Date: 4/17/25 11:08 am From: Cara Stelzel via CTBirds <ctbirds...> Subject: [CT Birds] Bluff Point Site Plan summary now available / open for comments
Good afternoon folks,
For those who frequently bird or visit Bluff Point State Park in Groton, I
wanted to share an email from the Connecticut National Estuarine Research
Reserve about their improvement plans for the three state-owned properties
that comprise Bluff Point.
What stuck out the most from the Project Summary Report (linked below) are
the proposed park entrance and parking lot relocations. The options appear
to drastically impact the Hot Corner and connected trails, with proposed
entrance Location A being the most destructive to the Hot Corner and the
general migration fall out area.
While it was nice to see birds mentioned in the Introduction (*"**More than
200 bird species are found on Bluff Point, **including various herons,
hawks, cormorants, and federally threatened piping plover.**"*) the report
seems to ignore the impact on the birds that rely on this wooded stretch of
land and its importance during migration. And although birding shared the
top spot with mountain biking as the most frequent forms of recreation
within the park, the community commentary also lacks consideration for our
avian friends.
If you feel so inclined, please submit any comments on the report proposals
via the link below. The comment form also allows you to enter your email if
you would like to receive updates about the project. The comment period
closes May 31st.
Cara Stelzel
Gales Ferry
_____
The Connecticut National Estuarine Research Reserve
<https://estuarineresearchreserve.center.uconn.edu/>, SLR Consulting, and
CT DEEP have completed the project: *Formulating a Site Plan to Support the
Ecology and Management Needs of Bluff Point, in Groton CT*. You are
receiving this email because you either attended a public meeting or
provided your email to receive updates about the project.
This project, funded by the Long Island Sound Futures Fund
<https://www.nfwf.org/programs/long-island-sound-futures-fund>, identified
vulnerable areas at the Bluff Point Property and collected visitor input
about use, improvements, and areas that should be protected. The summary
provides strategies to improve these areas and also includes a description
of additional priorities and input from public meetings.
The highest priorities identified for restoration are:
- The main vehicular entrance that floods daily and prevents access to
the park and causes safety concerns;
- Undersized and degraded culverts that cause trails to flood and
restrict tidal flow to wetlands;
- and the lower parking lot that floods daily.
Our next steps are to continue to work closely with CT DEEP to develop a
management strategy for the Property and apply for funds to implement the
improvements identified. If you have additional ideas or input to
contribute or would like to learn more about the project, please email
<BluffPoint...> Otherwise, we will send updates as they are available.
Thank you again for your contribution and interest!
Larissa
*Larissa Graham*
Education Coordinator
Connecticut National Estuarine Research Reserve
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