Connecticut Department of Energy & Environmental Protection

News Releases

Page 33 of 66

  • 10/1/2020 CT Greenways Council Holds 21st Annual CT Greenway Awards October 1

    The Connecticut Greenways Council (CGC) will hold its 21st Annual CT Greenway Awards on Thursday, Oct. 1 at 4 p.m. at the Rotary Pavilion in Charter Oak Park in Manchester. The event will celebrate the Charter Oak Greenway, Manchester’s Charter Oak Park, and the Community of Manchester, CT. The CGC consists of members appointed by the Governor and the leaders of the General Assembly. Their duties include advising and assisting in the coordination of state agencies, municipalities, regional planning organizations and private citizens in voluntarily planning and implementing a system of greenways. A greenway is a corridor of open space that may protect natural resources, preserve scenic landscapes and historical resources or offer opportunities for recreation or nonmotorized transportation. A greenway may also connect existing protected areas and provide access to the outdoors; may be located along a defining natural feature, such as a waterway; along a man-made corridor, including an unused right-of-way, traditional trail routes or historic barge canals; or may be a greenspace along a highway or around a village. Greenways in Connecticut cover thousands of acres throughout every county in the state and may include paved or unpaved trail systems, ridgelines, or linked parcels of open space. Many other communities around Connecticut have chosen, through greenway designation, to recognize the importance of river corridors for natural resource protection, recreational opportunities, and scenic values. The CT Greenways Council website contains details on how to get designations, assistance and a map of our State Greenways: http://www.ct.gov/deep/greenways. Each year, the CGC holds an awards ceremony to celebrate greenways and to highlight the efforts of individuals and organizations that have made significant contributions to the promotion, development and enhancement of the state’s greenways. Event speakers include CGC Chair Bruce Donald, Manchester Mayor Jay Moran, Connecticut Department of Energy and Environmental Protection (DEEP) Deputy Commissioner Mason Trumble, and Dr. Bob Rodney, past Rotary President and past Greenway awardee, who will offer brief comments about an October 3 Rotary in Motion event leaving from Charter Oak Park. "Once again I'm very pleased to host the Trails Awards,” CGC Chair Bruce Donald said. “In this year of COVID-19 we have seen trail usage grow across the state anywhere from 60% to 220%, proving our outdoor facilities are magnets for folks desperate for safe outdoor enjoyment. It is a great joy to honor those advocates, professionals, and municipalities that make all of the various types of trails possible in our state." Trumble, who will be speaking about the importance of greenways, underscored their importance from both an access and a health standpoint. “Greenways provide an accessible venue for all people to enjoy the outdoors,” Trumble said. “Outdoor spaces provide an immeasurable mental and physical health benefit to Connecticut residents – especially during a pandemic. Greenways provide a valuable economic benefit as well. Currently outdoor recreation is driving Connecticut’s tourism economy as people look to the outdoors to replace other forms of entertainment. Certainly, Connecticut’s greenways have never been more important than they are in 2020. I commend the great work of the CGC and this year’s awardees for all that they have done—and continue to do—to preserve and raise awareness about these open spaces.” Prior to the event, at 3 p.m., those interested have the option of participating in a walk on the Charter Oak Greenway or a mountain bike ride at Case Mountain. The ride will be led by Al Tinti of the New England Mountain Biking Association. Please contact peburton@aol.com for more ride information. Safe social distancing will be practiced at this event. Attendees are asked to be mindful of this and to please be considerate of others. This year’s awardees are: • Bike-Walk Bolton, will receive the CT Greenways Council’s Nonprofit Award. • Aaron Budris, Senior Regional Planner at Naugatuck Valley COG - will receive the CT Greenways Council’s Unsung Hero Award. • Penny Foisey, the Connecticut Horse Council Volunteer Horse Patrol Coordinator for Mashamoquet State Park and Pomfret, will receive the CT Greenways Council’s Volunteer Award. • The Ebony Horsewomen Junior Mounted Patrol (JMP) program will receive the CT Greenways Council’s Community Connection Award. • Amy Hernandez and Andrés Calle-Otero, of Latino Outdoors Connecticut, will receive the CT Greenways Council’s User Engagement Award. • Meg Sautter of Newington will receive the CT Greenways Council’s Volunteer Award. • Matthew House, President of CT Off-Road Enthusiasts Coalition (COREC), will receive the CT Greenways Council’s Advocacy Award. • Kim Bradley, President of South East CT NEMBA, will receive the CT Greenways Council’s Volunteer Award. • Scott Bushee, P.E., Project Manager in Highway Design at DOT, will receive the CT Greenways Council’s Design Award. • Charlie Tracy will receive the CT Greenways Council’s Lifetime Achievement Award. *Debbie Livingston, who received the 2019 CT Greenways Council’s Volunteer Award, will be presented with her award at the Oct. 1 ceremony, as she was unable to attend last year’s event. More at: portal.ct.gov/deep| Follow on Facebook at CTDEEP| Follow on Twitter @CTDEEPNews ###

  • 9/29/2020 DEEP Responding to Oil Spill in Sympaug Brook in Danbury

    The Connecticut Department of Energy and Environmental Protection (DEEP) is overseeing the clean-up of an oil spill into the Sympaug Brook in Danbury, which flows into the Still River.

  • 7/3/2024 DEEP Stew Leonard and Greater Waterbury YMCA Highlight the Importance of Water Safety

    (HARTFORD)—Connecticut Department of Energy and Environmental Protection (DEEP) Deputy Commissioner Mason Trumble joined Stew Leonard, Jr., President and CEO of regional supermarket company Stew Leonard’s, and Co-founder of the Stew Leonard III Water Safety Foundation; and officials from the Greater Waterbury YMCA Wednesday at Black Rock State Park to promote swimming safety and the importance of swim lessons, ahead of what’s likely to be a busy July Fourth holiday weekend on Connecticut waterbodies. DEEP Lifeguards also conducted a water safety demonstration Wednesday with children from the Greater Waterbury YMCA.

  • 4/26/2024 DEEP Celebrates Arbor Day in Communities Across Connecticut

    (HARTFORD) — The Connecticut Department of Energy and Environmental Protection (DEEP) joins communities across the state on April 26th and throughout the month of April to celebrate Arbor Day.

  • 5/29/2024 CT Greenways Council to Hold 25th Annual Greenway Awards and Kick Off CT Trails Day Events

    (HARTFORD) — The Connecticut Greenways Council (CGC) will host its 25th Annual CT Greenway Awards at Riverfront Recapture’s Boathouse in Hartford on Friday, May 31. The event is traditionally held on the Friday before CT Trails Day, which occurs the weekend of June 1 and 2.

  • 6/1/2018 Gov. Malloy, State and Local Leaders Announce Significant Improvements to Marina in New London That Will Help Boost Tourism in the Region

    Governor Dannel P. Malloy, along with Senator Richard Blumenthal, Congressman Joe Courtney, New London Mayor Michael Passero and Department of Energy and Environmental Protection (DEEP) Commissioner Robert Klee today celebrated completion of a project that provides transient dockage for larger recreational vessels at Thamesport Marina in New London.

  • 6/1/2018 DEEP Announces Temporary Closure of the Windsor Locks Canal State Park Trail

    The Connecticut Department of Energy and Environmental Protection (DEEP) today announced the temporary closure of the Windsor Locks Canal State Park Trail.

  • 6/29/2018 Air Quality Alert: DEEP Forecasts Elevated Levels of Ozone for Connecticut Saturday June 30, 2018 through Monday July 2, 2018

    Connecticut’s Department of Energy and Environmental Protection (DEEP) is forecasting a prolonged period of Unhealthy for Sensitive Groups (USG) to Unhealthy (U) levels of ozone across Connecticut beginning Saturday June 30, 2018 and continuing through at least Monday July 2, 2018.

  • 4/8/2019 DEEP Reminds Residents to Be Bear Aware

    Connecticut’s Department of Energy and Environmental Protection (DEEP) reminds residents to take steps to reduce encounters and potential conflicts with black bears.

  • 4/11/2019 Opening Day is this Saturday, April 13th

    Opening Day of the trout fishing season is this Saturday, April 13, starting at 6:00 a.m. sharp!

  • 4/16/2019 DEEP Alerts Boaters and Anglers to Dangers of Cold Water Immersion

    As more residents take to the water for the fishing season, the Department of Energy and Environmental Protection (DEEP) is reminding boaters of the perils of cold water immersion and the importance of heeding safe boating tips.

  • 10/2/2020 DEEP Announces Opening Days of Fall Firearms Hunting Seasons

    Connecticut’s Department of Energy and Environmental Protection (DEEP) has announced the Opening Days of turkey and small game hunting seasons.

  • 8/13/2020 DEEP Divisions Share New Technology to Identify Hotspots in Fire Response

    THOMPSON-The eye in the sky soars overhead as radiant islands reveal themselves in stark contrast to the surrounding dark. Yellows and reds pulsate prominently against the gray of the road and the dense black of the forest.

  • 11/8/2024 DEEP Announces First Opportunity for Service Providers to Participate in the $144M Broadband Equity, Access, and Deployment Program

    (HARTFORD, CT) – The Department of Energy and Environmental Protection (DEEP) has launched the prequalification process for eligible entities to participate in the Broadband Equity, Access, and Deployment (BEAD) Program that will provide $144M to the State of Connecticut for broadband infrastructure expansion projects in 2025. Participation in the Prequalification Phase is essential to ensure potential applicants meet compliance requirements ahead of the application phase of the program. Unless providers and other entities interested in bidding on projects prequalify, they are ineligible to proceed in the program.

  • 6/18/2024 DEEP Forecasts Elevated Levels of Ozone for June 18 - 21

    (HARTFORD) — Connecticut’s Department of Energy and Environmental Protection (DEEP) is expecting temperatures in the mid-to-upper 90s (˚F) beginning today, with high temperatures persisting into Friday. The National Weather Service has issued an Excessive Heat Watch for Hartford and Tolland Counties, while a Heat Advisory is issued for Litchfield, Windham, Northern Fairfield and Northern New Haven Counties. These hot temperatures will contribute to elevated ozone levels for parts of inland Connecticut beginning on Tuesday and continuing through the end of the week. These levels may approach or exceed Unhealthy for Sensitive Groups (USG) levels for parts of Connecticut on June 18th, and may continue through Friday, June 21st.