A parcel of land near Halfway River is among 2,250 acres statewide now adding to Connecticut’s open space. A 36.9-acre Chestnut Hill Open Space preserve has received a $110,000 grant award of roughly $7.8 million in state funds. Deputy Director of Planning and Land Use Rob Sibley is “thrilled,” he said Tuesday, the same day the grant was announced by Governor Dannel M. Malloy.

The grant is a matching grant to reimburse Newtown, which in past years has made investments in its open space.

“This is exactly why we work so hard at all town levels to have funding in place to purchase open space,” Mr Sibley said. “We can think toward preservation and the state rewards municipalities that plan well.” This is the fourth matching grant Newtown has received in last decade, Mr Sibley said, “and it’s only because we have money set aside and the town continues to support funding open space.”

Noting that open space efforts need to be a regional approach, the benefit is “preserving wildlife, recreation and heritage,” he said.

Already designated as open space near the Chestnut Hill Open Space is an existing 33-acre parcel that abuts multiple portions of open space. The overall 70-acre area is accessible from the end of Chestnut Knoll, where hikers can find signs and a marked path.

Some paths are in place, including those used originally by a farmer, Mr Sibley said, and are “pretty easy to access. The mature forest does lay itself out well, and the more adventurous can head downhill toward a watercourse.”

When visiting the property he has found “neat examples of peepers and tree frogs,” and said the space was “clearly great nesting ground for birds of prey circling overhead.”

Mr Sibley described the location as “a mature upland and woodland forest,” with areas of steep slopes and views, and portions of an old meadow. He said that aside from his appreciation for the land’s past agricultural properties, he also notes “a portion of a flood plain” in the preserve.

The recent parcel is part of the Halfway River Watershed near Halfway River, which runs out of Monroe and briefly through Newtown, where it empties into Lake Zoar at Eichler’s Cove Marina.

The property  contains wetland, vernal pools, and deciduous forest floodplains in an undeveloped natural setting. An unnamed tributary to the Halfway River also runs through. The Eastern box turtle was also recently discovered on the property. The ridgeline topography runs north-south and has a steep slope to the east toward the Halfway River.

The land is “such a fun piece and a win for the people of Newtown,” Mr Sibley said. He credits the town’s foresight and the state for making the acquisition possible. He also acknowledges the Conservation Commission’s efforts toward preservation.

“This just goes to show that hard work does pay off,” he said.

Newtown’s legislative delegation is also pleased with the open space.

“Preserving this land will benefit our region for generations,” said State Representative Mitch Bolinsky (R-106). “We thank the governor and state officials for recognizing the need to protect key parcels of land from development like the ones in Newtown.”

State Representative DebraLee Hovey (R-112) added, “Grants like this preserve open space for both active and passive recreation and provide substantial benefits to those who use the space,” she said.

On October 28, Gov Malloy announced that nearly $7.8 million in state grants will assist 25 communities in purchasing 2,237 acres to be preserved as open space.  In addition, $96,250 was awarded to establish community gardens in New Haven and Norwalk.

 “Conserving land is an important investment in our future, and today’s grants move us closer to meeting our goal of protecting 21 percent of Connecticut’s land as permanently protected open space,” said Gov Malloy. “Preservation projects such as these are fundamental to maintaining our high quality of life, protecting the immense natural beauty of our state, and making Connecticut a great place to live, work, and raise a family.”

The grants come through the Open Space and Watershed Land Acquisition program, which is administered by the state Department of Energy and Environmental Protection (DEEP). This program provides financial support to local governments and land trusts in purchasing open space, using state bonds and funding from the 2005 Community Investment Act.

The open space grant program requires the local party to grant the state a conservation and public recreation easement, which ensures that the property is permanently protected for public use and benefit. DEEP prioritizes funding for projects that meet the multiple goals of open space, such as protecting vital habitats, creating and enhancing recreational resources, and protecting valuable water resources.

These open space grants will help the State of Connecticut achieve its goal of protecting 673,210 acres of land by 2023. Connecticut now has 496,948 acres designated as state or local open space lands, 73.8 percent of the goal. Since the program was launched in 1998, more than $117 million in state funding has been awarded to municipalities, nonprofit land conservation organizations, and water companies to assist in the purchase of 29,181 acres of land in 135 cities and towns.