Politics & Government

State Gets Feedback On Outdoor Recreation Plan

Public hearing at Fort Trumbull talks about development of Statewide Comprehensive Outdoor Recreation Plan.

Employees of the Department of Energy and Environmental Protection came to  on Thursday to discuss their ongoing development of a statewide plan for outdoor recreational resources.

Douglas Jann, an environmental analyst and moderator of the event, said the department is updating a five-year plan which last identified 4,291 “discrete, identifiable recreational places” in 2005. The Statewide Comprehensive Outdoor Recreational Plan serves as a planning document and is one requirement for funding under the federally administered Land and Water Conservation Fund.

Jann said that a survey conducted as part of the 2005 study determined that running, walking, and jogging; beach activities; visiting historic sites; and swimming were the top outdoor activities among state residents. The survey also identified multi-use trails and picnic areas, shelters, and playgrounds as the most desired resources, with 62 percent saying they used the latter resources and 52 percent saying they used the former. Those surveyed said the main reason for not taking part in an activity was not knowing it was available, with others saying they did not know where to go or that the activity was too far away.

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Jann said that although 59 percent of those surveyed gave the maintenance or improvement of existing facilities as one of their top three priorities, about three-quarters said the facilities they use are in good or excellent condition. He said only 29 percent had advertising resources in their top three choices, despite 36.3 percent saying they did not attend activities because they did not know about them.

“It’s not always a straightforward issue of interpreting the intent of the people as a whole,” he said. “It doesn’t always add up.”

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The SCORP for 2011-2015 will continue to focus on identifying available resources, the demand for activities, and statewide issues as well as accomplishments, challenges, and new initiatives. Jann said the idea is to protect natural and historical resources, maximize access to and diversity of outdoor recreation, and promote the use of outdoor recreational facilities. DEEP is holding public meetings and soliciting input as part of this process.

Kathleen Mitchell, of Friends of Riverside, suggested that the state might purchase  or offer advice on how best to preserve it. She said about 18 acres of the formerly 35-acre park remain after eminent domain decisions, and that nine more acres may be sold to the if residents agree to do so in the November election. Mitchell said the park is the only one available for families on the northern end of the city, including residents of several low income housing projects.

“If I understand what your goals are, I think they match what we have here in New London,” she said.

Jann said that while DEEP is interested in hearing feedback regarding local matters, SCORP identifies broader issues affecting several communities.

“We do get a lot of comments about local issues…This is meant to address statewide issues,” he said.

Ronna Stuller, a New London Board of Education member, said urban areas face the challenge of maintaining open space and how best to access and use it.

“I think that our cities do have a desperate need, and I hope that you would address that,” she said.

Tom Jannke, a member of a group seeking to develop a trail connecting Bluff Point State Park in Groton with Preston Community Park in Preston, said such trails can be educational on topics such as water quality. He said there is also a need to expand bicycling trails to southeastern Connecticut.

The next public meetings on the plan will be held at 7 p.m. on Tuesday at the University of Connecticut at Storrs and 7 p.m. on Aug. 18 at the Kellogg Environmental Center in Derby. A copy of the SCORP plan is available here, and a state questionnaire regarding outdoor recreational resources is available here. Residents may also give feedback via the e-mail addressdeep.scorp@ct.gov.


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