News

I’ve heard from many land trusts seeking information on the Connecticut Conservation Partnership Program (CCPP) – a new public-private partnership enabling land trusts that have submitted or intend to submit an open space (OSWA) grant to DEEP to apply through CLCC for federal match funds for their project.

Since the award to CLCC was announced last April, we’ve been working with the Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) to put the federal components of the program in place. Next steps include ironing out grant coordination with DEEP and technical assistance services with partners Connecticut Farmland Trust and Northwest CT Land Conservancy.

We’re getting there, and remain on track to open up the application process by the end of 2022.

Meanwhile, we are very excited to announce a new CCPP webpage as a first step in our public outreach efforts. Developed by CLCC Project Specialist and CCPP Administrator, Yaw Owusu Darko, the webpage is a depository for all CCPP information. It will be updated regularly as the program unfolds.

So how do you get started?

• With 2021 OSWA awards pending, and a new grant round expected to be announced soon, it is a great time to reach out to us to discuss your land trust’s projects and funding needs.
• Send us your questions. We’ll research the answers and post them on the FAQ page.

Like all conservation projects, the development of this program is taking patience and persistence. And like all conservation projects, it will be worth it.