State Awards $521K To Preserve Open Space Parcel In Old Lyme

OLD LYME, CT — An open space property in Old Lyme is the beneficiary of a state grant program meant to aid in the purchase and protection of open space through 17 projects in 18 municipalities across Connecticut.

The 42.43 acre property is located at 188 Four Mile River Road in Old Lyme, and was sponsored by Old Lyme Land Trust. It has been awarded a grant of $248,300

This property is strategically located for developing a town-wide greenway and hiking trail system, near other significant greenway properties, including the Lay-Allen Preserve (215 acres), the McCulloch Family Open Space (312 acres) and the Upper Three Mile River Preserve (157 acres). It will be publicly accessible with a trailhead and parking area on Four Mile River Road.

The parcel consists of core forest, inland wetlands, and riparian buffers, supporting native habitat largely free of invasive species. It contains the headwaters of the Three Mile River, presenting as a landscape of rocky ledges with spring-fed wetlands and four stream tributaries. According to a statement released by the Governor's Office Wednesday, the acquisition of this property provides numerous ecosystem benefits including climate change mitigation, clean water, clean air, temperature modification, core terrestrial/imperiled species habitat, watershed protection, headwater/cold-water streams, and core forest protection, all while providing passive recreation opportunities and public access to open space.

Statewide, $14.5 million in grants have been awarded to aid in the purchase and protection of more than 2,626 acres of open space. Additionally, $343,015 in state grants are being awarded to create two new urban community green spaces in Stratford and Thomaston.

These funds are being provided through the state’s Open Space and Watershed Land Acquisition Grant Program and the Urban Green and Community Gardens Grant Program, both of which are administered by the Connecticut Department of Energy and Environmental Protection. They mark the largest round of open space protection awards – both by acreage protected and by dollars awarded – in more than a decade.

The Connecticut General Assembly established a goal of protecting 673,210 acres (21 percent) of the state’s land base as open space. The goal calls for 320,576 acres (10 percent) to be held by DEEP as part of the state’s system of parks, forests, fisheries, and natural resource management areas, and 352,634 acres (11 percent) to be acquired by DEEP’s partners, which include municipalities, nonprofit land conservation organizations, and water companies.

As of December 31, 2023, DEEP estimates that its partners held approximately 253,682 acres (71.5 percent) of their share of the state’s open space goal, and that DEEP held approximately 263,528 acres (82.22 percent) of its share of the state’s goal. In total, 517,210 acres have been preserved (76.82 percent of the total goal), leaving an additional 156,000 acres remaining to meet the 21 percent open space goal.

"Since the Open Space and Watershed Land Acquisition program began in 1998, more than $161 million in state funding has been awarded to municipalities, nonprofit land conservation organizations, and water companies to assist in the purchase of more than 43,000 acres of publicly accessible land," DEEP Commissioner Katie Dykes said. "Open space preservation is more important now than ever. These lands provide critical natural climate mitigation solutions, protect our important wildlife habitat and species, maintain healthy air and clean water, and provide outdoor recreational opportunities for Connecticut residents."

The grants announced Wednesday are the 26th round awarded under these programs.