“The Connecticut River Blueway will have a priority for these funding streams which even in these tough fiscal times are there,” Salazar told reporters after the ceremony.

He added that he expects the designation will also boost funding from non-government groups by raising the profile of local conservation efforts. The Associated Press reports.

At a press conference held in the Tariffville section of Simsbury, Connecticut’s U.S. Representatives and U.S. Senators announced that they have introduced a new bill in both the U.S. Senate and the House of Representatives to designate the Lower Farmington River and Salmon Brook as protected under the U.S. National Park Service Wild and Scenic Rivers Act. NewHartfordPlus reports.

Esty was joined by many conservation organization officials at People’s State Forest to meet fisherman and to discuss the environmental, energy and economical impacts of the Farmington River — part of a $1.3 billion industry for the state of Connecticut.

MIDDLETOWN — Details are slim at this point, but O&G Industries is working to address the situation following a massive gas line explosion that rocked the Kleen Energy power plant in Middletown, killing five people and injuring more than a dozen. via UPDATE: Local O&G employees may have been at site of blast; company addressing

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LOCAL ENVIRONMENT Wow. This reminds me of pictures of the grass taken at Hammonasset that clearly show the tide is rising further nowdays than it ever has. High Sea, High Risk — Courant.com: “GUILFORD – Pollyanna Rock has always been a familiar foothold for Kathy Waugh, the spot she swam to as a child to

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