The Connecticut Department of Energy & Environmental Protection received a $985,000 federal grant to buy and preserve 82 acres of coastland habits in Branford, Milford, and Mystic in order to protect wintering waterfowl.
The U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service awarded the money along with 20 other projects totaling $4.6 million as part of the North American Wetlands Conservation Act of 1989.
Because of Connecticut’s population density and high waterfront property values, protecting coastal habitats is challenging. More than 90 percent of the state’s coastline is developed.
The acquisition includes two saltmarsh parcels in Branford and Milford, a critical habitat for migratory birds; and 34 acres of shrubland habitat in Mystic for shrubland birds. In addition to the acquisition, the money will cover restoration work of marsh habitat at Silver Sands State Park in Milford.
