Hartford, CT - State Senator Joe Markley (R-Cheshire) announced this week that Governor Dannel P. Malloy has awarded a $200,000 grant to assist the Town of Cheshire in purchasing and protecting 109 acres of open space along the ridgeline between Prospect and Cheshire.
"By preserving this land, we not only protect the natural beauty of the ridgeline, but also the diverse wildlife, forests and wetlands that flourish in this area. I'm pleased to see this land protected and new trails made available to hikers and sight-seers," said Senator Markley.
The new property abuts previously protected open spaces to the north, south and west. The existing structure on the new property will be razed to provide parking and a trail head to existing trails in the area.
Cheshire is one of 35 communities receiving funding under this year's Open Space and Watershed Land Acquisition Grant Program. The program, administered by the Department of Energy and Environmental Protection (DEEP), assists land purchase using state bonds and funding from the 2005 Community Investment Act. Land purchases help Connecticut achieve the goal to protect 673,210 acres of land by 2023.
"Land conservation is an important investment in our future, and moves us closer to meeting our goal of protecting 21 percent of Connecticut's land as open space in the next ten years," said Governor Dannel P. Malloy. "These preservation projects are key to maintaining our high quality of life and making Connecticut a great place to live, work and raise a family."
