Tolland Trail Project Getting Financial Boost From State

TOLLAND, CT — A project to interconnect certain points in the center of Tolland via a trail system is getting a boost from the state.

Gov. Ned Lamont Wednesday announced that his administration is awarding $14.5 million in state grants to aid in the purchase and protection of more than 2,626 acres of open space through 17 projects in 18 municipalities across Connecticut, including a Tolland land acquisition plan.

The funds are being provided through the state's Open Space and Watershed Land Acquisition Grant Program, administered by the Connecticut Department of Energy and Environmental Protection, Lamont said.

The grants mark the largest round of open space protection awards — both by acreage protected and by dollars awarded — in more than a decade, Lamont said.

A total of $87,750 has been earmarked for the municipal Tolland Marsh project. The plan is to acquire 100 acres near Cider Mill Road, according to the state. The land acquisition represents the first phase of a broader plan to create the Tolland Marsh Trail Network, a multi-use trail for area residents, including those in nearby high-density housing, linking Crandall Park with municipal services on or near the Tolland Green, including the library, the Hicks Center, the Tolland Recreation Department, the Tolland Senior Center, and Tolland Intermediate School.

"This will expand the capacity for residential and visitor use of municipal facilities and enhance passive recreational opportunities," officials said.

The project includes extensive hiking trails, boardwalk style pedestrian bridges, and the installation of a gravel parking lot. A "blue trail" is planned along the Skungamaug River, through the Tolland Marsh wetland complex, with a small launch for non-motorized recreational boating access, according to the plans.

The Tolland Marsh complex includes a variety of wetland habits including forested/shrub wetlands, emergent wetlands, and upland areas that border the marsh. The project is within the Audubon Connecticut "Bolton Range/Cockaponset" Important Bird Area. Preservation of this parcel will protect key habitat for numerous State listed wetland species, as well as migratory animals, and fish species.

"Connecticut is the fourth most densely populated state in the country, and it is critical that we set aside some of the gorgeous natural resources we have in the state and protect it as open space in perpetuity for everyone to enjoy for generations," Lamont said. "The funds we are announcing today will not only help combat the impacts of climate change, but they will also create more equitable access to outdoor green spaces within our most underserved communities. These grants are an excellent reminder of why Connecticut is such an incredible place to work, live, and play."