- Connecticut General Assembly unanimously approves Long Island Sound Blue Plan
- Initiative provides an inventory and resources to guide decisions involving waters and submerged lands governed by Connecticut
- Intent is to balance ecological protections with human uses of the Sound
Summary by Dirk Langeveld
The Connecticut General Assembly has unanimously approved the Long Island Sound Blue Plan, a comprehensive inventory and resources intended to guide decisions on both ecological protections and human uses of the Sound.
The Blue Plan was unanimously approved in the Connecticut House of Representatives on April 26, and won unanimous support in the Connecticut Senate on Friday. The vote culminates an initiative that first emerged as a concept more than a decade ago.
The Blue Plan provides an inventory of the natural resources and uses of the Long Island Sound waters and submerged lands governed by Connecticut, and establishes a spatial plan to guide their future use. The goal is to “facilitate a transparent, science-based decision-making process for the preservation of Long Island Sound’s ecosystems and resources and the protection of traditional uses, while maximizing their compatibility and minimizing conflicts between them now and in the future.”
Governor Ned Lamont praised the passage of the Blue Plan, saying it establishes a framework to identify and protect the Sound’s underlying ecosystem as well as human uses. Lamont said this would improve the ability to make good decisions, avoid conflicts, and address challenges while also providing an up-to-date source of information and supporting economic growth.
The Blue Plan was first conceptualized in 2010, and in 2015 the Connecticut General Assembly authorized the creation of a plan. The first draft was issued in 2019, and a 514-page final draft was created after a 90-day public comment period. This document includes contributions from more than 2,000 individuals representing a wide array of interests, including marine trades, recreation, state and local government, tribes, conservation professionals, and aquaculture.
The final draft was issued in September 2019 and submitted to the joint standing committee on Jan. 23, 2020. It was referred to the Joint Committee on Environment in early February, before the start of the legislative session.
The Blue Plan is intended to be a “living plan” that will be updated every five years. In addition to the document, it incorporates resources such as a video series and interactive mapping tool.
