Take Action: Funding for Land Conservation is Under Threat in Hartford

Photo Copyright Connecticut Audubon Society

One of the only vehicles for funding land conservation in Connecticut right now is the Community Investment Act. It requires that every time a land transaction is recorded by a town clerk in the state, a small fee gets added on. The money goes into a fund to be used for land acquisition, farmland preservation, historic preservation and affordable housing.

Since it began in 2006, the Community Investment Act has funded 88 projects, permanently protecting 2,707 acres of open space and 15 community gardens. In addition to the obvious conservation benefit, the money spent and its multiplier effect have been a tremendous economic benefit to the state.

Unfortunately Governor Malloy now wants to use the money in the Community Investment Act to help reduce the state’s deficit. When state officials convene in Hartford on December 19, the governor will be asking the General Assembly for authorization to sweep money out of the fund.

Connecticut Audubon Society and the rest of the conservation community in the state thinks this is a bad idea.

Please take a minute to call or write the Governor or any one of several legislators to let them know you don’t want them to raid the community investment act.

The Connecticut Land Conservation Council has done a terrific job pulling together talking points, links and contact information:

CIA investments in local farm businesses and land protection have contributed to the viability of the $873 million outdoor recreation industry and the $3.5 billion agricultural industry together generating 28,000 jobs.
200% in matching funds from private, federal and local sources have been raised to leverage the state’s CIA dollars – funds which have been invested directly back into our communities to support CIA funded projects.
CIA = Jobs – over 2,000 jobs were created in the affordable housing and historic preservation sector due to CIA projects.
157 dairy farm businesses were saved with CIA support.

For more information about the CIA, please click here.

For a one pager hand-out on the CIA and sample success stories, please click here.

Take action now. We don’t want to lose this important source of land preservation funds!

Here are names and contact information of elected officials:

Governor Dannel Malloy
Governor.Malloy@ct.gov
(860) 566-4840 or (800) 406-1527

Sen. Don Williams, President Pro Tempore of the Senate
Williams@senatedems.ct.gov
(860) 240-8600 or (800) 842-1420

Sen. Martin Looney, Senate Majority Leader
Looney@senatedems.ct.gov
(860) 240-8600 or (800) 842-1420

Sen. John McKinney, Senate Minority Leader
John.McKinney@cga.ct.gov
(860) 240-8800 or (860) 842-1421

Rep. Chris Donovan, Speaker of the House
Christopher.Donovan@cga.ct.gov
(860) 240-8500 or (800) 842-1902

Rep. Brendan Sharkey, House Majority Leader
(860) 240-8500 or (800) 842-1902

Rep. Larry Cafero, House Minority Leader
Lawrence.Cafero@cga.ct.gov
(860) 240-8700 or (800) 842-1423

Sen. Edward Meyer, Environment Committee Senate Chair
Meyer@senatedems.ct.gov
(860) 240-0455

Rep. Richard Roy, Environment Committee House Chair
Richard.Roy@cga.ct.gov
(860) 240-0440

Sen. Gary LeBeau, Commerce Committee Senate Chair
LeBeau@senatedems.ct.gov
(860) 240-0511

Rep. Jeff Berger, Commerce Committee House Chair
Jeffrey.Berger@cga.ct.gov
(860) 240-0380

Sen. Steve Cassano, Planning & Development Committee Senate Chair
Cassano@senatedems.ct.gov
(860) 240-5302

Rep. Linda Gentile, Planning & Development Committee House Chair
Linda.Gentile@cga.ct.gov
(860) 240-0553

Sen. Edwin Gomes, Housing Committee Senate Chair
Gomes@senatedems.ct.gov
(860) 240-0441

Rep. Larry Butler, Housing Committee House Chair
Larry.Butler@cga.ct.gov
(860) 240-8585