• Embed Doc
  • Copy Link
  • Readcast
  • Collections
  • CommentGo Back
Download
 
Environmental Agenda 2009
For Connecticut’s Land and People
Connecting People to the Land. Conserving Connecticut.www.ctwoodlands.org 
Dear Friends and Members of the Connecticut Forest & Park Association,
 As you may know, the Connecticut Forest & Park Association (CFPA) has weighed-in with budget and policy recommendations supporting sustainable forestry and natural resource conservation at every meeting of the StateLegislature since 1897. This year is no different for our ongoing involvement, but rarely has the health of the state
budget been so grim. At time of printing, the budget decit for the current scal year was estimated at just over$300 million, and even after $70 million in rescissions to various agencies and services, the State is facing a project
-
ed shortfall of about $6 billion in scal years 2010 and 2011.So, with an eye to our scal climate, CFPA is only requesting funding increases where those funds would representan investment that will either 1) increase revenues generated for conservation, or 2) capitalize on an opportunity tosave money for the citizens of Connecticut.
It would be much easier to recommend across-the-board increases for agencies such as the Connecticut Depart-ment of Environmental Protection (CT DEP) whose chronic underfunding is well documented. A recent report
by the Council on Environmental Quality entitled “Dreams Deferred” juxtaposes CT DEP’s average annual budgetlevel of $105.95 million (from 2003 - 2007) next to the CT DEP’s average annual need of $341 million. Meeting this need would fulll CT DEP’s current goals for open space/farmland protection, sewage-free rivers and Long Island Sound, recycling, energy efciency/climate change reduction, and State Parks/Forests. Sadly, all programsof the CT DEP are creaking and groaning under the weight of this ongoing funding decit, but this scal climate
is forcing us all to make tough choices.
Despite signicant challenges to our economic health, we are hopeful that the federal government will assist Con
-necticut by making investments in our “Green Infrastructure.” Failing terrace walls at Gillette Castle State Park,a closed bridge at Natchaug State Forest, and aging facilities at Hammonasset State Beach (where 3 maintenance
staff provide upkeep for a 550-site campground and beach facilities utilized by over 1 million visitors each year) arejust a few places where rehabilitation projects by a new “Green Corps” could make a big difference. Coinciden
-
tally, the Civilian Conservation Corps – which built steps, buildings, campgrounds, re towers, and more during the
Great Depression – was the outgrowth of a pilot program developed in Connecticut.
If you have questions about the enclosed Legislative Agenda for 2009, please contact CFPA’s Executive DirectorEric Hammerling at 860.346.2372 or via email at ehammerling@ctwoodlands.org.
Sincerely,Eric Lukingbeal, Chair Eric Hammerling 
CFPA Legislative Committee CFPA Executive DirectorMembers of the CFPA Legislative Committee include the following individuals:
- Eric Lukingbeal, Chair - David Leff - Russ Brenneman - Colin Tait
- Astrid Hanzalek - Eric Hammerling, Staff 
- John Hibbard - John Larkin, Consultant
 
CT Department of Environmental Protection:
 The CT DEP is severely 
under-funded by approximately $235 million per year as noted in the “DreamsDeferred” report (March, 2008) by the state’s Council on Environmental Qual
-ity. At the same time, successful programs such as “No Child Left Inside” and
the emphasis on “Staycations” are straining the infrastructure of our state’s
forests and parks that is, in turn, providing the land-base for our local recreationneeds. To start reducing this gap, CFPA recommends that the revenues fromthe following programs go to the DEP Conservation Fund rather than to the
General Fund:
 All timber sale revenues from sustainable harvests on CT DEP lands;
 Violations of the Forest Practices Act and/or illegal timber harvest
encroachments on state lands; and
 All hunting and shing license revenues.
CT DEP Forestry:
Investments in DEP’s Forestry Division would generatemore revenue than they would cost over a 2 year period. At present, 5 DEP
Foresters are currently able to supervise the harvest of ~3 million board feetannually bringing ~$500,000 to state coffers. However, a recent Yale Study sug-gests that sustainable harvest levels could be closer to 9-10 million board feetto accomplish the dual goals of locally-produced wood products and enhancedstate forest health and diversity. CFPA recommends an increase in funding 
sufcient to hire 4 additional staff per year over the next 2 years (overall 6forest technicians and 2 foresters). The expenses incurred by this proposal of $340,000/year should be fully off-set by increased timber sale revenues over thecourse of a two-year budget cycle: $1 million. We should note that these new 
staff must be an increase above the current level for DEP Forestry of 7 FTE,and not simply a replacement for retirements or cut-backs.
CT Agricultural Experiment Station:
 The Experiment Station researchesinvasive plants, forest pests, plant diseases, ticks, soil and water quality, biofuels,
and food safety. Rising challenges such as the Asian longhorned beetle, Emer-
ald ash borer, and Winter moth as well as ongoing challenges of Lyme diseaseand Equine encephalitis are endangering the health of forests and the public.
Investments in early detection and eradication of the Asian longhorned beetle
(recently documented in Worcester, MA and costing approximately $48 millionin federal/state/local dollars for eradication) as well as funding for research onother forest pests could save the state signicant funding if these pests were to
spread.
UConn Cooperative Extension System:
83% of Connecticut’s forest landis privately owned and UConn Extension is critical for providing information,
education, and technical assistance to private landowners in managing forest
land. The activities of Extension Forestry represent an important investment in
positive land stewardship for Connecticut. Due to budget shortfalls, however,
the Extension Forestry Program is not hiring an Extension Forester to replacea recent retiree. We encourage the State and UConn to re-ll this important
position if possible. At the very least, we recommend that this position be left vacant for the time being rather than be eliminated.
Face of Connecticut:
CFPA strongly supports the Face of Connecticut, astatewide, coalition-led effort to conserve forestland, farmland, trails and green-
 ways, historic properties, as well as promote reuse projects on brownelds. The
recent decreases in land values represent an opportunity for the state to makecost-effective investments to both protect farmland and open spaces, and to
help protect the state’s previous investments. We were pleased by the Gover
-
nor’s recent (11/26/08) announcement of $10.2 million to preserve 2,440 acres
of open space throughout Connecticut, and we hope to see many more similarannouncements in the near future.
CFPA Board of Directors
President:
David Platt, Higganum
 Vice-Presidents:
 Jean Crum Jones, SheltonEric Lukingbeal, Granby David Sullivan, Higganum
 Treasurer:
Gordon Anderson, Glastonbury 
Secretary:
Eric Hammerling, West Hartford
 At Large:
Mark Ashton, New Haven
Richard Bauerfeld, Branford
 William D. Breck, KillingworthRussell Brenneman, WestportGeorge M. Camp, MiddletownStarling W. Childs, Norfolk 
Ruth Cutler, AshfordLaurence Diamond, Coventry  James Dombrauskas, New HartfordCaroline Driscoll, New London
 Astrid T. Hanzalek, Sufeld
David Leff, CollinsvilleScott Livingston, Bolton
Geoffrey Meissner, SouthingtonKaren Mignone, FaireldRandy Miller, Hamden Thomas R. Mongillo, North BranfordBob Morrison, Manchester
 James Ritchie, Sandy Hook Starr Sayres, East Haddam
Donald L. Snook, WestportDeborah Spalding, Madison
Colin Tait, Norfolk 
Richard Whitehouse, Glastonbury 
CFPA Staff 
 Jennifer Benner
– WalkCT
Communications Coordinator
Lori Paradis Brant
– Education Director
Steve Broderick 
– Forester and ProgramDirector, Goodwin Forest Center
 Ann T. Colson
– Trail ConservationDirector and GIS Specialist
Linda Cunningham
– Financial
Management Assistant
Eric Hammerling
 – Executive Director
Damon Hearne
– Land ConservationDirector
 James W. Little
– Director of Development
Leslie Lewis
– WalkCT Director
 Teresa Peters
– Ofce Manager
Dan Donahue
– Volunteer Forester
2009 STATE FUNDING PRIORITIES:
 
 All-Terrain Vehicles:
CFPA supports legislation that re-
quires universal registration of all ATVs, protects State Parks,
State Forests and conservation lands, creates suitable placesfor registered ATVs to use, and ensures better enforcement
of existing laws. Funds raised through ATV fees should go
to the Conservation Fund be used on safety training, trailconstruction and maintenance, enforcement and related costs.
 We would also support a regional registration program with
other nearby states that have more to offer ATV users. CFPA
 will strongly oppose attempts to require the CT DEP to es
-tablish ATV trails without having appropriate safeguards and
adequate funding for CT DEP in place rst.
Conservation Tax Credit:
This bill would create a sell-
able tax credit for people who donate land to the state or
certain other entities for permanent protection as open space. The credit is 50% of the land's fair market value, and up to$300,000 per transaction. The total amount of credits allowed
cannot exceed $10 million per scal year. CFPA supportsupgrading Connecticut’s existing conservation tax credit to
encourage additional land donations.
Riverfront Protection:
CFPA supports a bill which both
protects river buffers/river health and maintains the exemp
-tions for agriculture (including forestry practices) established
in the Connecticut Inland Wetlands and Watercourses Act.
The Metacomet & Mattabesett Trails run for ap-proximately 110 miles down the middle of Con-necticut along traprock ridges, forest, and openspaces. Along with another 80+ miles in Massa-chusetts, the MMM Trail is being considered for federal designation as the National New EnglandScenic Trail. The arrow below points to the Trail.
2009 STATE POLICY PRIORITIES:2009 FEDERAL FUNDING PRIORITIES:
New England National Scenic Trail (Authoriza-tion and Appropriation):
CFPA strongly supports theNew England National Scenic Trail Designation Act. This
bill would designate the Metacomet and Mattabesett Trails inConnecticut, and the Metacomet-Monadnock Trail in Mas
-
sachusetts, as the nation’s ninth National Scenic Trail. While
designation would not alter the fundamental, voluntary natureof these hiking trails, it would provide funding and support
that would enhance trail stewardship, the hiking experience,
and the prospects for trail-related land conservation.
No Child Left Inside Act:
 The “No Child Left Inside
 Act” would provide funding to train teachers, expand outdoor
education programs, and help states create plans to ensurethat students are environmentally literate. This bill, which was
put forward but not authorized in 2008, is a clear investment
in our future conservation stewards and leaders.
USDA Farm Bill:
CFPA supports new programs and rules
incorporated into the 2008 Farm Bill Authorization which
include the goal of protecting working forests. The proposedrules for these programs were not available at time of print-ing.
USDA Forest Service -- Forest Legacy: ForestLegacy is a program of the USDA Fores
t Service thatconserves private, working forestland with conservation re-strictions. Properties remain privately-owned and continue togrow forest products. Investing in this program provides for
forest industry jobs, protects development rights at low costs,
and ensures a management plan is in place. Forest Legacy hasconserved thousands of acres of forest in Connecticut, nota-
bly the Great Mountain Forest in Norfolk and Canaan. Tax Incentives for Land Conservation: In 2008, the federalconservation tax incentive was extended with provisions to
increase the deduction a donor could take for a conservation
easement from 30% to 50% of their adjusted gross income;
allow farmers and ranchers to deduct up to 100% of their
income; and extend the length of time over which a donor
could take deductions from 6 to 16 years. However, these in-
centives are due to expire at the end of 2009. CFPA supportsefforts to make these benets permanent.
2009 FEDERAL POLICY PRIORITIES:
Environmental Agenda 2009 for Connecticut’s Land and People
of 00

Leave a Comment

You must be to leave a comment.
Submit
Characters: ...
You must be to leave a comment.
Submit
Characters: ...