Sen. Kissel Announces Open Space Acquisition for Enfield

State grant helps with the preservation of Wolodko-Williams Property

State Sen. John A. Kissel, R-Enfield, today said that the Town of Enfield has been awarded a state grant to assist in the purchase of the Wolodko-Williams property that abuts the Scantic River Park. According to Sen. Kissel, the $149,500 grant that was announced on November 25th by Gov. M. Jodi Rell is part of the state’s Open Space and Watershed Land Acquisition program, which is administered by the state Department of Environmental Protection (DEP).

The grant for the Enfield property was part of a $10.2 million allocation awarded to 29 communities throughout Connecticut. The funding is part of the state’s effort to preserve 21 percent of Connecticut’s land as open space by year 2023. Sen. Kissel said that it is important to note that the funding for this project comes from previously allocated bond funds.

“This program is extremely beneficial to communities trying to protect open space,” said Sen. Kissel. “The Wolodko-Wiliams property is exactly the type of land that the Open Space and Land Acquisition Program was set up to protect. I credit all the local advocates and town officials who have worked with the DEP, providing them with information about the extraordinary benefits that protecting this land would have on this region. With this grant their efforts have been recognized. This is great news.”

According to the DEP, the Wolodko-Williams property abuts the Scantic River to the north and east and overlooks the finish line of the annual Scantic River Splash canoe and kayak races.