Aspetuck Land Trust In Wilton Scores $400K Grant From CT

WILTON, CT — The state will be providing the Aspetuck Land Trust a grant of $398,125 to preserve nearly 10 acres of land in Wilton.

The funding is part of $7.29 million the state is releasing 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, according to Gov. Ned Lamont in a statement made Wednesday.

The funds will be provided through Connecticut'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.

The 9.84 acre Montanaro Property consists of two lots on Old Two Rod Highway (a town-owned, paper road). One is 4.23 acres and the other is 5.61 acres. The acquisition will be part of a long-term assemblage project to create a 705-acre contiguous forest known as the Weston/Wilton Forest Block.

This will be the sixth acquisition by the Aspetuck Land Trust in the WWFB, providing passive recreation opportunities, with a public access trail heads at the Upper Parish Drive terminus to the north, and on the adjacent Fromson-Strassler Property and Old Two Rod Highway/Wampum Hill Road terminus to the south. The Aspetuck Land Trust plans to connect the WWFB with the Norwalk River Valley Trail in Wilton through other open spaces owned by the town and Wilton Land Conservation Trust.

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.

"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 the quality of life for residents and visitors alike," said DEEP Commissioner Katie Dykes in a news release.