Issue Position: Support Rural Economies & Preserve Open Space

Issue Position

In 1997, the Connecticut General Assembly set a goal of preserving 21 percent of the land in the state for natural resources conservation and public recreation by 2023. The state's Green Plan in 2007 noted that of roughly 3.2 million acres in the state, 673,000 acres need to be preserved to achieve the goal.

At present with only roughly 261,000 acres held by the state and federal government and 227,000 acres by private partners, we are well short of the goal. The state needs to add about 8,000 acres annually to achieve the goal on time. As governor, I will:

Strongly support an amendment to the state constitution to "Protect Real Property Held or Controlled by the State." This will be an important referendum at the ballot box this fall. The amendment will require that state-owned public lands must receive a public hearing and a two-thirds vote before being given away, swapped, or sold by an act of the General Assembly.
Uphold theCommunity Investment Act (CIA) and protect its funds from being raided by the legislature. In 2005, the CIA established Connecticut's primary source of dedicated funding to conserve open space, protect farmland, preserve historic properties and supplement affordable housing programs. The program has been an extraordinary success. To date, the CIA has reinvested over $152 million in over 1,400 projects across the state. Unfortunately, millions of dollars of CIA funds have been raided in 2015, 2016 and 2017, sometimes by over 50 percent, to fill Connecticut's general revenue shortfalls. This is a matter of public trust, and I will seek to ensure these funds, raised from the community, will remain dedicated to our communities for projects ranging from open space to affordable housing.
Support the newly approved Passport for Parks program, which supports our state's green spaces and public parks. For the past two years, however, funds have been raided to fill the state's revenue shortfalls, and I will seek to preserve this funding. Public parks and the recreational opportunities they offer represent a key covenant in the relationship between our government and its citizens. I believe we must keep our parks open, well maintained, and provide within them the type and quality of service and recreational opportunities that all Connecticut residents expect and deserve.
Protect Long Island Sound. Long Island Sound has long been the entryway to our state both for job-creating commerce and recreation. While the Trump administration in Washington seeks to defund and destroy efforts to protect the Sound, as governor I will be a champion for our preservation efforts and a bulwark against attempts to roll back progress. There have been successful public-private partnerships between the EPA, New York, and Connecticut, and numerous other federal and state agencies, user groups, concerned organizations and individuals who are dedicated to restoring and protecting the Sound, and I will make sure this partnership continues to help bring Long Island Sound back to health and abundance.

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