Listen to the River Forums Seek Public Input

Hartford, CT, 9/13/2006: The Trust for Public Land (TPL), a nonprofit conservation organization, invites members of the public to five public discussions about the future of the land along the Connecticut River and in its watershed. Entitled “Listen to the River” and part of a multi-state series, the session seeks to gain input on protecting the river valley’s land for future generations. Citizens are requested to speak about the lands they love and want to see conserved for future generations, identifying areas on a map and explaining why they value these places.

Connecticut forums will be held at the following times and places:

Saturday, September 16, 9:00 am-Noon
Wesleyan University, Shanklin 107 (directions below)
Middletown, Connecticut

Thursday, September 21, 6:30-9:30 pm
Avon Senior Center
Avon, Connecticut

Monday, September 25, 4:40-7:30 pm
Connecticut River Museum
Essex, Connecticut

Saturday, September 30, 9:00 am-Noon
Asnuntuck Community College Auditorium
Enfield, Connecticut

Tuesday, October 10, 6:30-9:30 pm
Riverfront Recapture Boathouse
Hartford, Connecticut

Clem Clay, Director of TPL’s Connecticut River program, said “The Connecticut is New England’s great river, but sprawl is affecting its landscapes, forests, farmland, and water quality. Our decisions in the next few years will determine the future of the river valley. We’re asking citizens to identify important places for conservation, and help develop a strategy to accomplish this vital and urgent work.”

TPL is organizing the forums, but is not working alone. Co-sponsors of one or more hearings include: 1000 Friends of Connecticut, American Farmland Trust, Berlin Land Trust, Capitol Regional Council of Governments, Connecticut River Estuary Regional Planning Agency (CRERPA), Connecticut River Watershed Council, Farmington River Watershed Association, Great Meadows Conservation Trust, Joshuatown Association, Midstate Regional Planning Agency, Natural Resources Conservation Service (CT), New Hartford Open Space Commission, Rivers Alliance of Connecticut, The Rockfall Foundation, the Connecticut Chapter of The Nature Conservancy, and Working Lands Alliance.

Later sessions will be held in Massachusetts, Vermont, and New Hampshire, gathering input from the entire region drained by the Connecticut River.

For more information, contact Clem Clay at (413) 584-6686, clem.clay@tpl.org or visit www.tpl.org/ctriver.

The Trust for Public Land (TPL), a national nonprofit organization, protects land for people to enjoy as parks and natural areas, ensuring livable communities for generations to come. TPL has protected more than 4,000 acres of open space, watershed land, working farms and forestland, and historic resources in 32 communities across Connecticut and completed more than 50 land conservation projects in the Connecticut River watershed.