Madison Set To Get $585K From CT In $7.3M Open Space Funding Program

MADISON, CT — Of the $7.29 million in state funds set to be distributed to 17 communities to buy and protect open space, the town will get $585,000 to buy a 29-acre parcel on Green Hill Road.

With the Madison Land Conservation Trust, Inc., as sponsor of the Birch Branch Meadow project, the site at 836 Green Hill Road is a "critical link" between two existing land trust parcels. With this purchase, there will soon be a "contiguous 111-acre preserve on the Hammonasset River" that adds "nearly 4,000 linear feet of additional river frontage."

"This linkage enhances wildlife migration for the numerous listed species found here," it's noted in a news release. "It provides protection to three Hammonasset River watershed resources threatened by climate change – headwater wetlands, riparian areas, and floodplain forests, all found on this parcel."

The funding for Madison was announced by Gov. Ned Lamont Wednesday. His administration is "releasing" state funds to purchase and protect 1,013 acres of open space in 17 communities across the state. Also being funded is $276,200 to restore and renew of 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.”

The Open Space and Watershed Land Acquisition Grant Program assists local governments, land trusts, and water companies in purchasing open space using funding from the Community Investment Act and state bond funds. This grant program requires a match by the grant recipient and requires the open space land be protected by a conservation and public recreation easement, ensuring that the property is forever protected for public use and enjoyment.

The Urban Green and Community Gardens Grant Program provides funding assistance to develop or enhance urban open spaces for public enjoyment and/or environmental education. Promotion of open space in an urban setting may include, but may not be limited to, the development of a community garden or reclaiming and enhancing existing open space for the public’s use. Grants are awarded to projects that demonstrate the highest ability to benefit urban communities in close proximity to population centers.

The Hammonasset River is one of Connecticut’s premier cold water fish habitats, a well-known and productive recreational fishing resource. It feeds into the Long Island Sound through one of the larger salt marsh complexes in Connecticut, and there is a burgeoning shellfish aquaculture industry at the mouth of the river that is dependent on high water quality. This acquisition protects a diversity of high quality, contiguous habitats – grassland, forest, wetlands and river, flora, and fauna.