Stamford Receives State Funds To Preserve Open Space

STAMFORD, CT — Gov. Ned Lamont this week announced that his administration is releasing $7.29 million in state funds to purchase and protect 1,013 acres of open space in 17 Connecticut communities, and $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 Connecticut Department of Energy and Environmental Protection (DEEP).

Locally, Stamford will receive $2.25 million for the Margaret Lang Trust & Arthur Altshul Trust Acquisition, which was sponsored by the Stamford Land Conservation Trust.

The funds will be used to acquire 64 acres of land just north of Stamford, which consists of two parcels of land with wooded areas and trails designed for hiking, walking and nature observationn

The property also contains a pond, creek bed, sloping topography, ridges and bedrock outcroppings. The northerly Altshul parcel has frontage on Riverbend Road (across from Newman Mills Park), and the southerly Lang Trust parcel has frontage on Den Road.

The parcels are within the Mianus River Greenway, which protects the Mianus River entering Cos Cob Harbor and Long Island Sound.

Altschul Pond is located in between the two parcels. The pond provides a home for fish, salamanders, turtles, frogs and snakes.

The property provides vital woodland protection for various forms of wildlife and migratory paths of songbirds and other native birds that follow the Atlantic Migratory Flyway twice a year.

The purchase will provide benefits to the local community through the protection of clean drinking water, increased recreation opportunities and support the native flora and fauna.

"Connecticut’s preservation of open space has helped define its landscape and preserve its important natural resources and natural beauty and is one of the main things that makes this state such a great place to call home," Lamont said in a news release. "These grants continue our open space preservation legacy and will increase the availability and quality of open space for all residents across our state, whether they live in an urban, suburban or rural area."

DEEP Commissioner Katie Dykes said that since the 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 quality of life.

"Open space preservation and access to open space is fundamentally important to our well-being. 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," Dykes added in a news release.

The Open Space and Watershed Land Acquisition 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.

According to a news release, as of the end of March 2022, DEEP estimated that its partners hold approximately 251,099 acres (71.2 percent of a goal set in state statutes) and that DEEP holds approximately 262,211 acres (81.79 percent of the goal).

In total, 513,310 acres have been preserved (76.2 percent of the total goal), leaving an additional 159,900 acres remaining to meet the 21 percent goal.

DEEP’s 2022 grant rounds for both of these grant programs are now underway, with applications due by Sept. 30, 2022.