"Dedicated to constant vigilance, judicious management and conservation of our precious natural resources."

Mission Statement: "To promote the statutory responsibilities of Connecticut Conservation Commissions and Inland Wetland Commissions and to foster environmental quality through education and through the conservation and protection of wetlands and other natural resources."

Announcing the 2021 Mid-Year Conference!

Connecticut Association of Conservation & Inland Wetlands Commissions, Inc. (CACIWC)
1st Mid-year Environmental Conference 

"Continuing Conservation & Habitat Preservation Efforts During the COVID-19 Pandemic”

Scheduled for Saturday, June 12, 2021 from 8:45 AM to 1:15 PM

In addition to a keynote presentation by Representative Mary M. Mushinsky, specialty workshops will be scheduled for Conservation Commission and Inland Wetlands Agency commissioners and their staff. These workshops will provide updates on recycling and waste management in Connecticut, an introduction on wetlands law, and a review of vernal pool studies.

 Mid-year Conference Registration 

Click here for the printable form for mailing payment with a check 

Click here for the online form for paying by credit card 

Membership Dues July 1, 2021 through June 30, 2022 are Now Due!   Membership Application & Renewal Forms Click here for the printable form for mailing payment with a check Click here for the online form for paying by credit card

CACIWC members The final version of Connecticut's 2015 Wildlife Action Plan has been approved by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. The plan is on the Connecticut Department of Energy & Environmental Protection (DEEP) Click here       CACIWC supports proposed definition to the Clean Water Act Click here

Emerald Ash Borer Found in Prospect and Naugatuck, Connecticut

New Haven, CT – The Connecticut Agricultural Experiment Station (CAES) and the Department of Energy and Environmental Protection (DEEP) todayannounced that the emerald ash borer (Agrilus planipennis) was detected in Prospect, CT on July 16, 2012 by staff members at CAES. The identification has been confirmed by federal regulatory officials in the USDA Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service, Plant Protection and Quarantine (USDA APHIS-PPQ). This is the first record of this pest in Connecticut, which is added to 15 other states where infestations have been detected. A new probable site of infestation is located in the Naugatuck State Forest. The beetle identification is unconfirmed. The emerald ash borer is responsible for the death and decline of tens of millions of ash trees from the mid-west to New York State and south to Tennessee. Ash makes up about 4% to 15% of Connecticut's forests and is a common urban tree.

Click here to read Press Release from The Connecticut Agricultural Experiment Station

ALERT
Report Sightings of Invasive Mile-A-Minute

Vine Mile-a-minute vine is a highly invasive annual plant from eastern Asia that can quickly cover, outcompete and replace native vegetation, damaging habitat for native plants and animals. Early detection and rapid response are essential for control. Mile-a-minute was first found in Connecticut in Fairfield County in 1997. Since then, it has spread to 20 Connecticut towns, as far east as Stonington and as far north as Simsbury. Mile-a-minute spreads by seed and quickly grows into dense stands. Seeds are spread by wind and water.

Visit mam.uconn.edu/ for additional identification tips, photographs and control information. You can also contact Logan Senack (logan.senack@uconn.edu) or Donna Ellis (860-486-6448; donna.ellis@uconn.edu) for additional information. To report a suspected mile-a-minute invasion, visit the above website or contact Donna Ellis at UConn at 860-486-6448.

Other Conferences and Workshops

Last remaining days to register!

Civics 2.0: the Ins and Outs of Serving on a Town Inland Wetlands Agency

A few seats are still available for the last two-evening (7:00-9:00 PM) sessions, scheduled for Wednesdays, May 12 & 19, 2021 (click here to view flier). For more information please email: civics2.0@yahoo.com.

Stream Temperature Monitoring

If you plan to conduct stream temperature monitoring you must be check for quaility control measures.

Contact Meghan Lally, CT DEEP
P: 860.424.3061
E: DEEP.VolunteerStreamMonitoring@ct.gov 

Planning for Agriculture:
A Guide for Connecticut Municipalities

American Farmland Trust and Connecticut Conference of Municipalities are pleased to announce the release of the updated Planning for Agriculture: A Guide for Connecticut Municipalities. The 63-page guide is a tool to assist town boards, local elected officials and citizen advocates in finding ways to support local farms and farm businesses and to retain and protect farmland. An electronic version of the guide is available online at: www.farmland.org/connecticut OR www.ct.gov/doag

Your Environmental Toolkit for Properly Assessing Development Proposals

CACIWC is pleased to provide Conservation Commissions with a new environmental toolkit pamphlet to help commissioners properly assess development proposals that may come before their town. Click here to download pamphlet.

Historical find in Haddam

Yellow groove running bamboo has naturalized by rhizomes washing downstream. Naturalized colony documented on 7-28-2013 in Pine Brook Preserve - Haddam, CT.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gvmyqeKn2N0