Halfway Through Connecticut's 2020 Forest Action Plan 

The Connecticut Forest Action Plan is a 10-year plan that guides the improvement and protection of Connecticut's forest resources for future generations.

Created in collaboration with partners and stakeholders, the Connecticut Forest Action Plan reflects on the current conditions of Connecticut's forests and the benefits they provide to Connecticut communities. Based on that information, the plan provides strategies to improve and protect Connecticut's forests.   

Meshomasic State Forest at sunrise. Photo credit: Nate Piche. 

In December 2025, Connecticut hit the halfway mark of the ten-year plan. Here are some of the accomplishments to date:  

1. The Cooperative Fire Program introduced a new Wildfire Reporting Portal to improve the accuracy of Connecticut’s wildland fire statistics.
2. A new electronic licensing system for Forest Practitioners improved the efficiency of applying for and maintaining a Forest Practitioner license. 
3. Multiple federally funded grant programs offer over $4.5 million in financial assistance for resilient forestry practice implementation statewide. 
4. A collaboration between the DEEP Forestry and Wildlife Divisions aids in the protection of vulnerable species by using acoustic bat monitoring technology in State Forests before silvicultural prescriptions. 
5. Public Act 23-206 established a statewide goal to increase urban tree canopy by 5% by 2040 in environmental justice communities that have less than 40% existing canopy cover. DEEP's Urban and Community Forestry program offered multiple urban forestry grant programs.  
6. The CT Best Management Practices for Water Quality app was launched, which helps loggers and forest practitioners conveniently plan BMPs that reduce impact on water quality.   
7. 1,495 acres owned by six landowners, called Whip-poor-will Woods, has been permanently protected through conservation easements with Forest Legacy Program funding from the USDA Forest Service.   
8. The Connecticut Agriculture Experiment Station annually monitored the growth and mortality of approximately 2,500 beech trees at 16 sites to further knowledge of beech leaf disease.   

Learn more about the Connecticut Forest Action Plan and read the 5-year Highlight Report. 

A scion (descendant) of the historic charter oak was planted in Hartford's Bushnell Park in 1871. Photo credit: Beth Bernard. 

Celebrating White Oak During the Nation's 250th  

Connecticut and the white oak tree have a long history together. This includes the Charter Oak, which served as the secret hiding place for the colony’s Royal Charter in 1687, to prevent King James II from revoking the colonists' rights to self-government. Today, the Charter Oak stands as an enduring symbol of American independence. 

As the United States marks the 250th Anniversary of the Declaration of Independence, the DEEP Forestry Division and other partners are excited to celebrate our state's most iconic tree through the White Oak Heritage project, a UConn Extension Forestry initiative. The project includes germination and distribution of Charter Oak scion seedlings, a community survey of legacy white oak trees in the state, high school tech projects that utilize local white oak wood, and educational programs celebrating white oak.  

Learn more about the White Oak Heritage Project. Do you have a notable white oak tree on your property? Participate in the Legacy White Oak Survey. 

View the video by clicking on the image or visit: https://youtu.be/dDaUM563SUk?si=XP4mOrLIKtPIyuFX

Voices of Change: An Urban Forestry Partnership    

Great things are happening in Connecticut's urban forests! Check out this video produced by UConn Extension that highlights passionate urban forestry leaders in Connecticut and the projects they are working on to support our urban forests and communities.

Learn more about the DEEP Urban Forestry program and the UConn Extension Forestry program.    

From Loss to Life: Spongy Moth Damage Results in New England Cottontail Habitat  

Housatonic State Forest, about 2 years after a salvage cut in response to a spongy moth outbreak. Photo credit: Beth Bernard.  

The Connecticut Agricultural Experiment Station estimated that more than 45,000 acres of forest in Litchfield County were severely defoliated by spongy moth in 2021. A 3,500-acre portion of Housatonic State Forest known as the Sharon Mountain Block was particularly devastated and experienced secondary stress from another insect pest, the two-lined chestnut borer, in 2023 and 2024. 

As a response, the Forestry Division inventoried the damage and planned a series of management operations to reduce safety hazards along forest roads, create suitable conditions for desired tree regeneration, and capture economic value from dead and dying trees. A 240-acre treatment in the Sharon Mountain Block was completed in 2025. This treatment resulted in pockets of young forest adjacent to mature forest. 

Technicians working for CT DEEP Wildlife Division’s New England Cottontail Program conducted winter fecal pellet surveys in this stand. Fecal pellet surveys are the primary tool wildlife biologists use to determine if habitat is occupied by the New England cottontail (a state species of special concern) or its nonnative relative, the eastern cottontail. DEEP’s staff was excited to see that New England cottontails were occupying this habitat. The Sharon Mountain Block of Housatonic State Forest, which lies within a New England Cottontail Restoration Focus Area, had never been surveyed for New England cottontail occupancy before, making this discovery even more significant.

As the forest regenerates after salvage, additional species, such as woodcock, grouse, and other young-forest species, have been spotted in the area. Forest harvests continue in areas adjacent to the newly discovered New England cottontail population. Around 950 acres of dead and dying oak trees will be managed within Housatonic State Forest by the time of completion.

Thanks to Dustin Riordan from the DEEP Wildlife Division for his work on this article. Read his article about this project in the latest New England Cottontail Newsletter from the Young Forest Initiative.     

Connecticut Celebrates Arbor Day 

Events throughout the state for Arbor Day 2026. Photo Credit: Les Welker, Erin Alvey, Danica Doroski 

DEEP Forestry attended 14 community Arbor Day events throughout the state this spring. Trees were bought and planted, knowledge was shared, and people celebrated the importance of trees in their communities. These were just some of the Arbor Day events happening throughout the state this year.  

Arbor Day is a time to celebrate the gifts that trees give to our communities, including clean air and water, cooler temperatures, climate resilience, a home for wildlife, scenic beauty, and more. Arbor Day celebrations are part of the Arbor Day Foundation's Tree Cities program. Communities that commit to the care and management of trees receive the national Tree City designation. Connecticut has 23 Tree Cities and 3 Tree Campuses as designated by the Arbor Day Foundation.  

Do you live in a Tree City? Learn more about Connecticut's Tree Cities. 

Grant Opportunities

Due Summer 2026 TBD:  Resilient Forestry Practices Grant

Due Summer 2026 TBD: Urban Forest Resilience Grant

Ongoing: Connecticut Landowner Support for Forest Resilience Cost Share Program