Conservation Connections
Protecting the river and its watershed is possible when people work together and have access to good information. The resources listed below can provide information and referrals to people who can assist with land use planning, land conservation, and aquifer protection.
Land Use Planning Resources
Municipal Resources
Your town's Planning and Zoning Commission, Inland Wetlands Agency, Conservation Commission, and Town Planner
Organizations that Address Land Use Issues
- Windham Region Council of Governments includes Ashford, Coventry, Columbia, Lebanon, Mansfield, Windham
- Capitol Region Council of Governments includes Andover, Bolton, Ellington, Hebron, Tolland, Vernon
- Eastern Connecticut Conservation District includes Andover, Ashford, Columbia, Lebanon, Mansfield, Union, Windham
- North Central Conservation District includes Bolton, Coventry, Ellington, Tolland, Vernon, Willington
- Green Valley Institute for Coventry, Lebanon, Mansfield, Union, Windham
- University of Connecticut's Center for Land Use Education and Research (CLEAR)
Land Conservation Resources
Local Land Trusts
Bolton Land Trust (BLT)
Gwen Marrion, President
E-mail:gmarrion@snet.net
Friends of Valley Falls Park (FVFP)
Ginny Gingras, President
E-mail: vgingras@aol.com
Focus: land near Valley Falls Park
Joshua's Tract Conservation and Historic Trust (JTLT)
Warren Church, President
Address: P.O. Box 4, Mansfield Center, CT 06250
Hours: Trust Office, Thursday, 2-4 p.m.
Telephone: 860-429-9023
Towns: Ashford, Columbia, Coventry, Lebanon, Mansfield, Tolland, Willington, Windham
Mohegan Land Trust, inc. (MLT)
Jim Murphy, President
Telephone: 860-228-3211
Focus: lands that are in Hebron or directly border on it (Andover, Bolton, and Lebanon)
Opacum Land Trust, inc. (OLT)
Carol Childress, President
Address: P.O. Box 233, Sturbridge, MA 01566
Telephone: 860-347-9144
E-mail: opacumlt@charter.net
Towns: Monson and Wales, Massachusetts
Northern Connecticut Land Trust, inc. (NCLT)
Culver Modisette, President
E-mail: landgrant@msn.com
Towns: Bolton, Ellington, Stafford, Union, Vernon
Focus: farmland and large forest tracts
Wolf Den Land Trust (WDLT)
David Schroeder, President
Focus: Managed forest land in Windham County (includes Ashford and Windham)
Other Resources for Land Conservation
775 Bloomfield Avenue, Windsor, CT 06095
Telephone: 860-683-4230
Focus: Farmland preservation and estate planning.
Connecticut Department of Environmental Protection
Land Acquisition Department (DEP property purchases)
Rick Dewey, Division of Land Acquisition and Management, 79 Elm Street, Hartford, CT 06106
Telephone: 860-424-3055
E-mail: rick.dewey@po.state.ct.us
Open Space and Watershed Land Acquisition Program
(Matching grants to towns and trusts)
Dave Stygar, Division of Land Acquisition and Management
Address: 79 Elm Street Hartford, CT 06106
Telephone: 860-424-3016
E-mail: david.stygar@po.state.ct.us
Connecticut Department of Agriculture
Farmland Preservation Program
Jay Dippel
Address: 765 Asylum Ave., Hartford, CT 06105
Telephone: 860-713-2511
Cameron Weimer, Coordinator
Address: 77 Buckingham Street Hartford, CT 06106
Telephone: 860-247-0202
The Nature Conservancy
Holly Drinkuth, Quinebaug Highlands Project
Address: 139 Wolf Den Road, Brooklyn, CT 06234
Telephone: 860-774-9600
Towns: Mansfield, Stafford, Union, Willington, Windham, and Monson and Wales, Mass.
Norcross Wildlife Foundation, inc.
Dan Donahue, Director of Land Protection
Address: 30 Peck Road, Monson, MA 01057
Telephone: 860-429-5709
Towns: Somers, Stafford, Union
Focus: Wildlife habitat conservation and stewardship
Quinebaug-Shetucket National Heritage Corridor
Green Valley Institute
Holly Drinkuth, Land Conservation Coordinator
Address: 139 Wolf Den Road, Brooklyn, CT 06234
Telephone: 860-774-9600
Towns: Coventry, Lebanon, Mansfield, Windham
Address: Connecticut Office, 101 Whitney Ave. New Haven, 06510
Telephone: 203-777-7367
Focus: Facilitates land protection projects.