Senator Blumenthal Announces Wetlands Restoration Funding for Hammonasset Beach State Park
American Bittern. Photo: James Mefford/Audubon Photography Awards
MADISON, CT (8/14/2024)—On Thursday, August 15, Senator Richard Blumenthal (D-CT) will be joined by Audubon Connecticut (the state office of the National Audubon Society), the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Association (NOAA), and the Connecticut Department of Energy and Environmental Protection (DEEP) to announce $2.696 million in congressionally directed spending for a project improving the sustainability and resiliency of Hammonasset Beach State Park.
Located in Madison, CT, this 936-acre state park boasts a diverse, high-quality coastal ecosystem that provides habitat for birds and other wildlife, and hosts more than 3 million visitors annually.
Climate change impacts, such as coastal flooding and sea level rise, have led to rapid erosion of the park’s eastern shoreline, barrier beach, and salt marsh. In the last two decades, yearly erosion rates have nearly doubled, contributing to the loss of 27 acres of salt marsh since 1934.
“Hammonasset Beach is an essential ecosystem that features a unique combination of marshland, grassland and coast that benefits wildlife and neighboring communities alike,” said Corrie Folsom-O’Keefe, director of bird conservation at Audubon Connecticut. “The park is home to Saltmarsh Sparrows, Piping Plovers, and Brown Thrashers. Restoring this site is essential to maintaining its ecological, recreational, and economic value.”
Currently, Audubon Connecticut and the Connecticut DEEP are leading and implementing Phase 1 of a multi-phase project to address these issues. This first phase has involved site assessments, data collection, and developing project design plans.
With the $2.696 million in funding provided through the 2024 Omnibus Appropriations Bill, as requested by Senator Blumenthal and Senator Chris Murphy, we will be able to advance Phase 2 of this project.
In addition to finalizing planning and permitting, this phase will ramp up community engagement and involvement through community events, educational opportunities for local students and teachers in underserved, environmental justice communities, and employment opportunities for local youth.
“Because of the combination of beach, forest, and grassland landscapes, this site has special educational value to young people to learn about conservation in their area, and provides a place for the community to enjoy the outdoors,” said Jack Matthias, manager of coastal resilience for Audubon Connecticut. “This funding will not only help conserve the park, but also provide opportunities for everyone to play a role in maintaining local outdoor spaces.”
A restored Hammonasset Beach State Park will be reduce erosion rates and salt marsh loss along 3000 feet of coastline, protecting not only the inhabitants of the park, but also the residents of local communities in the Town of Madison and Town of Clinton.
“We are grateful to Senator Blumenthal for championing this beautiful site, and for the opportunity to conserve and maintain it for years to come,” said Robert LaFrance, policy director of Audubon Connecticut. “Everyone should feel safe and welcome when enjoying their local natural spaces, and this funding will allow more opportunities to engage and employ the community in conserving the park.”
The National Audubon Society protects birds and the places they need, today and tomorrow. Audubon works throughout the Americas using science, advocacy, education, and on-the-ground conservation. State programs, nature centers, chapters, and partners give Audubon an unparalleled wingspan that reaches millions of people each year to inform, inspire, and unite diverse communities in conservation action. A nonprofit conservation organization since 1905, Audubon believes in a world in which people and wildlife thrive.
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