Landscape Stewardship

{Photo collage of scenes from Connecticut}

The Connecticut landscape is the essential background for our environment, economy and community. The decisions we make today about how we use land are perhaps the most important environmental issue facing Connecticut. Working together to balance thoughtful and reasoned economic growth and community development with protection of our resources and our landscape will ensure a Connecticut that future generations can enjoy and benefit from as we have.  Read on for more information on the background of landscape stewardship in Connecticut, DEP's role, the vision, the goal, our partners, what's new and who to contact for more information.

Background

Land use decisions in Connecticut are, by custom and by law, primarily made at the local level by volunteer land use boards and commissions. There are many other stakeholders in these decisions, from the developer, to the municipal finance board, to the neighbors and the local voters.  Encouraging, supporting and promoting informed land use and development conversations, choices and decisions is a complex but important challenge that is vital to address.

Governor M. Jodi Rell acknowledged that Connecticut is at a critical crossroads when she issued Executive Order 15 regarding responsible growth. DEP's Landscape Stewardship Initiative is an important part of the Governor’s responsible growth effort.

There is no single DEP program that addresses all land use issues. We have a number of programs and initiatives that relate to land use including those that deal directly and indirectly with resource protection and land conservation. Numerous other programs conduct research and gather data on the land and water resources in Connecticut. These efforts span the breadth of the agency and include, as examples: the clean up of contaminated sites; protection and restoration of wetlands; management of forest and wildlife resources; open space acquisition; and the collection and evaluation of a wealth of information on soils characteristics, geological make-up and water resources both on and below the surface of Connecticut’s landscape. More information about these programs, resources and initiatives, including links to related web sites, is available throughout the DEP web site for use by citizens, developers, local governments, students and anyone else who is interested in Connecticut's rich and varied landscape.

We envision a future Connecticut where development patterns will result in both the enhancement and restoration of vibrant and livable urban, suburban and village centers and the protection of viable and functional working, rural, and natural landscapes.

The goal of the Landscape Stewardship Initiative is to coordinate and focus the Department’s many programs that influence land development to ensure that they are not having unintentional adverse effects. In doing so, we will enhance our ability to assist municipalities, land trusts, landowners and others in making better informed land use decisions, resulting in better stewardship of our shared landscape.

Through this initiative we are reaching out to the many entities involved in land use, development and/or conservation. These include: local land use boards and commissions and their staff; federal, state and local officials; regional planning agencies, councils of government and councils of chief elected officials; private developers; non-governmental organizations; and interested local citizens, among others. To provide us with guidance and feedback on the initiative, we have established an advisory committee of diverse stakeholders.

In its latest effort in external coordination, the Landscape Stewardship Initiative took the lead in developing The Municipal Primer, Your Guide to Creating a "Green and Growing" Community .  Released in September 2008 and presented in a binder format for easy additions and updates, The Municipal Primer provides basic information and guidance to municipal officials on a wide variety of topics related to environmental protection so that local decision-makers are informed about key environmental topics.  From land use decisions, to purchasing practices, to the operation of municipal facilities, and more,  The Municipal Primer provides municipal officials with a tool that allows them to quickly determine which DEP programs relate to any given situation and identifies sources of additional information, including web pages and staff contacts. 

One of the first efforts in internal coordination was to update The Green Plan , which will guide our land acquisition efforts through 2012. Land protection recommendations from various other DEP plans (e.g., the Comprehensive Wildlife Conservation Strategies, the Statewide Comprehensive Outdoor Recreation Plan, and the Natural Hazards Mitigation Plan) are included in the new Green Plan where appropriate.

For further information, or to submit ideas for consideration for this initiative, please contact Landscape Stewardship Coordinator via e-mail, by phone at 860-424-3618 or postal mail at Landscape Stewardship Coordinator, DEP-Planning and Program Development, 79 Elm Street, Hartford, CT 06106-5127.

Content Last Updated September 24, 2008