State awards $7.5 million in grants to preserve open spaces

The state is focusing on purchasing and protecting more than 1,000 acres of open space through 15 projects in Connecticut communities, including Wilton, Redding and Weston.

Gov. Ned Lamont recently announced $7.5 million would go towards the preservation efforts, as well as several community gardens. The money comes from the state's Open Space and Watershed Land Acquisition Grant Program and the Urban Green and Community Gardens Grant Program. They're administered by the state Department of Energy and Environmental Protection.

Included in that $7.5 million state total will be an undeveloped 99-acre parcel to expand Devil's Den Preserve

in Redding and nearly 10 acres in Wilton to help create a 700-plus acre contiguous forest in Weston and Wilton.

A grant totaling just over $1.1 million will go to The Nature Conservancy to acquire the 99.1-acre plot on the Granskog Property, which be added to Devil's Den Preserve, a property that begins just east of the Georgetown section of Wilton.

“As the climate changes, we must work to protect the landscapes that provide refuge for plants and animals adapting to a warmer world,” said Frogard Ryan, state director for The Nature Conservancy in Connecticut. “We are excited to work with the State of Connecticut to expand Devil's Den Preserve, the largest expanse of protected land in Fairfield County and our most frequently visited preserve, to help keep our promise to protect the lands and waters on which all life depends.”

The Nature Conservancy anticipates a 12 to 18 month window to finalize the purchase and acquire the land officially.

This is the last “large undeveloped parcel adjacent to Devil's Den Preserve,” according to state Sen. Will Haskell, and it currently has more than 20 miles of trails for residents to explore. In addition, its acquisition will preserve forest and freshwater resources and “protect more than 500 types of trees and 140 species of birds.”

Half of the acreage is within the Saugatuck Reservoir's public drinking water supply boundaries.