News
Your Testimony is Needed by Sunday (3/13)
Greetings!
On Monday (3/14), the Environment Committee is holding a public hearing on HB 5296 – a bill that would increase the bond authorization for the Open Space and Watershed Land Acquisition Grant Program to $10 million.
(Note that we have been told that the bill is intended to read $10 million per annum and will request that correction in our testimony.)
See sample testimony below.
As representatives of land trusts, your support is critical to help ensure annual funding and consistency in grant rounds for this important open space grant program for municipalities, land trusts, and water companies.
Send Testimony by Sunday (3/13) to the Committee in support of HB 5296
- Please submit testimony by email to ENVtestimony@cga.ct.gov
- Attach your testimony to your email in Word or PDF format and include “Testimony for HB 5296 for Public Hearing” in the subject line
- Please cc: your State Legislators and bcc me at: abpaterson@ctconservation.org
- Please submit by this Sunday (3/13) at 1:00pm
Thanks very much for your advocacy and support!
Best,
Amy
Amy Blaymore Paterson, Executive Director
P.S. Find more information on OSWA and UGCG here. If you have any questions about this action alert, please contact me anytime.
Sample Testimony (please tailor as you see fit)
Dear Co-Chairs Cohen and Gresko, Vice-Chairs Slap and Palm, Ranking Members Miner and Harding, and members of the Environment Committee,
On behalf of [insert the name of your organization or municipality], I am writing to ask you to support Raised House Bill No. 5296, An Act Concerning the Open Space and Watershed Land Acquisition Grant Program. This bill is intended to increase the bond authorization for the Open Space and Watershed Land Acquisition Grant Program (OSWA) to $10 million.
OSWA provides matching grants for land trusts, municipalities, and water companies to acquire land for open space and watershed protection. OSWA funding also supports Urban Green and Community Garden investments for targeted and distressed communities. Since 1998, the OSWA program has leveraged millions of matching municipal, federal and private dollars in support of 619+ projects protecting over 41,000 acres throughout the state.
Your support of bonding for the OSWA program is essential to local conservation and the state’s efforts in meeting its statutory 21% open space goal.
[If applicable, you may want to describe projects in your own community that: (1) were funded through OSWA; and/or (2) are awaiting an OSWA grant award; and/or (3) are in the works for which you plan to seek OSWA funds.]
[Please add something about the importance of land conservation and/or community gardens and greenspaces to mitigating the impacts of climate change, keeping air and water clean, and improving the quality of life and strength of the economy in every community.]
We ask that the committee approve the bill with a technical correction at the end of line 5 to add “per annum” after $10 million.
Thank you for raising this bill in support of the OSWA program and land conservation in Connecticut.
Sincerely,
Your name/organization/municipality
