News Releases - 2024

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• 5/16/2024 DEEP Encourages Boating Safety for National Safe Boating Week

  (HARTFORD) — The Department of Energy and Environmental Protection (DEEP) joins boating safety partners across the country in celebrating National Safe Boating Week from May 18-24, which serves to remind all boaters of the importance of boating safety skills and to prepare for the boating season. This observance week is the annual kick-off of the Safe Boating Campaign, a global awareness effort that encourages responsible boating.

• 9/27/2024 DEEP Celebrates Forestry Day at Goodwin Conservation Education Center on September 28th

  (HARTFORD) – The Connecticut Department of Energy and Environmental Protection (DEEP) announces its No Child Left Inside ® (NCLI) program comes to the Goodwin Conservation Education Center in Hampton on Saturday, September 28, 2024, from 10:00 AM to 2:00 PM with free activities for all. In collaboration with the Friends of Goodwin Forest, DEEP State Parks and Forestry Divisions, and other partners, NCLI invites families and adults to enjoy the day in the great outdoors with many fun and engaging activities.

• 9/12/2024 Risk of Mosquito-borne Diseases Expands Across State, Residents Advised to Protect Themselves When Recreating Outdoors

  (HARTFORD)— The Connecticut Department of Energy and Environmental Protection (DEEP) along with the Connecticut Mosquito Management Program is warning Connecticut residents that the risk of mosquito-borne diseases, mainly eastern equine encephalitis (EEE) and West Nile virus (WNV), is still of concern.

• 5/22/2024 Governor Lamont Announces Summer Tourism Season Kicks off at State Parks, Beaches, and Cultural Attractions

  (MILFORD, CT) – Governor Ned Lamont today visited Silver Sands State Park in Milford – one of Connecticut’s 110 state parks and 32 state forests – where he held an event to kick off the summer tourism season and encourage the state’s residents and visitors to consider the many outdoor recreation opportunities Connecticut has to offer.

• 1/26/2024 DEEP to Host 18th Annual No Child Left Inside® Winter Festival

  (HARTFORD) — The Connecticut Department of Energy and Environmental Protection (DEEP) celebrates the outdoors all year long. The No Child Left Inside® 18th annual Winter Festival at Burr Pond State Park in Torrington is planned for Saturday, February 3. Children and their caregivers are invited to join DEEP for multiple fun, outdoor winter activities from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m.

• 2/5/2024 DEEP Launches 2024 Seasonal Staff Recruitment

• 6/21/2024 Lt. Governor, DEEP and DAS Commissioners, Cut Ribbon on New DEEP Western District Headquarters, the First Net Zero Executive Branch State Building

  (HARTFORD)--Lieutenant Governor Susan Bysiewicz today joined Department of Energy and Environmental Protection (DEEP) Commissioner Katie Dykes and Department of Administrative Services (DAS) Commissioner Michelle Gilman for a ribbon-cutting and tour of DEEP’s new Western District Headquarters in Watertown. The new headquarters is the first net zero executive branch state building.

• 3/22/2024 DEEP Announces 2024 Sky’s the Limit Hiking and Walking Challenge

  (HARTFORD) — Ready for an outdoor hiking adventure? Go on your own, grab a friend, or bring your leashed four-legged companion along for the 2024 Sky’s The Limit (STL) Hiking Challenge focused on Connecticut’s State Forests. The 2024 STL kick-off on March 22nd is a celebration of spring by the Connecticut Department of Energy and Environmental Protection (DEEP). Take the challenge to get outside for some fresh air and physical exercise. Hike and walk the highlighted trails and take designated photos along the way for a fun outdoor experience. Fifteen State Forest locations will be identified for participants to explore, with varying scenery and highlights at each location. The adventurous and fun challenge runs through December 6, 2024.

• 9/30/2024 DEEP To Host Public Workshop October 17 on Passive Park Concept for Seaside State Park

  (HARTFORD)--The Connecticut Department of Energy and Environmental Protection (DEEP) will host a public workshop to inform the design of the Passive Park Concept for Seaside State Park in Waterford. The public workshop will be held in the Auditorium at the Waterford Town Hall on Thursday, October 17, from 6:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m. This workshop is the culmination of a public outreach initiative to inform the Passive Park Concept, which has included various stakeholder meetings and a public survey. After the public workshop, the architectural engineering firm DEEP contracted for the project will use the information and ideas gathered through the outreach and planning process to prepare a design for the Passive Park Concept at Seaside State Park.

• 6/3/2024 Governor Lamont Announces $10 Million in State Grants for Recreational Trails Across Connecticut

  (HARTFORD, CT) – Governor Ned Lamont and Connecticut Department of Energy and Environmental Protection (DEEP) Commissioner Katie Dykes today announced the release of a series of grants totaling $10 million that will support the planning, building, expansion, and improvement of 45 multi-use trails located in towns and cities throughout Connecticut.

• 3/25/2024 Governor Lamont and Commissioner Dykes on Biden Administration’s Announcement Regarding Expanded Offshore Wind Tax Credits

  (HARTFORD, CT) – Governor Ned Lamont and Energy and Environmental Protection Commissioner Katie Dykes released the following statements regarding today’s announcement from the Biden administration on the expansion of tax incentives to support and stimulate more offshore wind projects:

• 7/5/2024 DEEP Reminds Beach Visitors to “Fish, Swim, and Play Far Away” from Bird Nesting Areas

  (Hartford, CT) - As beach season enters its peak, the Connecticut Department of Energy and Environmental Protection (DEEP) asks the public to help protect birds that nest in coastal areas by staying away from places where large concentrations of birds gather and areas that are roped off or marked with signs designating nesting locations. State law prohibits entering state-designated seabird and shorebird protection areas and requires pets, cyclists, and vehicles to remain at least 25 feet away.

• 7/3/2024 Reservations Full for Squantz Pond State Park on July 4th - No Additional Reservations Available

  (HARTFORD)—Connecticut’s Department of Energy and Environmental Protection (DEEP) announced today that reservations for Squantz Pond State Park are full for July 4th. Only those with reservations will be permitted to enter the park – those who do not have a reservation will not be permitted to enter the park and are encouraged to visit ctparks.com to make plans to visit alternate locations, including Sherwood Island State Park.

• 9/9/2024 Bat Appreciation Day to Be Held at Old New-Gate Prison and Copper Mine on Sept. 15

  (HARTFORD)—Join the Connecticut Department of Energy and Environmental Protection (DEEP) Wildlife Division and the Department of Economic and Community Development (DECD) for a celebration of bat conservation at the Old New-Gate Prison and Copper Mine in East Granby on Sunday, September 15, 2024, from 11:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. This event helps raise awareness about the story of one of Connecticut’s most intriguing historical sites and its importance to the conservation of endangered species.

• 3/19/2024 Final Days to Register for DEEP's 4th Connecticut Youth Climate Summit

  (HARTFORD) — The registration deadline for the Connecticut Department of Energy and Environmental Protection (DEEP)’s free online Connecticut Youth Climate Summit is only days away. The summit will take place on Tuesday, March 26th from 8:00 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. This event marks the fourth virtual summit collaboratively developed with DEEP staff and a committee of young climate leaders from across the state. Teachers and other high school level educators are asked to register their schools and students no later than March 20, 2024.