The Monroe Sun by Bill Bittar
MONROE, CT — A gap in a stonewall along 35 Old Newtown Road opens up to 65-acres of farmland that has been in the Benedict family for over 100 years. Rebecca Benedict Bottomley, who now lives in Massachusetts, remembers training and riding horses, and playing on the property with her brothers as children, roaming in the fields, and sledding down a steep hill in the wintertime.
(HARTFORD, CT) – Governor Ned Lamont today announced that his administration is awarding $14.5 million in state grants to aid in the purchase and protection of more than 2,626 acres of open space through 17 projects in 18 municipalities across Connecticut. Additionally, $343,015 in state grants are being awarded to create two new urban community green spaces in Stratford and Thomaston.
These funds are being provided through the state’s Open Space and Watershed Land Acquisition Grant Program and the Urban Green and Community Gardens Grant Program, both of which are administered by the Connecticut Department of Energy and Environmental Protection (DEEP). They mark the largest round of open space protection awards – both by acreage protected and by dollars awarded – in more than a decade.
Aspetuck Land Trust 's socially distanced native plant sale at Gilbertie’s Farm in Easton was a big hit. Nearly 200 people purchased 700 native plants, shrubs and trees, creating " a great opportunity to get people excited about native plants that they can plant in their own yards that help us to promote biodiversity in the landscape..." as Executive Director, David Brant noted.
As rural landscapes in Connecticut have been increasingly transformed in recent decades by commercial and residential development, the state has seen a precipitous decline in native plants—335 species, or 19 percent, are on the state’s list of Endangered, Threatened, and Special Concern. A decline in bees and other pollinators that rely on these species has ensued.
James Prosek, who grew up in Easton, will give a talk about his art and the need to protect the beauty of our natural. Prosek’s talk “Trespassing and Conservation,” will be held on April 6 at 7 p.m. at the Westport Library Forum will draw attention to the beauty of our natural world while urging us to protect, conserve and connect our lands restoring a healthy ecosystem for all.
Weston, CT - Aspetuck Land Trust reports the great news that this week it closed on a property -- one it had been working to attain for 10 year. It is the the 10-acre Montanaro property show in the attached map.
"As you can see, it is located in a critical spot — a doughnut hole in the Weston Wilton Forest Reserve," shared ALT Executive Director David Brant. "If the planned two large houses had been built there, cars and trucks would have driven right through one of our oldest preserves, 119-acre Honey Hill."
Last week you may have received a pamphlet from Citizens for Responsible Government (CRG) about Aspetuck Land Trust’s (ALT) proposed purchase of 18.6 acres of the 29.5- acre South Park property owned by the Town of Easton. We’d like to offer a few clarifications.
ALT’s mission is the preservation and conservation of open space for the benefit and education of the public and future generations. Founded in 1966 as a nonprofit member-supported organization, we have already conserved 1,450 acres in Easton. ALT’s interest is solely in saving the land, not in local politics.
Aspetuck Land Trust executive director David Brant writes:
We need the help of all Weston voters to come out today (Saturday, September 18, noon to 8 p.m., Weston Town Hall), to cast your ballot approving the town’s sale of the 85-acre Fromson Strassler property to Aspetuck Land Trust to preserve it forever as open space.
Representatives of the Aspetuck Land Trust (ALT) recently briefed Wilton’s Board of Selectmen (BOS) on the group’s ongoing efforts to acquire two Wilton properties at the end of an old abandoned town road. If successful, the purchase will expand and enhance the ALT’s already sizable holdings along the Wilton/Weston border.
Aspetuck Land Trust is announcing a merger with the Monroe Land Trust and Tree Conservancy (MLT) that will become effective July 1, 2021.
With the merger, ALT extends its land conservation work from its original four town focus (Easton, Weston, Fairfield and Westport) to five towns. The addition of Monroe brings an additional 20 acres of conserved land in Monroe under ALT’s overall watch and protection.
