Weekly eNews | May 11, 2023

Governor Ned Lamont has announced that his administration is awarding approximately $3.7 million in state funding to aid in the purchase and protection of more than 1,025 acres of open space in 14 Connecticut communities through the Department of Energy and Environmental Protection (DEEP) Open Space and Watershed Land Acquisition Grant Program (OSWA).

Additionally, $46,875 will aid in the creation of five new community gardens in the town of Hamden, a targeted investment community, through the agency's Urban Green and Community Gardens Program (UGCG).

Advocating for the OSWA and UGCG grant programs is an annual top priority for CLCC. With the availability of state funds, CLCC transaction assistance grants, and federal match funding programs (including CLCC’s CT Conservation Partnership Program with DEEP), there has never been a better time to pursue an OSWA grant. Please let us know how we may assist.

Sincerely,

Amy Blaymore Paterson

Executive Director

abpaterson@ctconservation.org

The CT Department of Energy and Environmental Protection (DEEP) is accepting applications from municipalities, land trusts, and water companies for the next round of the competitive Open Space and Watershed Land Acquisition Grant Program (OSWA).

DEEP is accepting applications from municipalities, designated as targeted and/or distressed, and their non-profit partners under the competitive Urban Green and Community Gardens Program (UGCG). 

CLCC and DEEP are planning to offer a series of virtual and in-person information sessions on OSWA, UGCG, and other funding opportunities to provide you with insights into the grant programs, answer your questions about your project proposals, and help you to prepare your grant application. Details coming soon.

Please contact Amy in the interim with questions and comments.

Launched in 2016 in partnership with DEEP, this annual photo contest is intended to provide a venue for amateur photographers to celebrate projects funded through OSWA and UGCG Grant Programs, display their work, and provide CLCC and DEEP with new materials for our publications and communications. There are several categories including for wildlife, landscape, and people in nature.