Dear Community,

Thank you for tuning into our May newsletter! There is a lot going on in the environmental justice (EJ) world and we are hoping to bring you the latest events and updates — all in one place. Please submit newsletter feedback and idea topics to DEEP.EJ@ct.gov or the linked form below.  

In this edition, we are excited to highlight a new career opportunity within our Office of Equity and Environmental Justice: Research Analyst.

This role will focus on leading the Cumulative Impacts permitting process that involves assisting in the current development of regulations and ensuring their long-term success and maintenance. The ideal candidate will bring a strong background in health equity or public health with experience working directly within Environmental Justice communities.

Join our team and help us build more equitable access to our energy and environmental permit processes! Click here for more information and to apply.

Gratefully yours,

Office of Equity and Environmental Justice

GENERAL ANNOUNCEMENTS 

CEEJAC and the State's Open Space Watershed Review Board are seeking Environmental Justice Community Representatives to join. Both of these councils and boards help shape the state's progress on environmental justice. If you have questions, please reach out to Sarah.Huang@ct.gov or Lindsay.Suhr@ct.gov. To apply, click here. 

DEEP Office of Adjudications New E-Filing and Public Docket Portal: The Office of Adjudications' E-Filing and Public Docket Portal is now live! Going forward, all hearing requests/petitions and case filings will be submitted through the E-Filing portal. Members of the public and DEEP staff will be able to access the public docket portal to view case statuses, view case material, case schedules, submit public comments, and subscribe to cases to be notified of activity. 

Notes from DEEP Wildlife Division: Navigating Spring Wildlife Encounters in Connecticut
As spring unfolds in Connecticut, our interactions with wildlife increase. This section provides crucial reminders and tips to avoid conflicts between people and wild animals, from bears and coyotes to seemingly “orphaned” young wildlife.

Bears, Coyotes and Foxes | Do not approach or try to feed bears, coyotes, and foxes. Remove any food sources, such as garbage, pet food, bird feeders, and suet, from yards. Report any bears on DEEP's Bear Sighting Form.

"Orphaned" Wildlife | Young animals may appear to be "orphaned", but the adult is most likely close by, waiting for you to leave. It is best to leave the animal alone. If you are absolutely certain a wild animal has been injured or orphaned, before touching or moving it contact DEEP's Wildlife Division at 860-424-3011 or contact a DEEP authorized wildlife rehabilitator. To protect fragile young wildlife, people are urged to keep cats indoors and dogs on leashes. Countless numbers of rabbits, squirrels, birds and other wildlife fall prey to pets every year. Read a recent press release: Hands Off - Young Wildlife Should Be Left Alone

Wildlife Conflicts | Many wildlife species, such as squirrels and raccoons, will use houses or other buildings for shelter and as a place for raising young. DEEP's website provides information on how to handle conflicts with wildlife. A licensed Nuisance Wildlife Control Operator can be hired if professional assistance is needed for solving common conflicts.

Rabies Awareness | To prevent exposure to rabid animals: 1) Vaccinate pets against rabies and 2) Never approach any animal, domestic or wild, that is acting disoriented or is unusually tame or aggressive. Suspected rabid animals should be reported to the local police or animal control officer. If local authorities cannot be reached, contact DEEP at 860-424-3333.

CEEJAC NEWS

Connecticut Equity and Environmental Justice Advisory Council (CEEJAC) within DEEP, established by Governor Lamont’s 21-3 Executive Order, advises the Commissioner of DEEP on current and historic environmental injustice, pollution reduction, energy equity, climate change mitigation and resiliency, health disparities, and racial inequity. All are welcome to attend and participate in CEEJAC meetings.

Please Join CEEJAC at Our Upcoming Meetings: 

CEEJAC Energy & Air: Effects of Climate Action Plan Measures on EJ Communities (Virtual)
Wednesday, May 6, 2026 | 1:00 - 3:00 PM
Register for Meeting Link 
Download Meeting Agenda

CEEJAC Land Community Resource Hour (Virtual)
Resilient Forestry Practice, Urban Green and Community Garden,
Open Space and Watershed Land Acquisition Programs
Thursday, May 14, 2026 | 3:00 - 4:00 PM
Register for Meeting Link 
Download Event Flyer

CEEJAC Quarterly Meeting & Community Tour (In-Person)
Tuesday, June 23, 2026 | 10:00 AM - 4:00 PM
144 West Main St Waterbury, CT (Mattatuck Museum)
Register to Attend 

CEEJAC Quarterly Meeting (In-Person)
Wednesday, September 16, 2026 | 6:00 - 7:30 PM
Location TBD

CEEJAC Quarterly Meeting (Virtual)
Wednesday, December 16, 2026 | 1:00 - 3:00 PM
Register for Meeting Link 

FEATURED EVENTS

FREE FISHING DAY | May 9 | Statewide
No license is required to fish on May 9, 2026 in CT (no trout and salmon stamp either). This is a great opportunity to introduce someone new to fishing without the need for them to obtain a fishing license!

2026 Energy and Environment Conference | May 14 | 8:30 AM - 1:45 PM | Hotel Marcel New Haven 
CT Business and Industry Association's (CBIA) 2026 Energy & Environment Conference delivers practical insights on the policies and regulations shaping Connecticut’s business environment. The program features in-depth discussions on the regulatory outlook, water permitting, natural gas infrastructure, and the New England power grid. For more information, click here.

Connecting Through Water: Eastern CT Watershed Summit| May 30 | Groton 
The Eastern Connecticut Watershed Summit brings together watershed
groups, municipalities, nonprofits, local organizations, and community
members to connect, collaborate, and build partnerships while exploring
tools, strategies, and ideas that support watershed health and local action. For more information, click here.

Third Annual Learning Exchange | June 25 | 9:30AM to 3:30 PM | City University of New York 
The Long Island Sound Community Impact Fund’s Annual Learning Exchange is a free, day-long event aimed at capacity-building, networking, and knowledge sharing for organizations, groups, and individuals that manage projects improving the quality and accessibility of the Long Island Sound region. For more information, click here.

Project Oceanology Summer Camps | June - August Options | Groton
Project Oceanology’s Summer Camp offers a unique opportunity for youth ages 9–17 to explore, learn, and grow through hands-on marine science. As a Connecticut-licensed, year-round nonprofit education organization, Project Oceanology has been a trusted provider of engaging summer programs since 1972, offering both day and overnight camp options. For more information, click here. 

Other Events 

• 5/13/26 (Virtual): UConn TAB Spring Webinar Series is hosting a webinar for Community Specific Brownfield Risk Communication. For more information, click here.

Tribal News

This April, the Golden Hill Paugussett celebrated a historic milestone with a groundbreaking ceremony for their new Cultural Center on the Colchester reservation. The project, which has been in the planning stages since 2022, marks a major step forward in tribal infrastructure and community development. 

May 5th is National Missing and Murdered Indigenous Persons (MMIP) Awareness Day, also known as Red Dress Day. This day of advocacy addresses the crisis of Native women and girls who are missing or being murdered at disproportionate rates.

Members from the Mashantucket, Mohegan, Golden Hill Paugussett, Eastern Pequot Tribal Nation, and Schaghticoke joined Senator Osten and Senator Martin at the State Capitol, May 1st, to honor victims, support families, and raise awareness of the high rates of violence against Indigenous people. If you are visiting the State Capitol during the first week of May, you will see a series of red dresses on display. These represent the thousands of unsolved cases of Indigenous people. 

For more information on MMIP, click here. 

Events 

Missing Murdered Indigenous Women, Girls, and Two Spirit Awareness Week | Red Dress Installation at IAIS | May 2 - May 6
The Museum will be hanging red dresses in an installation based on the work of Metis artist Jaime Black. Some of the red dresses that have been donated over the years will also be installed at the Connecticut state capitol in Hartford from April 28 - May 6. For more information, click here. 

Abimelech Uncas: Mohegan Continental Soldier | May 23 | 1:00PM | Institute for American Indian Studies
From sachem’s son to servant, then soldier to sailor, Abimelech Uncas lived an incredible life in his 19 years. Join Ellery Thomas Leary, M.A. (Park Historian, Putnam Memorial State Park) at the Institute for American Indian Studies to learn more about one Mohegan boy’s journey. Building on the work of other scholars in this field, such as Vicki Welch of Seven Generations Research and David Naumec, Ph.D., Ellery will guide attendees through the newly identified primary source documents that fill in the details of Abimelech’s short but eventful life. For more information, click here.

We hope to include more Tribal related news, funding opportunities, and resources to include in the EJ newsletter. Please reach out to Danielle Russell (danielle.russell@ct.gov) with any resources you'd like featured. 

FUNDING OPPORTUNITIES

For funding for environmental justice projects around New England, explore the new EJ Funding and Financing Navigator. 

For DEEP grant programs, explore DEEP's Grants and Financial Assistance page. 

For opportunities available for Tribal communities, explore Current Funding and Technical Assistance Opportunities | Department of Energy.

• 5/8/2026 deadline: DEEP’s Energy Resilience Construction Grants Request for Proposals. Funding under this RFP may be used to implement a wide range of resilience measures intended to mitigate the impact of events in which operations of the electric grid are disrupted, preventively shut off, or cannot operate safely due to extreme weather, wildfire, or a natural disaster. For more information, click here.
  • Eligible entities: State and federally recognized Tribes; any local or regional governmental entity; Municipal corporation; Regional council of governments; see the full list in the RFP.
  • Funding amount: $10,000 to $6,000,000 
  • Contact: Katrina Vallett, 860-827-2668, DEEP.EnergyBureau@ct.gov
• 5/19/2026 deadline: Long Island Sound Futures Fund (LISFF) request for proposals is now open! These funds are to support communities as they plan, design, and implement projects to restore the health and living resources of Long Island Sound. For more information, click here.
  • Eligible entities: non-profit 501(c) organizations, state government agencies, local government, municipal government, Tribal Governments and Organizations, and educational institutions
  • Funding amount: up to $2,000,000
  • Contact: lisff@throwe-environmental.com
• 7/24/2026 deadline: Unleashing Tribal Energy Development NOFO through the DOE Office of Indian Energy Policy and Programs is soliciting applications to advance affordable, reliable, and secure energy development of Tribal energy resources for the benefit of Tribes and their members. For more information, click here.
  • Eligible entities: Indian Tribes, Tribal and intertribal organizations, Tribal Energy Development Organizations, Tribal Colleges and Universities. 
  • Funding amount: up to $7,500,000
  • Contact: TribalGrants@hq.doe.gov
• Rolling deadline: Solar Moonshot Program Grant is helping 501(c)(3) nonprofit organizations across the United States make the switch to clean energy. Grant priority is given to solar projects that have additional funding sources and community support. For more information, click here.
  • Eligible entities: 501(c)(3) nonprofit organizations
  • Funding amount: up to $25,000
• Rolling deadline: New England Grassroots Environment Fund provides funding for groups launching new projects or starting to significantly change the direction of an existing project.  
• • Eligible entities: Groups doing local, grassroots work in CT, ME, MA, NH, RI or VT. 501c3 status is not required. 
  • Funding amount: $500 - $1,000.  
  • Contact: Tess Beem, tess@grassrootsfund.org. For more information, click here. 

FEATURED JOBS

• 5/8/26: Environmental Protection Program Specialist (Natural Resources); Department of Energy and Environmental Protection
• 5/15/26: EP Supervising Air Pollution Control Engineer; Department of Energy and Environmental Protection
• 5/18/26: Economist; PURA
• 5/21/26: Engineer Trainee; Bureau of Air Management- Department of Energy and Environmental Protection
• 7/1/26: Fall College Internship Programs; Department of Energy and Environmental Protection; Office of Policy and Management; Office of the Governor
• Until filled: Executive Director, Museum; Mashantucket Pequot Museum and Research Center

Click here to read past DEEP Equity & EJ Newsletters

The Connecticut Department of Energy and Environmental Protection is an Affirmative Action/Equal Opportunity Employer that is committed to complying with the requirements of the Americans with Disabilities Act. Please contact us at (860) 418-5910 or deep.accommodations@ct.gov if you: have a disability and need a communication aid or service; have limited proficiency in English and may need information in another language; or if you wish to file an ADA or Title VI discrimination complaint. Any person needing a hearing accommodation may call the State of Connecticut relay number - 711. In order to facilitate efforts to provide an accommodation, please request all accommodations as soon as possible following notice of any agency hearing, meeting, program or event. 

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