GOAL:
Preserve trails and greenway corridors.

OBJECTIVE:
Preserve and increase linear corridors which represent the natural landscape character of Connecticut and provide for extensive trail oriented recreational opportunities within those regional open space lands appropriate with maintenance and protection o f the resource base.

STATUS & TRENDS:
Expanded land development has caused gaps in many formerly continuous open space corridors, especially in central and southwestern Connecticut. The trend will continue if there isn't recognition and planning for the retention of regional scale natural l andscape components. As a result, long distance recreational trails, corridors valuable for wildlife migration and the aesthetics of continuous natural features will be fractured or destroyed. There is currently no one entity capable of coordinating all aspects of an initiative to deal with this issue. Therefore, it would involve a cooperative effort among many levels within the government sector and private interests, involving both state and federal funding sources.

STRATEGIES:

1. Incorporate recommendations for natural corridor protection in the State Plan of Conservation and Development.
2. Give priority to DEP land acquisitions in key natural corridors, especially where proposed development poses a threat to corridor continuity thus enhancing the 300,000 acres state ownership goal.
3. Encourage development of municipal master plans of development which recognize natural key corridors and recommend their preservation.
4. Encourage municipal land use regulations which protect key corridors through cluster development, effective inland wetland regulation, and other means.
5. Encourage acquisition of key corridor properties by municipal and/or private non-profit action.
6. Pursue federal funding targeted for trails, greenways and corridors.
7. Develop bike trails in old railroad beds involved in the rails to trails program.