Connecticut has awarded $4.7 million in grants to 17 cities and towns to purchase 1,170 acres of open space, Gov. Dannel P. Malloy announced Monday.
Another $50,000 has been awarded for community gardens in Hartford and New Haven.
Greater Hartford municipalities receiving awards to protect open space include Ansonia, Farmington, Hamden, Stafford and Suffield.
Other cities and towns include Branford, Cornwall, East Lyme, Fairfield, Haddam, Lyme, Madison, New Canaan, Sharon, Sprague, Waterford, and Winchester/Torrington.
The Open Space and Watershed Land Acquisition program, administered by the Connecticut Department of Energy and Environmental Protection, assists local governments and land trusts in purchasing open space. This program requires a conservation and public recreation easement that will ensure that the property is forever protected for public use.
“Through these grants, we will increase the availability of open space to provide our residents with protected lands to enjoy for outdoor recreation all across our state,” Malloy said.
