TPL Honors CT Conservation Heroes

New Haven, CT, 6/7/2005 — The Trust for Public Land (TPL), a national conservation organization, on Saturday evening celebrated the tenth anniversary of its Connecticut office by inaugurating an annual set of awards to recognize outstanding contributions to land conservation in the state. Tim Northrop, TPL’s Connecticut Director, handed out the awards at a private reception on June 4th, 2005 in Greenwich. Among this year’s honorees was U.S. Representative Christopher Shays, the Bridgeport Republican who represents Connecticut’s Fourth District in Congress.

“Congressman Shays has been a stalwart friend of land conservation in our state,” commented TPL’s state director, Tim Northrop. “He has been critical to the success of so many of our projects in Fairfield County. Iconic projects like the protection of the Treetops estate and Calves Island simply would not have happened without his leadership.”

Working with TPL, Congressman Shays secured $6 million in federal funding to help the United States Fish & Wildlife Service acquire Calves Island, a 29-acre island off the coast of Greenwich. The island was added to the Steward B. McKinney National Wildlife Refuge in 2003 for the purpose for protecting migratory birds and other wildlife, offering public access, and protecting scenic vistas from the shore.

Shays, who accepted the award on Saturday, said, “I believe that helping to protect the environment is one of my most solemn duties as a member of Congress. We will not have a world to live in if we continue our neglectful ways. Congratulations to the Trust for Public Land on their 10th anniversary and many thanks for all your hard work to protect and conserve public land.”

Other honorees included:

Mayor Daniel P. Malloy of Stamford, whose leadership in helping TPL protect the Blake Colman and Treetops properties in Stamford led to a long-term engagement with TPL on the Mill River Greenway. TPL and the City are part of a successful public/private partnership to design and construct the 26-acre downtown park.

Ecton Manning of Washington, Connecticut, who has been closely involved with the Trust for Public Land’s program in New England for nearly a decade. As chair of the Connecticut Advisory Board, Manning helped TPL increase its profile in the state by initiating new conservation programs and widening its supporter base.

Tom ODell of Westbrook, Connecticut, who, as Chairman of his town’s Conservation Commission, invited TPL to collaborate with Westbrook on its first “greenprinting” effort. In the past five years, TPL and Westbrook, under Tom’s leadership, have completed a successful $2.2 Million Bond Referendum and protected four of the town’s priority open space parcels.

In celebrating a decade of conservation work in Connecticut, TPL noted that since opening its New Haven office in 1995, it has completed 60 conservation projects, resulting in the permanent protection of over 4,000 acres, including 30 historic sites and ten farms. According to Northrop, “Working in partnership with individuals like the ones we’ve recognized today, TPL has a strong expectation of continuing and increasing our work to protect some of Connecticut’s most special places.”

The Trust for Public Land (TPL) is a national nonprofit organization that works with others to conserve land for people to enjoy as working landscapes, parks, gardens, and natural areas, ensuring livable communities for generations to come. Since its founding in 1972, TPL has helped protect more than 1.9 million acres in 45 states, including over 4,000 in Connecticut. For more information, please visit www.tpl.org/connecticut.