Guiding Principle:
Promoting more livable communities is key to
maintaining the unique quality of life in the rural,
suburban, and urban communities in eastern
Connecticut. Development pressures and
sprawling growth are currently threatening the
historic, natural and economic resources of these
cities, towns and villages.
Goal:
To promote regional cooperation in economic development and resource conservation to preserve
the unique quality of life that makes eastern Connecticut a place where people want to live and
work.
Strategies:
• Promote smart growth principles and regional planning through education of municipal officials
and community groups.
• Support the revitalization of downtown and town green areas.
• Aid towns without planning staff in conducting natural resource inventories.
• Support plans for transit oriented development.
• Assist with grant writing for towns working on smart growth projects.
• Support statewide GIS mapping of existing open space and build out scenarios
• Building off of the RC&D Municipal Capacity Survey continue an ongoing schedule of meetings
and encourage exchange of ideas among the boards of each council of Governments, Regional
Planning Agency and other regional organizations in the RC&D Area.
• Partner with like-minded state organizations to monitor state agriculture and Smart Growth
legislation and keep elected officials and the general public updated on current issues that affect
the quality of life in eastern Connecticut.
• Foster Connecticut land use education programs to support sustainable
development.
• Encourage and support collaboration among RC&D Area Land Trusts for
the purpose of regional open space and greenway planning and creation as
well as resource sharing.
• Promote healthy communities through the local food system.
• Assist the CT Farm-to-School Program in growing and reenergizing
respect and interest in farming, support the resurgence of buying local and reinvestments of good
fresh food for kids at their schools and to grow and expand the markets for farmers.
• Support urban forestry initiatives that include community tree inventories, educational
programs, rain water management programs, tree warden program, and tree planting.
• Support Brownfields redevelopment and programs that promote community support for and
involvement in these efforts.
Projects:
• Support programs which support reduce/recycle/reuse.
• Support initiatives and programs that promote clean alternative energy sources.
• Partner with the Ecological Landscaping Network
to assist landowners in implementing ecological
landscaping practices by financially supporting the
installation of ecologically sound landscaping
practices at the Tolland Agricultural Center.
• Support the Green Valley Institute in their land
use training outreach.
• Partner with the Last Green Valley on natural
resource and community development issues in
local towns in northeastern Connecticut.
• Partner with the Thames River Basin Partnership
and the Conservation Districts to promote low
impact development and stormwater management for communities and homeowners.
• Distribute legislative alerts from the National Association of RC&D Councils. Partner with like
minded state organizations to monitor state agriculture and Smart Growth legislation and keep
elected officials and the general public updated on current issues that affect the quality of life in
Eastern Connecticut.
• Educate citizens, school boards, School Wellness Committees, PTO/PTA and farmers on the
Farm-to-School program.
• Explore the potential of developing local community kitchens by partnering with Eastern
Communities in Connecticut and their connection to the local food system.
• Attend food service directors meetings and regional meetings concerning Farm-to School.
• Apply for a Grant to conduct a school food service survey for all public/private/schools/districts
and create a Farm to School Guide for Connecticut..
• Educate municipal agencies on the importance of including tree review in
the review and permitting of development projects.
• Promote successful “America the Beautiful” grant recipients projects.
• Support tree education as part of any CT land use training programs.
• Support and promote the CT Tree Warden’s Association and their
training.
• Provide leadership and support to the “Northeast CT Brownfield Coalition.”
• Partner to hold a workshop to provide business planning and information on
establishing Community Assisted Agriculture (CSA) farms in CT.
