July 16, 2025 (Kent, CT) – Northwest Connecticut Land Conservancy (NCLC) proudly announces it has received three significant grant awards to support the acquisition and permanent protection of three properties essential for public recreation and ecological resilience, totaling 5,425 acres.
A $1.3M grant, through the Connecticut Department of Energy & Environmental Protection’s Open Space and Watershed Land Acquisition (OSWA) Grant Program, leads a trio of recent awards supporting land conservation in Connecticut. The other two grants, totaling $348,500, were awarded by the Connecticut Land Conservation Council’s Land Easement and Acquisition Program (LEAP). Together, these grants underscore the strong and widespread commitment of public agencies, private organizations, and local communities to conserving our natural and working agricultural lands.
The Properties Protected
The awarded funds will help protect high-priority lands that are essential to the long-term health of our region’s environment and communities. The properties provide critical habitat for rare, threatened, and endangered species; safeguard clean water sources; support natural wildlife corridors; and offer new public access to nature.
Surdan Mountain Preserve (Sharon): With the $1.3M award from OSWA, the protection of this 108-acre parcel, which adjoins the 2,200-mile Appalachian Trail corridor, will be accessible to all when the preserve opens to the public. The property includes a dramatic scenic view stretching 20 miles to the summit of Bear Hill, the highest peak in Connecticut; to the peak of Mount Frissell in Massachusetts, and Mount Race in New York State.
Colebrook Reservoir Conservation Easement (Colebrook and Hartland, CT and Sandisfield and Tolland, MA): Supported by a $250,000 LEAP grant award, the 5,200-acre acquisition of a permanent conservation easement on this parcel protects Connecticut’s largest remaining untapped drinking water reservoir, which directly feeds the designated National Wild and Scenic Farmington River. The easement area is rich in biodiversity, providing refuge for 12 species classified as threatened, endangered, or of special concern.
Strauss Morrissey Preserve Expansion (Sherman): Also supported by LEAP with a $98,500 grant award, the acquisition of the 117-acre Glen Brook property significantly expands NCLC’s Strauss Morrissey Preserve to a 259-acre public recreation area. The new parcel provides opportunities for expanded and improved public parking and hiking trails, while safeguarding a mosaic of habitats including mixed hardwood forest, early successional habitat, pollinator meadows, wooded wetlands, and two vernal pools.
“We are incredibly grateful to all our partners for helping to make these acquisitions possible, especially during a time of funding uncertainty,” said NCLC Executive Director Catherine Rawson. “These acquisitions are a big win for our environment and communities. We look forward to continuing the work necessary to complete these acquisitions and ensure these lands remain a source of clean water, thriving ecosystems, and access to nature for generations to come.”
About Northwest Connecticut Land Conservancy
Northwest Connecticut Land Conservancy (NCLC) is a nonprofit, regional conservation organization working with the communities of Litchfield and northern Fairfield Counties to safeguard natural and working lands, public recreation areas, and drinking water resources forever. Founded in 1965, NCLC is the largest land trust in Connecticut, protecting 13,400 acres (and growing). To strengthen the region’s capacity to conserve high-quality conservation lands and ensure the permanence of those conserved lands for the future, NCLC merged with Brookfield Open Space Legacy in 2019 and Naromi Land Trust in 2020. NCLC’s conserved lands include 22 public hiking preserves, 49 working farms, 57 miles of rivers and streams, and over 3,000 acres of habitat for rare and endangered species.
For more information about NCLC and how you can support conservation efforts in our region, please visit ctland.org.