Coalition Seeks To Protect BHC

Open Lands

 

HARTFORD — First Selectman Herb Rosenthal, State Representative John E. Stripp and the Newtown Land Trust have joined officials and representatives of citizen groups representing more than a million state residents to launch a bipartisan Coalition for the Permanent Protection of Bridgeport Hydraulic Company (BHC) Lands.

Coordinated by the Connecticut Fund for the Environment (CFE), the coalition will work toward establishing permanent preservation of the 18,000 acres of BHC land located across 28 communities in western Connecticut.

“Permanent preservation of BHC’s open space lands is our highest priority for the 2000 General Assembly,” CFE Executive Director Don Strait said. “We hope BHC’s new British owners will act to preserve this land for all time. If not, we will continue to work toward the creation of a regional water authority.”

The Coalition for the Permanent Protection of Bridgeport Hydraulic Company (BHC) Lands now includes 20 elected officials, 20 citizen groups and the Council of Small Towns (COST), an organization representing 127 communities across Connecticut.

“Establishing a regional authority to acquire and run BHC makes good sense for consumers,” Connecticut Attorney General Richard Blumenthal said. “A regional authority can preserve open space and stabilize water rates while continuing to invest in the technology needed to deliver safe drinking water to consumers.”

“These lands are the heart of our region,” Senator Judith Freedman added. “We must work to preserve them, preferably through the donation of conservation easements or, as a last resort, through the creation of a regional water authority. The donation of easements could yield the same profitable impact on Kelda’s bottom line as the firm would gain by selling these critically important open space parcels for development.”

“We have written draft legislation that would enable local officials to form a regional water authority should the governor’s negotiations with BHC’s new owners fail to preserve this open space forever,” Representative John E. Stripp said. “We hope for a breakthrough, but we are ready with this alternative legislation should efforts to permanently preserve this land fail.”