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Deep River Land Trust Receives Connecticut DEEP Open-Space Grant for Purchase of Pratt Cove Marsh Property

The Deep River Land Trust has been awarded an Open-Space Grant from the State of Connecticut, Department of Energy and Environmental Protection in the amount of $104,000. The grant, along with another earlier grant from the Connecticut River Gateway Commission of $30,000 and substantial private donations now enable the Land Trust to purchase 7.2 acres adjacent to Pratt Cove in Deep River. Pratt and Post Coves—each a diverse freshwater tidal marsh—are part of a critical habitat of the Silvio Conte National Wildlife Refuge in the lower Connecticut River Valley. The Refuge captures the juncture between land and river—preserving stopovers and breeding grounds for migratory birds and fish and key resources for terrestrial mammals. The property to be purchased consists of two separate parcels; a 0.64-acre parcel with waterfront on Pratt Cove and a 6.75-acre wooded upland parcel on the Rattling Valley Hill above the Cove. Both pieces abut existing Land Trust preserves; the waterfront parcel abuts the Smyth Sanctuary(1.5 acres), and the upland parcel abuts the Florence Bidwell Sanctuary(12.5acres) as well as 7 acres owned by The Nature Conservancy along the southeast side of the Cove. The new parcels—in addition added to existing open space will form an interconnected habitat of just over 28 acres, preserving much of an existing corridor of lands between Pratt Cove and the 300 acre Canfield Woods preserve. This preserve complex area provides public access to parking, trails, a kayak/canoe launch, and open vistas. The Deep River Land Trust extends its thanks to CT DEEP, the Gateway Commission, our generous private donors, and partners in the Town of Deep River and surrounding land trusts and advocacy groups for helping make this purchase possible.