Senator Guglielmo Announces Open Space Grants to Willington

State Senator Tony Guglielmo, R-Stafford, today said that through a grant by the state Department of Environmental Protection (DEP), the Town of Willington will be receiving $219,375 for the preservation of open space on two parcels of land. Gov. M. Jodi Rell along with DEP Commissioner Gina McCarthy the made the official announcement of the funding earlier today at the 11th Open Space Grant Awards ceremony in Norwalk.

“What makes our part of the state so beautiful is the efforts of so many people to protect and preserve open space,” said Sen. Guglielmo. “These two properties contain over 100 acres of land, which is good sized parcel. To keep this area free from development is important to our entire region and especially the Willington community.”

According to Sen. Guglielmo and the DEP, the Connecticut Forest and Park Association (CFPA) will use $146,250 for the acquisition of the North Property to protect an important linkage of the Nipmuck Trail (Blue Blazed). Through this property and other negotiated land, several miles of the Nipmuck Trail will be preserved with the hope that the trail could be connected to the UCONN Storrs campus.

In addition, the Town of Willington will be receiving $73,125 for preservation of the Talmadge property. The Talmadge property’s western and southern boundaries are adjacent to the 323 acres UCONN Moss Forest Tract and the property is south of the above-mentioned CFPA proposal. According to the DEP, the property’s physical characteristics fit that of a Class II Watershed, supplying the Fenton River and the adjacent aquifer protection area. The wood lot has an established forestry plan, with the last selective harvesting done in 1992.