News Releases

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• 7/3/2025 DEEP Coordinates Deployment of 20-Person Wildland Fire Crew to Support Alaskan Wildfire Efforts

  (HARTFORD) –Today, the Connecticut Department of Energy and Environmental Protection (DEEP)’s Forestry Division coordinated the mobilization of a 20-person wildland firefighting crew to assist with wildfire suppression efforts in Alaska.

• 7/15/2025 Governor Lamont Announces State Grants To Protect 2,270 Acres of Open Space and Create Six New Community Green Spaces

• 4/17/2025 DEEP and Audubon CT Urge Residents to Take Down Birdfeeders and Be Bear Aware as Bears Become More Active in Spring

  (HARTFORD)— As black bear activity increases in the spring following winter denning season, the Connecticut Department of Energy and Environmental Protection (DEEP) warns residents to be “bear aware” and to do what they can to protect both their communities and bears by preventing human-bear conflicts. Simple steps to avoid feeding bears such as taking down birdfeeders now that bears are up and about will reduce the likelihood of conflicts that can lead to potential harm for both people and bears.

• 1/22/2025 DEEP Environmental Conservation Police Make Arrest in September 2, 2024 Fatal Boat Accident

  (HARTFORD) — The Connecticut Department of Energy and Environmental Protection (DEEP) Environmental Conservation (EnCon) Police arrested Clayton Hackling, 26, of Lyme, on January 22, 2025, in connection with the fatal boat accident that occurred at the mouth of the Connecticut River in Old Saybrook on September 2, 2024. EnCon officers conducted an extensive investigation with assistance from the New London State’s Attorney Office.

• 3/19/2025 DEEP Reminds Residents To Exercise Caution During Spring Brush Fire Season

  (HARTFORD)—The Connecticut Department of Energy and Environmental Protection is reminding residents that the typical spring brush fire season in Connecticut runs from mid-March through mid-May, and there are important precautions residents should take to minimize the likelihood of a fire.

• 3/28/2025 DEEP Prepares for Spring Season at State Parks Resumes Fee Collection for Out-of-State Vehicles

  (HARTFORD) — Connecticut’s Department of Energy and Environmental Protection (DEEP) is preparing for the Spring season at State Parks and Forests. Visitation starts to increase in the Spring as warmer temperatures and sunnier skies arrive.

• 6/23/2025 Connecticut and Northeast States Issue   Request for Information to Explore Cost-Saving Transmission Projects

  (HARTFORD) – The Connecticut Department of Energy and Environmental Protection (DEEP) today joined eight other Northeast and Mid-Atlantic states in issuing a Request for Information (RFI) seeking interregional transmission project concepts that would improve grid reliability, support economic growth, and reduce costs for consumers. The RFI was issued by the bipartisan Northeast States Collaborative on Interregional Transmission, a group formed in 2023 to fill a gap in today’s interregional transmission planning processes. Through this collaboration, DEEP is working to unlock reliability benefits and cost savings for the state’s ratepayers.

• 4/8/2025 ADVISORY-DEEP Lowers Caution Issued for CT River Users Following East Windsor Sewer Line Repair

  (HARTFORD)—The Connecticut Department of Energy and Environmental Protection (DEEP) is updating its advisory related to the sanitary sewer break that occurred in East Windsor.

• 2/26/2025 DEEP Launches Integrated Resources Plan (IRP) to Identify Strategies to Affordably and Reliably Meet Connecticut’s Growing Electricity Needs

  (HARTFORD) - The Connecticut Department of Energy and Environmental Protection (DEEP) today announced that it is launching the state’s next Integrated Resources Plan (IRP) to assess Connecticut’s growing electricity needs and identify pathways to meet these needs affordably and reliably for the state’s residents and businesses.

• 2/13/2025 DEEP Announces Recipients of 2025 Grants for Aquatic Invasive Species Control on Lakes, Ponds, and Rivers

  (HARTFORD)-The Connecticut Department of Energy and Environmental Protection (DEEP) today announced the recipients of the fifth annual round of funding through the Aquatic Invasive Species (AIS) Grant Program, with a total of $400,000 going to 12 projects that will reduce the impacts of aquatic invasive species on inland waters in Connecticut.

• 5/13/2025 DEEP Acquires 643 Acres in Killingly for New Wildlife Management Area

  (HARTFORD)—The Connecticut Department of Energy and Environmental Protection (DEEP) announced today that it acquired 642.9 acres of important wildlife habitat and wetlands at 520 Bailey Hill Road, in Killingly, Connecticut with the intent to establish a new Wildlife Management Area (WMA). This significant land purchase marks a major step forward in conserving Connecticut’s natural heritage and expanding passive recreational opportunities for residents and visitors.

• 5/23/2025 DEEP Highlights Connecticut State Parks as Memorial Day Weekend Kicks Off the Summer Tourism Season

  (HARTFORD, CT) – Memorial Day Weekend marks the unofficial start to the busy summer parks season, and the Connecticut Department of Energy and Environmental Protection (DEEP) is highlighting the extraordinary outdoor recreation opportunities our State Parks and Forests have to offer, some of the ways we’re working to improve access and the user experience in our parks, and important things to remember in order to have a fun, safe, summer.

• 6/27/2025 DEEP Seeks Public Input on Draft 2025 Connecticut Wildlife Action Plan

  (HARTFORD) — Do you care about Connecticut’s native wildlife, fish, and plants? If so, the Connecticut Department of Energy and Environmental Protection (DEEP) would love to hear from you! DEEP has drafted an updated Wildlife Action Plan to help guide conservation in Connecticut over the next decade and encourages residents to review the draft Plan and submit comments. Let DEEP know how wildlife and nature matter to you: visit the Wildlife Action Plan Draft webpage for the draft plan and input form. The 30-day public comment period will end on July 27th.

• 4/14/2025 DEEP’s Client Concierge Service Celebrates Five Years of Excellence in Environmental Permitting Assistance

  (HARTFORD)— The Connecticut Department of Energy and Environmental Protection (DEEP) recently celebrated the fifth anniversary of its Client Concierge Service. Established under DEEP’s successful 20 By 20 initiative and expanded in DEEP’s current 20 By 26 initiative to enhance transparency and efficiency, the Concierge Team has become DEEP’s front door for permitting assistance. Since then, the Concierge Team has guided hundreds of businesses, municipalities, and individuals through regulatory requirements and connected them with the right resources. Concierge has provided early permitting help to projects involving a tremendous range of issues: multiple permitting requirements or cross-cutting programmatic needs; waste organics; energy generation; solar and offshore wind-related permitting, including on brownfields and agricultural lands; economic development; large-scale filling; brownfields; transit-oriented development; green technology; and more.

• 6/18/2025 MEDIA ADVISORY: DEEP Boating Division and No Child Left Inside® Offer Family Boating Day on Saturday, June 21

  (HARTFORD) – The Connecticut Department of Energy and Environmental Protection’s (DEEP) No Child Left Inside® (NCLI) Families in the Parks Program and Boating Division will host a free “Family Boating Day” at Indian Well State Park in Shelton from 12:00 to 4:00 PM on Saturday, June 21, 2025.