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Two Connecticut Towns to Vote on Key Open Space
 Two Connecticut towns -- Harwinton, in Litchfield County, and Madison, on the central coast -- have a one-time opportunity through upcoming ballot measures to preserve lands with tremendous ecological and recreational value.
The Harwinton vote, on November 24, would authorize the town to make its first open space purchase, a 65-acre forest with a pristine stream and some of the oldest white pines in the state. Preserving the property would link adjacent conservation areas and complete a 2,400-acre greenway. The cost to the town would be just $286,000, with state and private grants covering the balance of the $800,000 purchase.
In January, Madison voters will decide the fate of a contested former airport site on Long Island Sound. This referendum to approve the purchase of the land for conservation and recreation is the last chance to preserve one of the few remaining coastal properties of its size and importance in the state. The land, next to a popular state park, contains a rare coastal forest, tidal wetlands and grasslands and is a critical stopover for migratory birds. For years, local activists have been fighting to stop a large residential development there that would harm the coastal habitat and water quality.
Photo by Alden Warner |
Massachusetts Community Preservation Bill Moves Forward
Legislation to sustain and broaden the Massachusetts Community Preservation Act (CPA) cleared a key committee last week, thanks to the efforts of supporters who wrote letters, sent emails, called and visited their legislators and testified in favor of the bill. The legislation now goes to the House Ways and Means Committee when the session resumes in January.
Adopted by more than 140 Massachusetts towns and cities since it first passed in 2000, the CPA has helped preserve more than 10,000 acres of open space. The act provides state matching funds to communities that approve a local dedicated property tax surcharge for open space preservation, recreation, historic preservation and affordable housing.
Because of the program's popularity and a reduction in its revenue source -- fees collected on real estate transactions -- the match has dropped from 100% to 67% for many communities and is projected to fall to 30 percent. The proposed legislation would set the annual minimum match to 75%, as well as make other changes to encourage cities and less affluent towns to adopt the act. |
