To avoid double counting acres where multiple programs contributed to the acquisition of a single parcel, the parcel acreage is only aggregated under the program that provided the majority of funding. For example, if the chart displays a dollar amount greater than $0, but also shows 0 acres, it is because the program was not the primary contributor for any parcels in that year.
Though the Almanac does not obtain municipal land conservation data directly at this time, the "Local program data" in Connecticut consists of municipal conservation spending captured when a municipal jurisdiction partnered with a state or federal entity on the acquisition of a property.
| Year | Acres | Dollars |
|---|---|---|
| 2008 | 831.8 | $12,456,316 |
| 2007 | 1,063.9 | $10,292,993 |
| 2006 | 748.3 | $6,802,265 |
| 2005 | 1,252.7 | $8,623,117 |
| 2004 | 1,223.5 | $11,089,114 |
| 2003 | 0.0 | $103,713 |
| 2002 | 1,653.2 | $14,268,101 |
| 2001 | 1,910.5 | $11,156,224 |
| 2000 | 1,616.6 | $10,316,439 |
| 1999 | 1,999.4 | $18,091,200 |
| 1998 | 2,645.2 | $15,487,809 |
| Totals | 14,945.1 | $118,687,291 |
This program began in 1978 and authorizes the state to purchase agricultural conservation easements on qualifying farmland. Successful applicants to this program own active farms that contain a high percentage of prime farmland soils and are in established farm communities. These lands may also include any forestland and wetland on the property. Participating landowners are required to have a plan with the Natural Resource Conservation Service.
| Year | Acres | Dollars |
|---|---|---|
| 2008 | 41.0 | $246,060 |
| 2007 | 800.5 | $3,319,307 |
| 2006 | 837.4 | $3,898,095 |
| 2005 | 358.2 | $1,044,445 |
| 2004 | 67.5 | $441,950 |
| 2003 | 1,312.5 | $3,595,071 |
| 2002 | 473.7 | $1,953,803 |
| 2001 | 831.2 | $2,175,027 |
| 1999 | 474.2 | $853,456 |
| 1998 | 92.0 | $816,637 |
| Total | 5,288.0 | $18,343,851 |
The Recreation and Natural Heritage Trust program (RNHT) was created by the state legislature in 1986 in order to help preserve Connecticut’s natural heritage. It is the Department of Environmental Protection’s (DEP) primary program for acquiring land to expand the state’s system of parks, forests, wildlife, and other natural open spaces.
| Year | Acres | Dollars |
|---|---|---|
| 2008 | 1,301.9 | $15,195,694 |
| 2007 | 757.3 | $3,943,205 |
| 2006 | 312.6 | $2,736,340 |
| 2005 | 129.9 | $812,309 |
| 2004 | 864.8 | $2,408,192 |
| 2003 | 2,268.1 | $15,856,377 |
| 2002 | 18,784.7 | $98,244,310 |
| 2001 | 3,758.9 | $23,284,737 |
| 2000 | 3,006.1 | $5,616,361 |
| 1999 | 2,781.7 | $11,491,790 |
| 1998 | 1,621.4 | $7,733,000 |
| Total | 35,587.5 | $187,322,315 |
The Open Space and Watershed Land Acquisition Grant Program (OSWLA) began in 1998 and is managed by the Connecticut Department of Environmental Protection. The program provides financial assistance to municipalities and nonprofit land conservation organizations to acquire land that will add to a community's open space, enhance recreational opportunities, protect unique geographical features or conserve habitat for living creatures.
| Year | Acres | Dollars |
|---|---|---|
| 2008 | 254.5 | $9,057,935 |
| 2007 | 24.3 | $8,971,948 |
| 2006 | 129.2 | $5,417,423 |
| 2005 | 222.2 | $6,049,892 |
| 2004 | 32.5 | $4,427,610 |
| 2002 | 438.0 | $13,268,006 |
| 2001 | 329.5 | $15,679,400 |
| 2000 | 377.9 | $13,806,720 |
| 1999 | 49.0 | $8,387,114 |
| 1998 | 0.0 | $4,437,208 |
| Total | 1,857.0 | $89,503,257 |
Passed in 2005, the Community Investment Act (CIA) requires a $30 fee for the recording of all documents on the municipal land records. This fee is distributed as follows: $1 to the municipal clerk for management and related costs; $3 to the municipality for local capital improvements projects fund; and the remaining $26 is distributed among four state agencies for specific purposes. These agencies are: The Department of Environmental Protection (DEP), The Department of Agriculture (DOA), The Commission on Culture and Tourism (CCT), and the Housing Finance Authority (CHFA). Only the DEP and DOA are able to acquire land using these funds.
In June 2009, a new bill increased the filing fee for the recording of local land records from $30 to $40, with a portion of the increase going to fund a safety net program that will help state dairy farmers who are in financial distress. The new bill allots 20 percent each to the CCT, CHFA and DEP and uses the remaining 40 percent for direct grants to dairy farmers to help them stay in business. This funding provision sunsets on July 1, 2011.
Important Note: The annual statistics displayed here for the Community Investment Act are strictly dollars and acres related to the Department of Agriculture's CIA funded projects only. CIA funds allocated to the Department of Environmental Protection are represented inclusively within the statistics for the DEP's two major programs: The Recreation and Natural Heritage Trust Program and the Open Space and Watershed Land Acquisition Grant Program.
| Year | Acres | Dollars |
|---|---|---|
| 2008 | 633.5 | $2,792,456 |
| 2007 | 388.2 | $1,361,218 |
| Total | 1,021.7 | $4,153,674 |