185 East Flat Hill Road 

                                                                                                     Southbury, CT 06488

                                                                                                     Tel: 203-264-5098

                                                                                                     Fax: 203-264-6332

                                                                                                     www.audubon.org <http://www.audubon.org/> 

Dear CT Birders: In case you haven't heard about the "Face of Connecticut" campaign, it is an important multi-organizational effort to, among other things, dramatically increase funding for open space in the state. You can download a summary of the Face of Connecticut Campaign proposal at: http://www.tpl.org/content_documents/FaceofConnfinal-4ind.pdf <http://www.tpl.org/content_documents/FaceofConnfinal-4ind.pdf> Audubon Connecticut testified this morning in strong support of the Raised Bill 7275 An Act Concerning the Face of Connecticut. which you can see at http://www.cga.ct.gov/2007/TOB/H/2007HB-07275-R00-HB.htm. <http://www.cga.ct.gov/2007/TOB/H/2007HB-07275-R00-HB.htm.> The response from the Environment Committee was very positive! Our testimony is pasted below, in case it might be helpful for your own talking points. Please consider submitting testimony in support of this important bill - perhaps the most important conservation effort in the last 5-10 years. This could go a long way towards helping protect more bird habitat in the state. Sandy Breslin and I would be happy to help in drafting or submitting such testimony. Just let us know! Just hearing from the birding community and letting the Committe know how important this effort is to us will do wonders. Thanks! Sincerely, Patrick Comins, Meriden, CT (Director of Bird Conservation for Audubon Connecticut) 185 East Flat Hill Road Southbury, CT 06488 Tel: 203-264-5098 Fax: 203-264-6332 www.audubon.org <http://www.audubon.org/> TESTIMONY OF AUDUBON CONNECTICUT SANDY BRESLIN, DIRECTOR OF GOVERNMENTAL AFFAIRS ENVIRONMENT COMMITTEE PUBLIC HEARING MARCH 2, 2007 Audubon Connecticut, a part of the National Audubon Society with more than 12,000 members in the state, works to protect birds, other wildlife and their habitats through education, science and conservation, and legislative advocacy for the benefit of humanity and the earth’s biological diversity. R.B. 7275 AN ACT CONCERNING THE FACE OF CONNECTICUT Audubon Connecticut strongly supports R.B. 7275 AAC The Face of Connecticut that seeks to protect and conserve those features of our state’s landscape - whether urban or rural, east or west, natural or built – that make up the Face of Connecticut. We especially thank the chairs and members of the Environment Committee for their support of this effort and for the opportunity to speak about the issue today. The Face of Connecticut Campaign brings together broad base of groups and considers a broad range of needs in four main areas: · Planning for responsible growth · Investing in our cities and village centers · Leaving a lasting legacy of natural and working lands · Protecting and stewarding our investments All of us are joined by a sense of urgency that the features that make up the Face of Connecticut are rapidly changing beyond recognition. We recognize that conserving the character and quality of life in our state demands a comprehensive and integrated approach. It is time for the State of Connecticut to invest in its natural and cultural infrastructure in the same way we invest in roads, schools, or hospitals. It is also time for the State to make an investment that is commensurate with the value of these resources to the citizens of Connecticut – both now and in the future. For this reason, we thank Governor Rell for the support she has shown for planning and conservation efforts in her budget, but challenge the members of General Assembly to do more before it is too late. You have before the materials prepared by the Face of Connecticut Campaign that outline our proposal. We are requesting an investment of $100 million per year for each of the next 10 years and have provided two scenarios for the funding of such an investment. We recognize that we cannot protect everything so the Face of Connecticut Campaign lays out a strategy for identifying and targeting those areas that are most important and seeks to leverage existing resources wherever possible. The Face of Connecticut Campaign challenges us to think about the protection and conservation of our state’s natural and cultural resources in a new way. A few examples of the benefits that such an approach yields: · Working farmland is an economic engine in Connecticut providing fresh food, good jobs and critical revenue to the state, but farmland also provides critical habitat for many species of birds and wildlife, and when managed properly, helps to protect clean water. · Vibrant urban centers not only form the base of a healthy economy, but at a time when we are losing population to other areas of the country, revitalized urban centers provide an attractive destination for an aging demographic. · Healthy forests not only provide opportunities for recreation and habitat for wildlife, but they also help to combat the effects of global warming by trapping greenhouse gases and sequestering carbon, and by providing a renewable source revenue from timber sales and sustainable forestry. · Protected open space and farmland provide critical habitat for wildlife, but according to the most recent data available more than 1.151 million Connecticut residents[1] report that they participate in some wildlife-related recreational activity whether it is hiking, hunting, fishing, or birding. It is estimated that wildlife-related recreation contributes approximately $528 million per year to the state’s economy and provides 7,983 jobs.[2] In the environmental community, we use the motto “Reduce, re-use, recycle” to encourage a sustainable approach to everyday living. I would like to adapt that phrase to encourage the Environment Committee to support R.B. 7275. With legislation, we will: · Reduce the number of farms, forests and historic structures that are being lost to development · Re-use our brownfields and historic buildings to create new, sustainable urban centers · Recycle existing resources and build on our strengths by investing in the stewardship of our existing protected spaces and in the capacity of our regional and local conservation entities. Audubon Connecticut strongly urges the Environment Committee to support Raised Bill 7275 and protect the Face of Connecticut for future generations. Thank you for the opportunity to address you today. Attachments: Hartford Courant article: Closing in on Open Vistas. January 14, 2007. Hartford Courant Op Ed: A Good Public Investment. January 28, 2007 National Widlife Federation: Fish and Wildlife: Boosting Our Economy. Newsweek article: Seniors and the city: an urban retirement. October 11, 2006 MSNBC article: Senior citizens flock to the city. March 15, 2005 _____ [1] 2001 National Survey of Fishing, Hunting, and Wildlife-Associated Recreation. U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. [2] Fish and Wildlife Recreation: Boosting our Economy. Published by the National Wildlife Federation and the International Association of Fish and Wildlife Agencies. Data compiled from: (a) 2001 National Survey of Fishing, Hunting, and Wildlife-Associated Recreation. U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service; (b) Sportfishing in America. 2002. American Sportfishing Association; (c) Economic Importance of Hunting in America. 2002. International Association of Fish and Wildlife Agencies.