News Releases - 2024

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• 9/26/2024 Celebrate Hunting and Fishing Day

  (HARTFORD, CT) – Governor Ned Lamont has proclaimed Saturday, September 28, 2024, “Hunting and Fishing Day in the State of Connecticut” to coincide with National Hunting and Fishing Day; and to celebrate, the Connecticut Department of Energy and Environmental Protection (DEEP) invites you to celebrate at Black Rock State Park on Saturday, September 28, 2024, with a fun-filled, daylong event at Black Rock State Park, 2065 Thomaston Road, Watertown, from 10:00 am to 3:00 pm.

• 1/16/2024 DEEP Requests Grant Proposals for Aquatic Invasive Species Control on Lakes, Ponds, and Rivers

  (HARTFORD) — The Connecticut Department of Energy and Environmental Protection (DEEP) is now accepting proposals for the State’s Aquatic Invasive Species (AIS) Grant Program. The program makes $500,000 available to reduce impacts of aquatic invasive species on inland waters in Connecticut. Applications will be accepted through January 31, 2024.

• 4/5/2024 DEEP Begins Cold Water Safety Campaign

  (HARTFORD) — With warmer weather in the forecast, and boaters heading to the water on weekends in greater numbers, Connecticut’s Department of Energy and Environmental Protection (DEEP) urges boaters to be prepared for the difference between the warm air and the cold water.

• 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.

• 11/14/2024 DEEP Announces Firearms Deer Hunting Season Begins November 20

  (HARTFORD, CT)- Connecticut’s 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 20. Specific deer hunting season information is available on the DEEP 2024 Connecticut Hunting and Trapping Guide web page.

• 7/24/2024 4th Annual Pop of Color Outdoor Quilt Show Starts July 25th at Kellogg Estate in Osbornedale State Park

  (HARTFORD) - The Connecticut Department of Energy and Environmental Protection (DEEP) announced its fourth annual Pop of Color Outdoor Quilt Show returns to the Kellogg Estate, 500 Hawthorne Ave, Derby, CT, from Thursday, July 25 – Sunday, July 28, 2024, 10:00 a.m.– 4:00 p.m. Visitors can enjoy viewing a diverse collection of quilts hung to decorate the historic gardens and grounds. Reservations are not needed.

• 7/23/2024 Connecticut Interstate Fire Crew Deploys to Fight Oregon Wildfires

  (HARTFORD, CT) – This morning, nineteen members of the Connecticut Interstate Fire Crew (CIFC), coordinated by the Connecticut Department of Energy and Environmental Protection (DEEP), mobilized from DEEP’s Eastern District headquarters in Malborough to fight wildfires in and around Redmond, Oregon.

• 7/26/2024 MEDIA ADVISORY: DEEP to Hold Public Meeting on Draft Connecticut Clean Hydrogen Roadmap

  (HARTFORD)--The Connecticut Department of Energy and Environmental Protection (DEEP) will hold a public meeting on Monday, July 29, to present and discuss the main findings of its Draft 2024 Connecticut Clean Hydrogen Roadmap.

• 7/9/2024 Newly Announced Agreement on Electricity Transmission Moves Northeastern States Toward Enhanced Grid Reliability

  (HARTFORD) - Connecticut today joined a total of 10 Northeast states in signing a memorandum of understanding (MOU) to establish a framework for coordinating their activities to improve interregional transmission planning and development, which will enhance grid reliability and accelerate the clean energy transition. Last year, a group of Northeast states led a request to the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) to convene and support a multi-state initiative, the Northeast States Collaborative on Interregional Transmission, in a first-in-the-nation effort to explore mutually beneficial opportunities to increase the flow of electricity between three different planning regions in the Northeast and assess offshore wind infrastructure needs and solutions. The MOU was signed by Connecticut, Delaware, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, Rhode Island, and Vermont.

• 11/26/2024 DEEP Lifts Statewide Burn Ban on Public Lands It Administers

  (HARTFORD)- The Connecticut Department of Energy and Environmental Protection (DEEP) is pleased to announce that, effective immediately, the statewide burn ban for Connecticut’s State Parks, Forests, and Wildlife Management Areas has been lifted. This decision comes as recent precipitation has significantly improved conditions and lowered the forest fire danger level to LOW to MODERATE statewide over the past few days.

• 9/27/2024 Gov Lamont Announces Protection of 1364 Acres of Watershed Lands in Winchester

  (HARTFORD, CT) – Governor Ned Lamont, along with the Connecticut Department of Energy and Environmental Protection (DEEP) and the Housatonic Valley Association, today announced the successful protection of 1,364 acres of watershed lands in the Town of Winchester.

• 3/21/2024 DEEP to Conduct Prescribed Burns at Five Locations this Spring

  (HARTFORD) — The Connecticut Department of Energy and Environmental Protection (DEEP) plans to conduct prescribed burns at five locations this spring, weather and conditions permitting. The areas include Matianuck Natural Area Preserve (NAP) in Windsor, Suffield Wildlife Management Area (WMA) in Suffield, Machimoodus State Park in East Haddam, Goodwin State Forest in Hampton, and Pachaug State Forest in Voluntown.

• 7/12/2024 DEEP Announces Notice of Availability of FY 2024 Funding Opportunity for Boating Infrastructure Grants

  (HARTFORD) – The Connecticut Department of Energy and Environmental Protection (DEEP) is pleased to announce the release of a request for proposal for the Boating Infrastructure Grant Program. This competitive federal funding opportunity is offered by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS) under the Department of the Interior (DOI). DEEP will review and select qualifying state projects from the pool of submissions to recommend for funding, which will then be submitted to the USFWS for final approval.

• 1/12/2024 Governor Lamont Announces Connecticut Awarded $14.6 Million Federal Grant To Expand Electric Vehicle Charging Stations in Seven Communities

  (HARTFORD, CT) – Governor Ned Lamont today announced that the U.S. Department of Transportation is awarding the Connecticut Department of Energy and Environmental Protection with a $14.6 million grant through its Charging and Fueling Infrastructure Grant Program to expand Connecticut’s network of electric vehicle charging stations. The program is funded by the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law.

• 9/25/2024 DEEP Seeks Input on Expanded DEEP Climate Resilience Funding and Loan Initiatives to Help Connecticut Communities Become More Climate Resilient

  (HARTFORD, CT) — Today, the Connecticut Department of Energy and Environmental Protection (DEEP) announced the strategic expansion of the successful DEEP Climate Resilience Fund (DCRF) program to better enable communities to access federal funding for climate resilience. This upcoming investment of state funds will help towns, Councils of Government, and other stakeholders pursue project planning, and in some cases construction, allowing them to tap into the billions of federal dollars available to improve local resilience. As Connecticut experiences mounting costs from severe weather events, securing federal funding for proactive climate resilience planning and investment is critical to getting more projects built and keeping communities safe. DEEP is seeking feedback on a new framework for the DEEP Climate Resilience Fund, including from municipalities, Councils of Government, tribes, electric distribution companies, academic partners, private entities, and non-profit organizations. DEEP made this new future grant round announcement as part of a tour of the Meriden Green resilience project, a 14-acre flood control project using nature-based solutions located in downtown Meriden. The announcement was part of the State’s Sustainability and Resiliency Week.