development

The Connecticut State Historic Preservation Office (SHPO) offers Survey and Planning Grants for a variety of historic preservation planning purposes. These grants are part of a state commitment to provide increased funding for open space, farmland preservation, historic preservation and affordable housing. SHPO is now accepting Survey and Planning
Grant applications for State Fiscal Year 2026 (July 1, 2025-June 30 2026). There will be $480,000 available and grant awards will range from $5,000-$20,000.

The Connecticut Department of Energy and Environmental Protection (DEEP) is accepting applications for the next round of the DEEP Climate Resilience Fund (DCRF). DEEP is making available up to $44 million in state and federal funds to support planning, project advancement, and construction to help Connecticut’s communities build resilience to extreme weather. The current Notice of Funding Opportunity opens the next application period for Planning (resilience planning) and Advancement (project design) and introduces a Deployment (project implementation) category that includes an expanded matching funds program and a Request for Proposals for the construction of energy resilience infrastructure.

The Outdoor Recreation Legacy Partnership (ORLP) program was established in 2014 and is funded through the Land and Water Conservation Fund. ORLP is a nationally competitive, dollar-for-dollar matching grant program. It was created to aid disadvantaged, urban communities that lack access to close-by outdoor recreation. Funds can be used for the acquisition and/or development of, or substantial renovation of, public parks and other outdoor recreation spaces.

Entities interested in seeking funding under the ORLP program should contact their State’s Lead Agency (Department of Energy and Environmental Protection for Connecticut; Office of Parks, Recreation, and Historic Preservation for New York) to get details about their state’s process for selecting and submitting projects to the NPS’ national competition.

This factsheet summarizes the findings of a 2022 informal needs assessment of coastal Long Island Sound communities conducted by the Long Island Sound Study’s Sustainable & Resilient Communities (SRC) Working Group Extension Professionals Team. The goal of the needs assessment was to guide future SRC work and to understand: 1) which environmental threats communities are most concerned about, 2) what communities are already doing to address these threats (including their goals and priority projects), 3) what barriers are preventing actions, and 4) what support is needed to overcome those barriers. 

Created by UConn CLEAR in partnership with the Long Island Sound Study, this Population and Demographic Story Map explores the land and people in the Long Island Sound Watershed. From Canada down to the northern coast of Long Island, the watershed is a vastly diverse area in both land and people, populated by nearly 9 million people and characterized by farms, forests, urban centers, beaches, marshes and more. This story map showcases how the Sound is an integral part of the lives of those who live, work, and visit the region every day.

WEST COG developed this riparian zoning publication that is primarily focused on water quality, but also is highly relevant to climate mitigation.

The Outdoor Recreation Legacy Partnership (ORLP) program was established in 2014 and is funded through the Land and Water Conservation Fund. ORLP is a nationally competitive, dollar-for-dollar matching grant program. It was created to aid disadvantaged, urban communities that lack access to close-by outdoor recreation. Funds can be used for the acquisition and/or development of, or substantial renovation of, public parks and other outdoor recreation spaces.

Projects may include any or all manner of outdoor recreation activities such as hiking, camping, unstructured play, picnicking, cycling, field and court sports, fishing, bird watching, swimming pools, paddling, and skating, as well as for outdoor recreation facilities and some supporting facilities and infrastructure like restrooms/bathhouses, or parking areas, when part of an overall recreation project.