Posts by Sarah Makowicki

The Connecticut Department of Energy and Environmental Protection (DEEP) is now accepting proposals for the State’s Aquatic Invasive Species (AIS) Grant Program. The program makes $500,000 available to reduce impacts of aquatic invasive species on inland waters in Connecticut. Applications will be accepted through January 31, 2024. Municipalities, state agencies, and not-for-profit organizations are eligible…

Join Misha Semenov-Leiva, local architect and a member of the Connecticut River Gateway Commission, and Alan Sheiness, of the Lyme Land Trust, for a presentation to learn about light pollution in the Connecticut River Valley. The presentation will be held on Wednesday, January 24, at 7:00 pm at the Hadlyme Public Hall, 63 Ferry Rd,…

LCRLT 145 Dennison Rd. Essex, CT 06426 Dear Members of the Lower Connecticut River Land Trust: We are writing to ask that you submit nominations for our 2023, 4th annual award of the Melvin Woody Lower Connecticut River Conservation Award. Nominations can either be for an organization or an individual that you feel has significantly…

The Connecticut River Gateway Commission and the Connecticut River Museum, Essex, are collaborating to present a panel discussion on “Legacies of Preservation.” The event will be held at the museum on December 13th from 6:00 to 7:00 p.m. Registration information may be found on the museum website. The Gateway Commission, celebrating its 50th anniversary this…

Dr. J. Melvin Woody was named the first Connecticut River Gateway Commissioner Emeritus Member at the regional organization’s October 2023 annual meeting. Melvin has represented the Town of Lyme on the Commission for 50 years – from the organization’s creation in 1973 to this past summer. When the Gateway Commission celebrated the 50th anniversary of…

The Connecticut River Gateway Commission voted unanimously on September 28, 2023 to endorse a call by “Lights Out CT” to minimize all non-essential lights during peak spring and fall bird migration periods. Per the organization’s program material, millions of birds pass through Connecticut every spring and fall on their way to and from their nesting…

A reception to celebrate the Connecticut River Gateway Commission’s 50th anniversary was held on August 3rd on the grounds of the Roger Tory Peterson Estuary Center (CT Audubon Society) in Old Lyme. Claudia Weicker, Chair of the RTPEC, welcomed guests. Suzanne Thompson, Gateway Commission Chair, in her remarks acknowledged town, land trust and non-profit partners…

On a beautiful summer day overlooking a scenic stretch of the Connecticut River from the viewpoint of Gillette Castle, the Connecticut Land Conservation Council (CLCC) presented the Gateway Commission with its “2023 Excellence in Conservation Award.” Amy Patterson, Executive Director of CLCC, in her remarks cited the Commission’s 50 years of work in preserving the…

On May 2, 1973, the Connecticut General Assembly passed a historic land use bill entitled,”An Act Concerning the Preservation of the Lower Connecticut River” to establish the Connecticut River Gateway Commission. Peter Cashman, of Lyme, Senate President Pro Tempore, was instrumental in crafting the legislation’s details. Governor Thomas J. Meskill signed Public Act 73-349 into…

Gov. Ned Lamont signed into law Public Act 23-143 intended to mitigate light pollution’s harmful effect. The “Lights Out” bill, as it was termed, specifies that “nonessential outdoor lighting” at state-owned buildings not needed for safety or functionality, as determined by agency heads, shall be turned off between the hours of 11:00 p.m. and 6:00…