Audubon Connecticut Celebrates Passage of Open Space Legislation

Audubon Connecticut joined Governor Malloy, Commissioner Dan Esty, Commissioner Steve Revicsky, several lawmakers and a crowd of wildlife, open space and farmland advocates to commemorate passage of Public Act 152, An Act Concerning the State's Open Space Plan.

"Today, more than ever before, natural habitats, watershed lands and productive farmland are disappearing at an alarming rate," said Tom Baptist, Executive Director and Vice President of Audubon Connecticut, the state organization of the National Audubon Society. "With Public Act 152, our state is stepping up its efforts to protect our living and working landscapes."

Audubon Connecticut worked with The Connecticut Land Conservation Council (CLCC) the state's land trust umbrella organization devoted to land conservation and stewardship, Working Lands Alliance a broad-based coalition that champions policy and education initiatives to protect productive farmland and advance agricultural viability, and The Connecticut Audubon Society, a statewide group focused on bird and habitats conservation through science-based education and advocacy since 1898.

According to Baptist, the Connecticut Council on Environmental Quality played a key role in passage of the legislation, featuring it in their annual priorities for several years and providing input at critical moments during passage of the bill. "We also commend DEEP for their willingness to work with us to refine this legislation and see it passed," said Baptist.

"PA 152 received unanimous support in both Chambers of the General Assembly," Baptist continued, " proving once again that like the birds and wildlife it protects, conservation knows no political boundaries."
"Now is the time for us to plan for the continued growth and economic health of our state, while preserving the forests, rivers, grasslands, working lands and Long Island Sound that make our state unique," Baptist concluded. "SB 347 gives us the tools to do just that. We look forward to working with the Malloy administration and with our partners to do just that."