The Nature Conservancy in Connecticut - Connecticut Chapter 2008 State Legislative Priorities

Common terns in flight on the beach of Griswold Point Preserve. Long Island Sound. © Jerry Monkman

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2008 Federal Priorities
2007 Legislative Session Wrap Up

The Face of Connecticut Campaign

The Face of Connecticut Campaign is an alliance of 60 organizations calling for a $100 million annual state investment in acquisition and stewardship of natural lands, farmland, and historic properties; restoration of urban lands; and responsible growth planning. The campaign is backing Bill 5873, which would establish a Face of Connecticut Steering Committee to better coordinate, and view from a more integrated perspective, the state’s investments in these critical priorities. Campaign website: www.faceofconnecticut.com.

Climate Change

Carbon Cap Legislation: The Conservancy is on the Steering Committee of Stop Global Warming Connecticut, an alliance promoting legislation that would set mandatory goals for the state to reduce carbon emissions to 10% below 1990 levels by 2020, and 80% by 2050. Under Bill 5600, the state would also adopt several measures, to help the state meet these goals.

Climate Change Impacts: Regardless of what progress we make in reducing our greenhouse gas emissions, most climatologists believe that we have already sent enough pollutants into the atmosphere so that our climate is already changing. Sea level rise, and more erratic precipitation and increased flooding, are just some of the impacts of climate change that will present grave threats to many human and natural communities. The Conservancy and the global warming coalition have worked with legislators to introduce Bill 5136, which would establish a state Climate Change Impacts Task Force, to assess and develop strategies to enable our communities and habitats to better adapt to and prepare for a changing world.

State Forest Certification

The Conservancy is supporting Bill 5853, which would provide increased funding for better management of our State Forests, and require the DEP to pursue independent third-party certification of the timber harvested from State Forest lands. Certification programs, such as Smartwood, require forest managers to demonstrate that they are harvesting timber in accordance with very strict ecological standards.

Clean Water Fund

The Chapter is a member of the Clean Water Investment Coalition, which last year was able to work with legislative leaders to increase, from $20 million to $90 million, annual bond funding for the state Clean Water Fund, which provides grants and loans to municipalities to upgrade sewage treatment facilities. Outdated facilities can result in excessive nitrogen and other pollutants being released into our streams and eventually Long Island Sound. Insufficient funding over the past few years created a serious backlog of critical projects, so the coalition is working to further increase the funding.

Control of Deer Populations

Large populations of White-tailed deer have been identified as a primary threat to our forested landscapes, especially in southern Connecticut. Historically, deer populations were controlled by wolves, humans and limitations of food supply. The eradication of wolves, the decreasing numbers of hunters and difficulties of hunting in many areas, the availability in winter of landscape shrubbery and other changes to the landscape have allowed populations to dramatically increase in many areas. Excess deer populations can result in suppression of forest regeneration and reduction of biological and structural diversity, as these populations eradicate many wildflowers, shrubs and new tree seedlings.

The Conservancy is supporting Bill 5852, which would charge the state with developing and implementing a plan to reduce Lyme Disease by reducing the state’s deer population.

Riverfront Protection

The Conservancy is supporting Bill 362, which would add a 100” buffer along rivers and streams to those lands regulated by local inland wetlands commissions. Vegetated buffers along streams are critical for protecting water quality and important wildlife habitat, and reducing flooding.

Regulatory Initiatives

Often after legislation is passed, the relevant state agency must develop regulations – in a sense, the details of the law – to implement the new statute. The agency holds public hearings on its draft regulations and then submits the revised draft to the legislature’s Regulation Review Committee, which must determine whether to approve them. The Conservancy is closely watching the drafting of two sets of regulations.

Protecting Natural Water Flows in Rivers

Many scientists are increasingly concerned that diversions of water from streams for various human uses are leaving too little water for fish and other aquatic animals to survive. Many of our dams also greatly alter the patterns of stream flow during the year.

The Conservancy's Regional staff currently serves on two DEP advisory boards that are developing proposed regulations to implement the streamflow standards bill that was passed in 2005. These regulations will provide DEP the authority to work with dam operators and other large water users to see if they can alter their water release practices to more closely reflect natural seasonal flows. DEP hopes to hold public hearings on proposed regulations in mid-2008, and subsequently submit them to the legislature’s Regulations Review Committee for its approval. The Conservancy also worked with other advocates last year to secure $200,000 in funding to help DEP administer the program.

Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative

The Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative is a proposed agreement between Connecticut and eight other Northeastern states to implement a cap and trade system to reduce carbon emissions from large power plants, in order to combat climate change. Conservancy scientists have identified climate change as one of the most critical threats facing natural ecosystems over the next few decades.

Last year’s energy bill contained a section which establishes a very strong RGGI program in Connecticut. The DEP released its draft regulations to implement the law in January 2008, and after making any revisions based on public comments, intends to present a final version to the Regulations Committee by June 2008. The 10-state RGGI program intends to hold its first auctions of carbon allowances in September and December 2008.

Nature picture credit: © Jerry Monkman/EcoPhotography.com (Common terns (Sterna hirundo) in flight on the beach of Griswold Point Preserve in Old Lyme, Connecticut. Long Island Sound.).