Robert Dubrow, MD, PhD
Professor of Epidemiology
(Environmental Health)| Yale School
of Public Health Faculty Director,
Yale Climate Change and
Health Initiative

Preparations for a Changing Climate:
Impacts on Connecticut Habitats & Populations

Keynote Presentations
9:00 - 10:00 AM

David Skelly, PhD
Director, Yale Peabody Museum
of Natural History Frank R. Oastler
Professor of Ecology, Yale School
of Forestry & Environmental Studies

Workshop Schedule (Four Tracks, Three Sessions, 12 Workshops)

WORKSHOP DESCRIPTIONS

Session 1 (10:15-11:15 AM):

A1. “Environmental Benefits and Aesthetics of Wet Meadows”
Aleksandra Moch, Environmental Analyst, Conservation Commission, Town of Greenwich, Soil and Wetland Scientist, Landscape Designer
Wet meadows are not as common as red maple swamps in New England. Associated with pastures, their values and functions are hardly recognized and appreciated. This presentation will explain how these "overgrown" green oases support and sustain a fast-vanishing population of essential wildlife - insects, mammals, birds and flora. The ways this community of plants preserves and supports native species, filters storm water, stabilizes soil and so much more. Planting them over disturbed wetland and wetland buffer areas is a skill, but when properly done, it could bring all these benefits to the newly restored sites.

B1. “Enforcement by Wetlands. Agencies”
Janet Brooks, Attorney at Law, LLC
Five years after the Connecticut Supreme Court’s decision in Bozrah v. Chmurynski reversing a trial court order allowing a zoning official to enter on private property to investigate whether the owner was in violation of zoning regulations, it’s time to see how wetlands agencies have adapted to the presence of the Fourth Amendment to the U. S. Constitution (against unreasonable searches ) to their enforcement activities. Attorney Brooks will present the results of her survey of municipal wetlands regulations and consider the broader issues of enforcement, following up on her newsletter article on enforcement earlier this year. Come with your questions! Extra credit for those who bring a copy of Section 14 on Enforcement (if following the DEP Model Regulations numbering) or your town’s version of the enforcement provisions and the Fourth Amendment.

C1. “Tools and Guidance for Nature-based Community Climate Resilience in Connecticut”
Rebecca A. French, PhD, Director of Community Engagement; Connecticut Institute for Resilience and Climate Adaption (CIRCA) University of Connecticut, Avery Point Campus
The Connecticut Institute for Resilience and Climate Adaption (CIRCA) is a partnership of UConn and the CT DEEP. The mission of the Institute is to increase the resilience and sustainability of vulnerable communities along Connecticut’s coast and inland waterways to the growing impacts of climate change on the natural, built, and human environment. The CIRCA team of UConn faculty and staff conducts research to generate actionable science to inform community decisions. The Institute also provides grants to local governments and organizations to accelerate the adoption of resilience strategies in Connecticut’s communities. In this workshop, Dr. French will share the best practices and tools emerging from the Institute’s funded projects that are available to communities with a focus on the use of nature-based approaches, including living shorelines and green infrastructure. Nature-based approaches mimic natural ecosystems, but are also engineered to provide a desired service. For example, living shorelines enhance coastal ecosystems, but are also designed to decrease erosion. Green infrastructure approaches, such as rain gardens and bioswales, may be used to capture and manage stormwater, while also providing habitat.

D1. “Connecticut's Natural Diversity Data Base (NDDB)”
Robin S. Blum, Supervisor, Natural Diversity Data Base (NDDB) & Karen Zyko, Environmental Analyst, Bureau of Natural Resources, Wildlife Division, State of Connecticut Department of Energy & Environmental Protection (DEEP)
The Natural Diversity Data Base (NDDB) is a Department of Energy and Environmental Protection (DEEP) Wildlife Division program that works to protect Connecticut’s native biological diversity and natural heritage, with emphasis on our most vulnerable species and ecosystems. The NDDB houses a repository of information on the location and status of over 2,000 species which is used to determine which species may qualify to receive protection under the state’s Endangered Species Act. The workshop will also discuss how the public can contribute data and how it is used for research and conservation around the state and the region.

Session 2 (11:30-12:30 PM):

A2. “Understanding Coyotes and Ways to Resolve Conflicts”
Laura Simon is a Wildlife Ecologist who specializes in helping communities resolve conflicts with wildlife. She is the president of the Connecticut Wildlife Rehabilitators Association
Coyotes are becoming an increasingly common sight in the suburban landscape, yet public fears and conflicts are on the rise in many Connecticut communities. Towns are under increasing pressure to “do something” about this perceived threat to people’s pets and families. This program will provide much insight about coyotes, their origin and behavior, and explain the kinds of techniques that can change problematic behaviors and help residents learn to co-exist with this wild canid species, which now ranges throughout the entire continental US.

B2. “2017 Wetlands Law & Regulations Update with Question & Answer Session”
Mark Branse, Halloran & Sage, LLP; Janet Brooks, Attorney at Law, LLC
These wetlands attorneys has been brought back by again popular demand to keep you current with recent legislative and proposed regulatory changes and the latest state Supreme Court and Appellate Court cases. A large portion of this workshop will also include the question-and-answer session that you ask for each year!

C2. “Key Facts about the Revised General Stormwater Permit (MS4)”
Chester L. Arnold, UConn Center for Land Use Education and Research (CLEAR) Director, Dave Dickson, NEMO Program Co-Director, Mike Dietz, NEMO Program Co-Director, and Amanda Ryan, NEMO MS4 Educator, University of Connecticut
Stormwater runoff is a major source of flooding, erosion and pollution of Connecticut’s waterways, and is certain to become even more of a problem as a result of changing climate. The CT DEEP has recently revised and expanded the principal permit used to regulate stormwater in Connecticut via the “General Permit for the Discharge of Stormwater from Small Municipal Separate Storm Sewer Systems,” or MS4. CLEAR representatives will review the major elements of the new permit, with particular focus on the permit’s requirements regarding Low Impact Development (LID). The presenters will concentrate on the use of revised plans and regulations to support LID in new development applications, and on opportunities for reducing the impacts of existing impervious cover through retrofits. New datasets and tools developed by CLEAR’s NEMO Program will be showcased and demonstrated.

D2. “Tackling Invasive Plants: A Guide for Commissioners and Towns”
Todd L. Mervosh, PhD, General Manager, TM Agricultural & Ecological Services, LLC; former scientist, The Connecticut Agricultural Experiment Station (CAES)
This workshop will review strategies for controlling common invasive plants including Japanese knotweed, oriental bittersweet, multiflora rose along with more recent invaders such as black and pale swallow-wort, Japanese stiltgrass and mile-a-minute weed. Invasive non-native plants are a continuous management problem throughout Connecticut. The best control methods for effective and environmentally sound non-chemical and chemical control options will be presented.

Session 3 (2:00-3:15 PM):

A3. “Changing Migratory Bird Populations in Connecticut”
Min T. Huang, PhD, Migratory Bird Program Leader, Connecticut Department of Energy and Environmental Protection (DEEP)
Populations of many migratory song birds, game birds and resident game birds are being closely studied in Connecticut and surrounding regions. While some populations are in serious decline as a result of fragmented or lost habitats, climate changes and other factors, other populations are improving. This workshop will review annual population studies the DEEP conducts. Dr. Huang will discuss how local commissioners and staff can help with some of these studies. He will also introduce the Connecticut Bird Atlas project, a large statewide endeavor that will rely heavily upon citizen science to collect data.

B3. “Reviewing Subdivision Applications”
Mark Branse, Halloran & Sage, LLP
This workshop will review the procedures followed by Planning and Zoning (P&Z) Commissions in their review of subdivision applications and how they interface with other local departments and commissions. Attorney Mark Branse will discuss the ability of other land use commissions to participate in P&Z Commission reviews of subdivision applications, emphasizing how Conservation and Inland Wetlands Commissions can work more effectively with their local P& Z colleagues.

C3. “The Connecticut Aquifer Protection Area Program”
Darcy Winther, Inland Wetlands Management Program, Land and Water Resources Division, Bureau of Water Protection and Land Reuse, Connecticut Department of Energy and Environmental Protection (DEEP)
This workshop will provide a synopsis of the Connecticut Department of Energy and Environmental Protection (DEEP) Aquifer Protection Area Program (APAP), and will present a new 6-minute video titled, “What is an Aquifer?” that was produced by the DEEP in cooperation with the Middlesex Community College Corporate Media Center. Connecticut’s APAP protects major public water supply wells in sand and gravel aquifers to ensure a plentiful supply of drinking water for present and future generations. The APAP responsibilities are shared by DEEP, municipalities, and water companies. Municipalities play a critical role by regulating land use activities within the aquifer protection area. The workshop will review the important roles that CACIWC member commissions and staff can play in both protecting and promoting the value of aquifers within their towns.

D3. “Techniques for Commissioners on Protecting & Conserving Land”
Kelly Boling, Project Manager for the Trust for Public Land (TPL), Boston, MA; and Honor Lawler TPL Field Representative, New Haven, CT
This workshop is geared to expanding commissioners knowledge on conservation, land use, and permit options. With America's open space disappearing at a rate of 6,000 acres a day and 1 in 3 residents lack access to a park or natural area, this is a vital topic for Connecticut commissioners. Whether holding preliminary discussions with future applicants, conducting advisory reviews requested by other land-use commissions, or reviewing formal permit requests; conservation and inland wetlands commissions are in a unique position to educate landowners and developers about conservation options, and encourage formal protection of local natural resources.

Bonus Demo Workshop (during break) “Use of Drones for Aerial Photography & Surveys”

Marc Langley, Owner, Airborne Works
The demonstration will highlight the unique perspective an unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) or drone can provide. The use of drones for environmental monitoring in the U.S. is expected to grow due to the 2016 FAA part 107 Rule. Drones are a new tool to enhance existing tools used for environmental studies. They have the potential to revolutionize environmental applications when used at the right scale and for the right purpose. The best use of drones for environmental monitoring is for highly detailed coverage of a relatively small areas.