Disabled Veterans Can Get Lifetime Park Passes

Veterans with disabilities are now eligible to receive access to all the state parks in Connecticut free of charge for the rest of their lives.

The disabled veterans must provide copies of the following items to receive their free park passes from the Connecticut Department of Energy and Environmental Protection:

• Connecticut drivers license or other legal proof of residency
• Veterans Administration Card or VA benefits letter indicating the service connected disability

The passes can be "used to waive parking fees at all of Connecticut’s state parks where a fee is charged," according to the release. The veteran, who does not have to be the driver of vehicle, only has to present the pass to get into the park for free.

“These free, lifetime passes are an excellent way for us to show our appreciation to Connecticut’s residents and their families who have served our country,” said DEEP Deputy Commissioner Susan Frechette in a release Friday.

A ceremony, which featured a large American flag and two ceremonial cannons, was held at the in Rocky Hill Friday afternoon. Representatives from local veterans groups attended the event.

Department of Veterans Affairs Commissioner Dr. Linda S. Schwartz said the passes are a "great gift" for veterans who served the nation.

“These passes offer a wonderful opportunity for our disabled veterans to experience the richness and healing qualities of nature and the beauty or our great State,” she said in a release.

The lifetime passes are available at the following locations:

• DEEP State Park Headquarters, located at 79 Elm St. in Hartford
• , located on West Street in Rocky Hill
• DEEP Eastern District Headquarters, at 209 Hebron Rd. in Marlborough
• DEEP Western District Headquarters, at 230 Plymouth Rd. in Harwinton
• , at 90 Walbach St. in New London
• Kellogg Environmental Center
  Office of Communications and Education, at 500 Hawthorne Ave. in Derby
• , at 275 Great Neck Rd. in Waterford
• , at 1288 Boston Post Rd. in Madison
• , Exit 18 off I-95 in Westport

The passes cannot be used for camping or special events being held at the state parks. The veterans will have to pay the separate admission charges for those activities or events.

For more information about the program, call 860-424-3938 or visit the DEEP's website.