a ridgeline forest, a large wetland, and a stream corridor. Many habitats at risk from climate change will be better protected, including forested swamps, core forests, and riparian lands adjacent to cold water streams (Rattlesnake Brook). Threatened and rare species will be protected."

Also being funded is $276,200 to restore and renew green spaces in six urban areas.

The funds are provided through the state's Open Space and Watershed Land Acquisition Grant Program and the Urban Green and Community Gardens Grant Program, which are both administered by the state Department of Energy and Environmental Protection.

Since the state's open space program began in 1998, more than $150 million in state funding has been awarded to municipalities, nonprofit land conservation organizations, and water companies to assist in the purchase of more than 41,200 acres of land in order to protect natural resources and improve the quality of life for residents and visitors alike, according to DEEP Commissioner Katie Dykes.

"Open space preservation and access to open space is fundamentally important to our well-being," Dykes said. "It is critical in our fight against climate change, protects wildlife habitat, and provides recreational opportunities that benefit us physically and mentally, and supports our economy by helping to attract and retain residents who are increasingly looking for opportunities to be in nature."