State Senator Thomas J. Herlihy, R-Simsbury, and State Representative Robert W. Heagney, R-Simsbury, announced today that the town of Simsbury has been awarded two grants for the purchase of Open Space Property. According to the legislators, funding in excess of $630,000 has been released under the state’s Open Space & Watershed Land Acquisition Grant Program that will be used for the purchase of 210 acres of land at Ethel Walker School and 75 acres at The Masters School.
“This is tremendous news for the town of Simsbury,” said Sen. Herlihy. “One of the things that make this region so special is the vast amounts of open space and we need to protect that. These grants are certainly welcome news for the community and I want to that Governor Rell for her commitment to open space projects in our area.”
Under the grant allocation the Town of Simsbury will receive $450,000 for the purchase of land at the Ethel Walker School. The town has previously received two grants to purchase the development rights to other portions of the school. The property contains a combination of upland forest, wetland, floodplains, meadows and an aquifer recharge area. The purchase of this property would provide for the preservation of wildlife habitat, a scenic vista and expanded recreational opportunities along an existing open space greenway consisting of both state and town owned open space property.
“This grant for the purchase of 210 additional acres at the Ethel Walker School site combines previous portions at Ethel Walker that the state has joined with Simsbury in protecting and preserving,” said Rep. Heagney. “I am pleased that we were able to obtain this critical grant to protect this significant acreage. My thanks go to Governor Rell and Senator Herlihy for their efforts to make this a reality as well."
The second grant award, in the amount of $181,687 will go to the Simsbury Land Trust to assist with their efforts in the purchase of a conservation easement on 75 acres of trap rock ridge and associated valuable habitat at The Masters School, which also contains a hiking trail.
### |
