Grants Aid in Skiff Mountain Protection (CT)

KENT and SHARON, Connecticut, 4/7/2003: Today, the Connecticut Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) announced two awards of $750,000 and $514,000 to help conserve the two Skiff Mountain parcels in Kent and Sharon. The awards were hailed by the Trust for Public Land, a national nonprofit organization that is negotiating to purchase both parcels, totaling 450 acres, from Kent School.

“These grants represent a significant step forward in the effort to protect the Skiff Mountain land,” explained Whitney Hatch, acting Connecticut director for the Trust for Public Land. “Since it was launched in 1998, the state’s Open Space and Watershed Land Acquisition Grant Program has helped dozens of communities and land trusts protect critical undeveloped lands. We commend both Governor Rowland and the Connecticut General Assembly for creating this important grant program.”

The land under negotiation would be a key addition to a 5,300-acre corridor of conservation land that includes Macedonia State Park and land owned by the National Park Service along the Appalachian Trail, and several land trust-owned properties. Predominately forested, both properties provide important habitat for wildlife, including bear, bobcat, and coyote, as well as declining songbird species, such as golden-winged warbler, blue-winged warbler, and wood thrush.

The Trust for Public Land (TPL) is a national nonprofit conservation organization conserving land for people to enjoy as parks, gardens, and natural areas, ensuring livable communities for generations to come. Since its founding in 1972, TPL has helped protect more than 1.6 million acres of land in 45 states, including more than 3,000 acres in Connecticut. TPL depends on the support and generosity of individuals, foundations, and businesses to achieve our land for people mission. For more information, please contact us at (203) 777-7367.