House Republican Press Release

October 15, 2007

Press Office: 860-240-8700

Rep. Marilyn Giuliano Lauds Open Space Preservation Grants including Lyme, Westbrook

Governor M. Jodi Rell Announces $9.9 million in Grants for 39 Towns

A 42.25-acre Patrell Property in Lyme and East Haddam will be protected from development with the help of The Nature Conservancy, the Lyme Land Conservation Trust and the Town of East Haddam and a state grant of $275,000.

A 41.61-acre Platt Property in Westbrook and Essex will be preserved through the Essex Land trust and the Town of Essex with a state grant of $125,000.

State Rep. Marilyn Giuliano, R-23^rdh District, Lyme, Old Lyme, Old Saybrook and Westbrook, thanked Governor M. Jodi Rell and her administration for including more than 80 acres of local properties in the latest round of open space and watershed protection grants to be awarded by the state of Connecticut.

These properties in East Haddam, Lyme, Essex and Westbrook are included in the 13^th round of open space grants approved by the state and authorized by the state legislature in recent years. Gov. Rell made the announcements on Oct. 11.

“Preserving open space, protecting farmland and maintaining a rural quality of life are among the major issues facing our state,” said Rep. Giuliano. “It is a pleasure to see that our area continues to benefit from the state’s program to protect 20 percent of Connecticut’s land area by 2020.”

The Pattrell Property in East Haddam and Lyme contains more than 3,000 of frontage on the main stream of the Eightmile River and is entirely within the Eightmile River watershed. It supports a diversity of state-ranked aquatic plant and animal species. It is also an important wildlife and migratory bird corridor. It contains a glacial asker, forested streams, wetlands and a vernal pool. Acquisition o f this property will increase the size of the 12-mile open space corridor from Devil’s Hopyard State Park to the Connecticut River.

The Platt Property in Essex and Westbrook abuts the Bushy Hill Nature Preserve to the north and west. More than half of the property is classified as wetland, within the Falls River watershed. This acquisition will protect 1,580 linear feet along the Falls River, in addition to floodplain on both sides of the river. This project offers passive recreational opportunities such as hiking, birding and fishing.

For more information on all $9.9 million in state grants announced Oct. 11, go to Gov. Rell’s website: http://www.ct.gov/governorrell/cwp/view.asp?Q=397220&A=2791

State Rep. Marilyn Giuliano serves the 23^rd Assembly District of Lyme, Old Lyme, Old Saybrook and Westbrook in the Connecticut House of Representatives.