Carney ‘Adopts’ State Parks, Pledges to Promote Connecticut’s State Park System
Friends of CT State Parks Day at the Capitol was held on Wednesday, March 11, by Connecticut Forest & Park Association (CFPA) and Friends of CT State Parks (FCSP). State Rep. Devin Carney “adopted” three state parks as part of a program to help raise awareness for Connecticut’s State Park system.
As a member of the Environment Committee, Carney made a pledge to adopt and promote state parks during his tenure in the legislature. “Advocating on behalf of our state parks and forests is a top priority for me. As a Representative of the 23rd district we have a number of natural resources that need to be safeguarded,” Carney said.
Carney’s adopted parks include: Nehantic State Forest in Lyme, Selden Neck State Park in Lyme and Becket Hill State Park in Lyme. As part of the program, Carney will host an event to promote all three adopted parks. “Stay tuned for information on events I will host on behalf of my adopted state parks, I can’t wait to encourage residents to take advantage of the abundance of beautiful scenery in our state parks and forests,” said Rep. Carney.
According to a study conducted by UConn’s Connecticut Center for Economic Analysis (CCEA), state parks generate $6 million a year through admissions and other fees, and provide over $1 billion and 9,000 jobs to Connecticut’s economy each year. The study also documented that for every dollar the state spends on the state park system, it receives a return of $38 in economic activity. In addition, the increased property values of individual dwellings that border or overlook green open space generate an estimated $3.1 to $5.4 million to municipalities.
Carney urges residents to visit state parks this summer and take advantage of the scenic beauty and activities available to us in Connecticut. For a list of Connecticut state parks visit www.stateparks.com and for mobile phone users, you can download trail guides of all parks here: www.pocketranger.com