News Releases

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• 6/24/2020 DEEP Issues Third Quarterly Update on 20BY20 Initiative

  The Department of Energy and Environmental Protection (DEEP) recently released the third quarterly update for its 20BY20 initiative, a set of 20 goals that focus on improving the predictability, efficiency, and transparency of DEEP’s regulatory processes by the end of the year.

• 7/3/2020 DEEP Issues Updated State Park Operations Plan Heading into July 4th

  As we approach July 4th weekend, the Connecticut Department of Energy and Environmental Protection (DEEP) has released an updated operational plan that outlines for DEEP staff and visitors current guidelines around the operation and use of Connecticut state park grounds, trails, beaches, campgrounds, picnic areas and pavilions, boat launches and other areas as we continue to navigate the COVID-19 pandemic.

• 4/2/2020 DEEP Reminds State Park Visitors to Maintain Safe Distance from Beach Nesting Birds

  In addition to asking people to maintain proper social distancing in the outdoors, and to adhere to state park capacity limits and closures where encountered, the Department of Energy and Environmental Protection is reminding visitors to state parks to maintain a safe distance from the wildlife that call those parks home.

• 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.

• 9/24/2020 DEEP to Re-Open Lattins Cove Boat Launch at Half Capacity

  The Connecticut Department of Energy and Environmental Protection (DEEP) announced today that Lattins Cove state boat launch on Candlewood Lake will re-open tomorrow at 50% capacity.

• 4/27/2020 DEEP Reminds Residents to be Bear Aware

  Early spring is the time of year in which bear activity increases, and understanding that the vast majority of state residents are spending considerable amounts of time at home due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the Connecticut Department of Energy and Environmental Protection (DEEP) reminds residents that DEEP staff continue to be available to respond to situations involving black bears, and to take steps to reduce encounters and potential conflicts with bears.

• 8/5/2020 DEEP Advises Against Contact Recreation in CT River over next 48 hours due to Massachusetts Sewage Release

  The Connecticut Department of Energy and Environmental Protection (DEEP) has been advised that hundreds of thousands of gallons of combined untreated stormwater and sewage has been released into the Chicopee River in Springfield, which feeds into the Connecticut River. As a precaution, DEEP advises against contact recreation in the Connecticut River north of the city of Middletown over the next 48 hours.

• 11/25/2020 Draft 2020 Connecticut Forest Action Plan Released

  The Connecticut Department of Energy and Environmental Protection (DEEP)’s Forestry Division has updated the Connecticut Forest Action Plan and released a draft for public review and comment.

• 7/14/2020 State Rejects MIRA Plea for Hundreds of Millions in Subsidies for Hartford Waste Incinerator

  In a letter Tuesday, DEEP Commissioner Katie Dykes rejected a plan submitted by the Materials Innovation and Recycling Authority (MIRA) for presenting a “false choice, and a bad deal” for taxpayers across the state, Hartford residents, and the environment.

• 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.

• 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.

• 9/17/2020 DEEP Assisting North Windham Fire Department with Wildfire in Natchaug State Forest

  The Connecticut Department of Energy and Environmental Protection (DEEP) is assisting the North Windham Fire Department and several other local departments with a contained wildfire in the Natchaug State Forest in Windham.

• 4/20/2020 DEEP Urges Safe Boating Social Distancing Practices at State Boat Launches During COVID 19 Pandemic

  With the boating season just around the corner, the Connecticut Department of Energy and Environmental Protection (DEEP) announces that the state boat launches are currently open. DEEP wants to share best practices to keep boaters safe during the COVID-19 pandemic.

• 9/11/2020 Kent Falls State Park to Re-Open

  The Connecticut Department of Energy and Environmental Protection (DEEP) announced today that Kent Falls State Park will re-open to the public on Saturday, September 12, at 8 a.m.