The Connecticut Department of Energy and Environmental Protection (DEEP) and the Connecticut Greenways Council today announced that they are now soliciting nominations for official state greenway designations.

Greenways are an integral part of any community, offering recreational opportunities, providing alternative transportation options, helping to preserve the environment, and supporting economic development.  Greenways can make a community a more attractive place to live by connecting living spaces with the environment, and they preserve history and cultivate town pride. 

“Greenways connect the places we live with the places we love,” said Commissioner Robert Klee. “They link people to their communities, to rivers, fields, and hillsides, enhancing the sense of place that helps define the quality of life in Connecticut.  It is the hope of the Connecticut Greenways Council that the designation process will help in the development, enhancement, and preservation of those places.”

An official designation by the Greenways Council recognizes a greenway as an open space that not only meets the definition of a greenway, but also enhances the community and is supported by local government initiatives.  Designated greenways, both for recreation and resource protection, will be listed in a subsequent revision of the State Plan of Conservation and Development and may receive increased consideration for a variety of grants.  There are currently 71 designated greenways in Connecticut.

The Greenways Council will evaluate all nominated greenways for consistency with designation criteria.  Those selected for designation will be announced by the Greenways Council in conjunction with their National Trails Day event in June.

The deadline for submission of nominations is May 1, 2018. 

The nomination form is available as a word document or a PDF.  The preferred method for submission of completed nomination forms is by e-mail to Laurie.Giannotti@ct.gov, and digital photos and maps are preferred (digital photos of hard copy maps are acceptable).  Nominations may also be submitted on CD or other electronic storage device and can be mailed to Laurie Giannotti, CT DEEP, 79 Elm Street, Hartford, CT 06106-5127. 

For more information please visit https://www.ct.gov/deep/greenways.