TU Awards Grant To Candlewood Valley Chapter For Restoration Of Deep Brook

By CURT CLARK

Published: Mar 10, 2006 12:00 am

WASHINGTON, D.C. â Trout Unlimited, the nationâs largest coldwater fisheries conservation organization, has awarded an $8,805 Embrace-A-Stream grant to its Candlewood Valley Chapter. The grant will fund a project to improve conditions for native brook trout in Newtownâs Deep Brook.

Deep Brook, along with a portion of the Pootatuck River, is a Wild Trout Management Area, and it supports wild brook trout populations as well as wild brown trout, rainbow trout, and tiger trout. However, Deep Brook is fragile and suffers from severe erosion. Increasing development pressures threaten the long-term stability of its steep banks.

The Embrace-A-Stream grant will support the second stage in a long-term effort to restore Deep Brook. This project will strengthen the streambank and remove invasive vegetation to create a natural buffer that improves the health of the stream.

The grant will support this goal in partnership with the US Natural Resources Conservation Service, Connecticut Department of Environmental Protection, Connecticut Department of Agriculture, Town of Newtown, and others. In 2005 these entities formed the Pootatuck Watershed Association to formally oversee collaborative protection efforts on the Pootatuck River and its tributaries.

âThis Embrace-A-Stream grant will make a huge difference for the protection of Deep Brook,â said James Belden, vice president of the TU Candlewood Valley Chapter. âThis project is a critical step in our overall effort to completely restore habitat for four species of wild trout throughout the entire length of the brook and the Pootatuck River downstream.â

Embrace-A-Stream is the flagship grant program for funding TU grassroots conservation efforts. Funding is provided by TU members, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, corporate partners, and foundations. An Embrace-A-Stream Committee comprised of TU volunteer representatives and scientific advisors evaluates all proposed projects.

In 2006, the Embrace-A-Stream program will provide $180,000 for 33 projects that address water and fish habitat quality, native fish restoration, instream flows and fish population research. Since its inception in 1975, Embrace-A-Stream has funded more than 800 projects totaling approximately $3 million.

âGrassroots habitat work is an important part of Trout Unlimitedâs annual conservation effort,â said Charles Gauvin, TU president and chief executive officer. âEmbrace-A-Stream grants fund serious work that makes a difference in protecting and restoring our coldwater resources.â

Trout Unlimited is North Americaâs leading coldwater fisheries conservation organization, with more than 150,000 members dedicated to the protection and restoration of trout and salmon fisheries and their watersheds.

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Thank you for pointing out the trail access provisions included in the BOS motion—it’s an important clarification that deserves more attention in this conversation. If the development is, in fact, required to provide permanent free public access and commit to ongoing maintenance of this section of the Rochambeau Trail, that is a remarkably beneficial outcome for the town. oIt’s not every day that a private project shoulders the long-term burden of preserving and caring for a public historical corridor at no taxpayer cost—especially one that previously had no formal access, upkeep, or visibility. Let’s be honest: the idea that the only way to protect history is by preventing any development nearby is a rigid and unworkable standard. What’s being proposed here appears to strike a rare balance—historic preservation, public access, and smart development all rolled into one. That’s not a loss its a win. So rather than allowing a handful of voices to derail progress under the banner of “historic purity,” maybe it’s time to acknowledge the reality: this trail is better off with structured stewardship and visibility than remaining an overgrown ghost on old maps. Let’s move forward. Bring in the easement, bring in the public access—and yes, bring in the bulldozers!!! Progress and preservation can coexist. Let’s not let the NIMBY use fear or nostalgia keep us stuck in the past.

Discusses Rochambeau Trail And 6 Commerce Road

I've heard that several people are under the impression that the public might be banned from the Rochambeau Trail. Points 2 and 3 from the BOS motion (included in full below) make it clear that public access to the trail is part of the requirements for the developer. From what I understand, it requires free public access to the trail in perpetuity. Technically, this could be argued to be a "payment-in-kind," that attempts to balance public good with overall town growth. We can argue about weather that balance is acceptable and how the trail may be affected, but with the understanding that the trail is expected to be maintained as a publicly accessible trail regardless. July 15, 2024 Board of Selectmen approved motion: Discontinuance of Reservoir Road: Selectman Cruson moved the resolution: Resolved, that the Newtown Board of Selectmen, in accordance with Section 2-115(d)(8) of the Town Charter and Conn. Gen. Stat. §13a-49, and subject to the conditions set forth below, hereby discontinues an unimproved portion of Reservoir Road described as “Portion of Reservoir Road to be Discontinued “on that certain survey map which will be recorded on the Newtown Land Records titled “Map Showing Portion of Reservoir Road to be Discontinued” dated August, 2023 and revised September 15, 2023, and certified substantially correct by Gregory Szyszowski of SLR (the “Survey Map”), said discontinuance contingent and effective only upon the completion of the following: 1. The approval of an application for the development of land in the manner described in a letter from Attorney Thomas W. Beecher to First Selectman A. Jeffrey Capeci and Members of the Board of Selectmen dated May 30, 2024, pursuant to the “Residential Open Space Development” regulations of the Borough of Newtown by the Borough of Newtown Zoning Commission, and construction of that approval project within the timeframes required for special exception approval; 2. The inclusion of the discontinued portion of the road as part of the final Declaration of Conservation Restriction; 3. The conveyance of a mutually agreeable public easement to the Town of Newtown for pedestrian, bicycling, equestrian, and all other passive recreational uses (to exclude the use of motorized vehicles except as may be necessary by the Town or its designee to effectuate the purpose of the easement), and for municipal utility purposes; Be it further resolved, that Castle Hill Real Estate Holdings, LLC., its successors and assigns, shall not use any portion of the discontinued road as a vehicular road or access way to and from any developed portions of the property. Be it further finally resolved, that should any of the foregoing contingencies not occur, then the discontinuance contemplated herein shall not become effective and this resolution will become null and void. From: https://www.newtown-ct.gov/sites/g/files/vyhlif12216/f/minutes/bos_7-15-24_min-_att_final.pdf

Discusses Rochambeau Trail And 6 Commerce Road

Is this paper road (roads that only exist on paper map but not in reality) even owned by the Town? Many roads that predate the Town's road standards are privately owned and were never accepted by the Town, such as many of the nonconforming roads around the lake communities where the property owners own right to the center line. That is something we had to deal with when working on the Roads Ordinance a few years back. We also had to deal with a private road to run the utilities to the new SHS.

Discusses Rochambeau Trail And 6 Commerce Road

For anyone who wants to know, I cant post a link here, but Housatonic Resources Recovery Authority has an entire website. Look up "HRRA whats in whats out"

I Get It!

It’s important to clarify that while public process matters, so does the right of a property owner to reasonably develop land they legally own—especially when they follow the rules and engage with the town in good faith. The Board of Selectmen (BOS), whether one agrees with their decision or not, did not “give away” anything. The land in question was part of a road that had been unused and undeveloped for generations. There was no public access, no signage, and no infrastructure—just an overgrown path most residents never knew existed. Mr. Ackert calls the discontinuance “illegal,” but state law grants municipalities the authority to discontinue roads, subject to procedural requirements. The fact that this matter is in litigation shows that questions of law are being properly addressed in court—not in letters to the editor. If the court finds procedural flaws, they’ll be corrected. That’s how the legal system works. Real solutions are found through public process and the courts, not through social media outrage. What’s missing from this conversation is a recognition that towns need to balance many interests: history, environment, public access, private property rights, and economic development. And while the newly championed Revolutionary War heritage is important, there are also pressing modern realities: towns need housing, economic vitality, and responsible development. These things don’t happen in a vacuum—they require compromise, planning, and often, yes, change. If residents truly wish to preserve this trail as public space, the appropriate path is through purchase, conservation easement, or formal designation—not by expecting private landowners to bear the burden of public sentiment. If the writer believes so strongly in its value, perhaps they might consider investing in its preservation themselves. We can honor our history without freezing our town in time. Development and preservation aren’t mutually exclusive—but vilifying one side of the conversation only deepens division. Let’s focus on solutions that balance respect for the past with the rights and needs of those who live here now.

Discusses Rochambeau Trail And 6 Commerce Road

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TU Awards Grant To Candlewood Valley Chapter For Restoration Of Deep Brook

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