Naugatuck Valley Council of Governments Receives Grant to Develop Regional Open Space Inventory

The Naugatuck Valley Council of Governments (NVCOG) was awarded $92,000 by the U.S. Forest Service to update and improve a Regional Open Space Inventory for priority parcels across the 19 municipalities within the Naugatuck Valley. A Stakeholder Kickoff will be held virtually on Monday, December 4th at 2.p.m via Zoom. 

During the Regional Open Space Inventory Stakeholder Kickoff, NVCOG staff will discuss the project and the roles envisioned for partners. Town Planners, Town Clerks, GIS/IT staff, Conservation Commissioners, land trust members, and staff from water companies within the Naugatuck Valley are strongly encouraged to attend. Attendees can register to participate in the kickoff online at bit.ly/nvcogopenspace. Any questions may be directed to coneill@nvcogct.gov or 203-489-0351.  

Open Space is defined in the Connecticut General Statutes as land whose preservation would conserve natural resources, enhance public recreation, preserve historic sites, or promote orderly development. Examples of Open Space in the region include farmland, playgrounds, wildlife preserves, village greens, hiking trails, and more. This U.S. Forest Service grant will enable NVCOG to research and catalogue important information on priority parcels as identified by municipalities and land trusts.  

Tracking Open Space on a regional scale is challenging, given the different interpretations and record-keeping methods used among municipalities. NVCOG plans to work with stakeholders including municipal land use staff, Conservation Commissions, land trusts, and water companies in each of the 19 municipalities to identify priority parcels. Staff will then follow up with municipal clerks to consult land records to obtain the latest GIS mapping information. This information will be used to update and build out the NVCOG’s Open Space GIS viewer. Additionally, NVCOG will produce a report with municipal annexes that documents findings on Open Space in the region and provides high-level recommendations. 

In accordance with Federal law and U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) civil rights regulations and policies, this institution is prohibited from discriminating on the basis of race, color, national origin, sex, age, disability, and reprisal or retaliation for prior civil rights activity. (Not all prohibited bases apply to all programs.) 

Program information may be made available in languages other than English. Persons with disabilities who require alternative means of communication for program information (e.g., Braille, large print, audiotape, and American Sign Language) should contact the responsible State or local Agency that administers the program or USDA’s TARGET Center at (202) 720-2600 (voice and TTY) or contact USDA through the Federal Relay Service at (800) 877-8339. 

To file a program discrimination complaint, a complainant should complete a Form AD-3027, USDA Program Discrimination Complaint Form, which can be obtained online at https://www.ocio.usda.gov/document/ad-3027, from any USDA office, by calling (866) 632-9992, or by writing a letter addressed to USDA. The letter must contain the complainant’s name, address, telephone number, and a written description of the alleged discriminatory action in sufficient detail to inform the Assistant Secretary for Civil Rights (ASCR) about the nature and date of an alleged civil rights violation. The completed AD-3027 form or letter must be submitted to USDA by: 

(1) Mail: U.S. Department of Agriculture, Office of the Assistant Secretary for Civil Rights, 1400 Independence Avenue SW, Washington, D.C. 20250-9410; or 

(2) Fax: (833) 256-1665 or (202) 690-7442; or 

(3) Email: program.intake@usda.gov.