News Releases - 2021

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• 7/22/2021 Regional Wildlife Science Entity Launched to Research and Monitor Effects of Offshore Wind Development on Wildlife, Ecosystems

  (HARTFORD)—The Connecticut Department of Energy and Environmental Protection (DEEP) is thrilled to announce the launch of the Regional Wildlife Science Entity (RWSE), a collaborative partnership that will research and monitor effects of offshore wind (OSW) energy development on wildlife and ecosystems and inform OSW deployment practices.

• 5/28/2021 Share the Shore with Nesting Birds

  Connecticut’s Department of Energy and Environmental Protection (DEEP) today announced that Charles Island in Milford and Duck Island in Westbrook will be closed to the public from now through September 9, 2021, to prevent disturbances to nesting birds. Both islands have been designated by DEEP as Natural Area Preserves, primarily due to their importance as nesting habitats for several state-listed birds, including snowy egrets and great egrets (state threatened species), glossy ibis, and little blue herons (state special concern). The two islands also have been designated as Important Bird Areas by Audubon Connecticut.

• 6/3/2021 CT Greenways Council to Hold 22nd Annual Greenway Awards and Kick-Off CT Trails Day Events: June 4 - 6

  (HARTFORD)- The Connecticut Greenways Council (CGC) will hold its 22nd Annual CT Greenway Awards on Friday, June 4, at 10 a.m. at the Brookfield Town Hall Bandshell in Brookfield. The event, traditionally held on the Friday before CT Trails Day weekend on June 5 and 6, will celebrate the Still River Greenway.

• 8/12/2021 MEDIA AVAILABILITY - Connecticut Interstate Fire Crew Members Returning from Western Deployment

  (HARTFORD)—Five members of the Connecticut Interstate Fire Crew who have been deployed in western states fighting wildfires are returning from deployment to DEEP’s Eastern District Headquarters this evening, around 5:30 p.m.

• 11/15/2021 DEEP Announces Firearms Deer Hunting Season Begins November 17

  (HARTFORD)— The Connecticut Department of Energy and Environmental Protection (DEEP) today issued a reminder that a variety of hunting seasons are currently underway or about to begin, most notably the opening of the fall firearms deer season on Wednesday, November 17. Specific deer hunting season information is available on the DEEP website at https://portal.ct.gov/DEEP/Hunting/2021-Connecticut-Hunting-and-Trapping-Guide/Deer-Hunting.

• 1/29/2021 DEEP Environmental Conservation Officers, ‘Community of Conservationists,’ Spring into Action to Save Brown Pelican

  Wednesday, Jan. 27, started as a typical day for Department of Energy and Environmental Protection (DEEP) Environmental Conservation Officer Eugene Diefenbach, but by noon it was anything but, when, following a tip from the Connecticut Audubon Society, he and Officer Mike Curran were dispatched to a marina in Essex to rescue a rare visitor to these parts: a brown pelican.

• 8/22/2021 DEEP and DPH Advise Against Swimming or Other Water Contact Recreation Over Next 72 Hours Due to Tropical Storm Henri's Impact

  (HARTFORD)— Given the significant rainfall that occurred (and is still expected) due to Tropical Storm Henri, many areas across the state have experienced discharges of untreated sewage. The Connecticut Department of Energy and Environmental Protection (DEEP) and the Connecticut Department of Public Health (DPH) are advising against direct contact with surface water in areas in close proximity to drainage pipes statewide, particularly in urban areas such as Bridgeport, Hartford, Norwalk, Norwich, and the greater New Haven area over the next 72 hours in Connecticut's streams and rivers. Residents are advised not to swim, fish, or utilize paddlecraft in these areas.

• 7/19/2021 Bodies of Two Missing Teens Recovered from Farmington River

  The bodies of two teens missing since last Thursday, 15-year-old Lucas Brewer, of Plainville, and 17-year-old Anthony Nagore, who was from out-of-state, were found today in the Farmington River, by Connecticut Department of Energy and Environmental Protection (DEEP) Environmental Conservation Police, with assistance from several agencies.

• 7/23/2021 Gov Lamont and DEEP Commissioner Dykes Applaud Over 36 Million in SBC Funding

  Funding will go Toward Infrastructure Repairs and New Building Projects; Open Space Acquisitions; Energy Efficiency Improvements; and Recreational Trails

• 12/23/2021 Connecticut Hunting and Trapping and Fishing Guides Available Online

  (HARTFORD)—Connecticut outdoor field guides produced by the Connecticut Department of Energy and Environmental Protection (DEEP) make it easy to find and follow the laws and regulations that apply to hunters, trappers, and anglers. And now, Connecticut's Fishing and Hunting Guidebooks are online in an easy-to-use eBook version. New in 2022, digital formats will allow you to quickly check a regulation, confirm legal hunting hours, check season dates, and more – from anywhere, anytime.

• 5/21/2021 First Class in Reinvented Special Conservation Officer EnCon Ranger Program to Graduate May 23

  The first group of recruits in the Connecticut Department of Energy and Environmental Protection (DEEP)’s reinvented Special Conservation Officer (SCO) Environmental Conservation (EnCon) Ranger Program will graduate in a ceremony this Sunday, at 3 p.m., under an outdoor tent at Old Lyme High School

• 1/12/2021 Local, State Coalition Finalize Recommendations to Advance Sustainable Solutions to Connecticut’s Solid Waste Crisis

  (HARTFORD, CT) – The Connecticut Coalition for Sustainable Materials Management (CCSMM), a joint initiative between 74 municipalities and the Connecticut Department of Energy and Environmental Protection (DEEP), yesterday finalized recommendations for local and statewide waste reduction options to address the state’s waste crisis.

• 10/7/2021 DEEP Issues Final 2020 Integrated Resources Plan, Connecticut’s First Assessment of Pathways to Achieve 100% Carbon-Free Electric Grid

  (HARTFORD, CT) – The Connecticut Department of Energy and Environmental Protection (DEEP) today released the state’s final 2020 Integrated Resources Plan (IRP), a statutorily required recurring assessment of the State’s future electric supply needs and potential means to meet those needs.

• 5/13/2021 DEEP EnCon Officer Named 2020 CT Wildlife Officer of the Year

  (Hartford)- Connecticut Department of Energy and Environmental Protection (DEEP) Environmental Conservation Officer John Chickos was recently named the 2020 Connecticut Wildlife Officer of the Year by the Northeast Association of Fish & Wildlife Agencies (NEAFWA).

• 6/16/2021 DEEP to Hold Informational Meeting on Pachaug Pond Dam Repair Project June 23

  (HARTFORD) – The Connecticut Department of Energy and Environmental Protection (DEEP) will host a public informational meeting June 23 to discuss an upcoming project that will repair and improve the Pachaug Pond dam in Griswold.