Open Space Grants to Preserve Over 30 Acres of Land in Southbury

Governor Dannel P. Malloy announced Friday awards of more than $9 million in Open Space and Watershed Land Acquisition grants to support 35 communities in purchasing 2,732 acres to be preserved as open space. 

Two separate grants were awarded to Southbury to preserve open space in the Georges Hill section of town and at Stillmeadow Farm.

“Land conservation is an important investment in our future, and moves us closer to meeting our goal of protecting 21 percent of Connecticut’s land as open space in the next ten years,” said Governor Malloy in a release.  “These preservation projects are key to maintaining our high quality of life and making Connecticut a great place to live, work, and raise a family.”

The program, administered by the state Department of Energy and Environmental Protection (DEEP) assists land purchase using state bonds and funding from the 2005 Community Investment Act, according to the release from the Governor’s Office.

The land at 365 Georges Hill is an addition to a 38-acre parcel of land the town purchased with a grant in 2007.  It is an undeveloped forested parcel with a steep rocky ridge running through the middle.  The town plans to utilize this parcel along with other town-owned land to provide parking and access to land purchased under this program. The grant totaled $96,500 and will preserve 18.91 acres.

The land at Stillmeadow Farm is a link to an emerging greenbelt with resources that include vernal pools, grasslands, wooded wetlands, ledge formations, and prime agriculture soils.  It is within Southbury's Aquifer Protection District.  The property is approximately 2,000 feet from the Larkin State Bridal Trail.  The grant totaled $81,500 and will preserve 12 acres.