Norfolk receives portion of $9 million in open space grants

NORFOLK — Gov. Dannel P. Malloy announced Dec. 28 that Norfolk is one of 35 communities spanning the state that will benefit from a new round of open space grants.Malloy said more than $9 million in Open Space and Watershed Land Acquisition grants had been approved to support the 35 communities in purchasing 2,732 acres to be preserved as open space. Norfolk’s grant of $248,000 will go toward the Norfolk Land Trust’s acquisition of 311 acres adjoining the Girl Scouts’ Camp Iwatka, off Grantville Road, where Smith Pond feeds into the Mad River. “Land conservation is an important investment in our future, and moves us closer to meeting our goal of protecting 21 percent of Connecticut’s land as open space in the next ten years,” Malloy said in a press release. “These preservation projects are key to maintaining our high quality of life and making Connecticut a great place to live, work, and raise a family.”The program, administered by the state Department of Energy and Environmental Protection (DEEP) assists land purchase using state bonds and funding from the 2005 Community Investment Act.DEEP noted that the acquisition of land for open space in Norfolk will contribute to nearly 2,000 acres of forest and the associated ecosystems. The land surrounding Smith Pond has rugged topography, ridges and vernal pools with varied habitats. The property is accessed via a historic railroad bed, previously purchased with the support of an open space grant. Land purchases help Connecticut achieve the goal to protect 673,210 acres of land by 2023.  Connecticut has 496,182 acres designated as state or local open space lands, 73.7 percent of the goal. More than $109 million in state funding has been awarded to municipalities, nonprofit land conservation organizations, and water companies to assist in the purchase of 27,440 acres of land in 128 cities and towns.“The community gardens initiative was added to the open space grant program in 2007 to address land preservation needs in urban areas,” said Daniel C. Esty, DEEP commissioner in a statement. “This portion of the grant program acknowledges that preserving places people care about is as important in our cities and inner suburbs as it is in more rural areas.”