Dear Community,

Thank you for tuning into our April 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 bittersweetly announcing the retirement of Doris Johnson from CT DEEP’s Office of Equity and Environmental Justice after an incredible 41 years of service. As EJ's Outreach and Education Coordinator, Doris has been a cornerstone for Connecticut’s communities and municipalities, helping to tackle issues on illegal dumping, asbestos, housing, brownfields, and air pollution.

Doris has spent her career mentoring the next generation of environmental leaders and stewards. Many of whom will continue carrying on her legacy of environmental justice and joy in their work. In honor of her lifelong commitment, the Connecticut Land Conservation Council recently honored Doris with the 2026 Conservation Hero Award.

Thank you for your state service, Doris!

Gratefully yours,

Office of Equity and Environmental Justice

GENERAL ANNOUNCEMENTS 

On March 31, Governor Ned Lamont and the governors of all six New England state issued a joint statement outlining their commitment to exploring advanced nuclear energy technologies. For more information, click here. 

The U.S. Department of Energy's Office of Indian Energy (IE) announced a $50 million notice of funding opportunity aimed at fostering affordable, reliable, and secure energy solutions in Indian Country. The opportunity is designed to support Tribal-led community-scale energy project planning and development and large-scale energy project planning and underscores the fundamental role of energy in strengthening Tribal economies. For more information, click here.

CT DEEP has announced the recipients of the sixth round of funding through the Aquatic Invasive Species (AIS) Grant Program. A total of $450,000 has been awarded to ten projects focused on reducing the impacts of aquatic invasive species in Connecticut’s inland waters that met the criteria established by the 2025-26 AIS Grant Oversight Review Committee. For more information, click here.

DEEP is excited to announce the recipients of Urban & Community Forestry Trees for Communities Grants for 2026, as well as a new funding opportunity that will support the stewardship of resilient forest practices in rural municipal and tribal forests. Over $950,000 in Urban & Community Forestry Trees for Communities grants were awarded to support nine projects across Connecticut municipalities and non-profits. This grant program supports urban forestry projects that increase tree cover and contribute to urban forestry objectives in low-canopy communities. For more information, click here.

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.

CEEJAC's March Quarterly Meeting took place on Wednesday, March 18th! It was a productive session as we transitioned from our annual retreat into subcommittee workplans for 2026. Community dialogue was shared about clean fuel and emissions reduction, EJ's Office Director, Sarah Huang, shared updates on DEEP's EJ milestones, and new appointees, Kafi Rouse (DOT) and Julian Peirce (DOH) were announced.  

Meeting resources:

• Download Meeting Agenda
• Watch Meeting Recording
• Download Meeting Minutes

Please Join CEEJAC at Our Upcoming Meeting: 

CEEJAC Quarterly Meeting & Community Tour (In-Person)
Wednesday, 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

Community Art Workshops and Plastic Pollution Talk at Sessions Woods | April 11 & 18 
On April 11 starting at 10:00 a.m., Dr. Kat Owens will give a presentation titled Entangled and Ingested, which will cover the impact of plastic pollution on wildlife and how she uses art to bring attention to this issue. Then, from 11:45 a.m. - 2:45 p.m., attendees will work together to create a life-size portrait of a black bear by stitching together pieces of plastic packaging. Work on the bear portrait will continue April 18 from 2:30 - 5:30 p.m. Once complete, the bear portrait will be displayed at Sessions Woods! For more information and to register, click here.

DEEP Office of Outdoor Industry and Experiences, CT Outdoor Recreation Day | April 30 | 2:00-5:00 PM | Hartford
The Office of Outdoor Industry and Experiences will host an inaugural Connecticut Outdoor Recreation Day featuring Connecticut-based outdoor industries, retailers, guides, and recreation groups on Thursday, April 30, 2026, from 2:00-5:00 p.m. in the North Lobby of the State Capitol in Hartford. For more information, click here.

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.

Other Events 

• 4/7/26 (Virtual): Material Reuse Forum 12: Library of Things. For more information, click here.
• 4/9/26 (Virtual): Yale Program on Climate Change Communication is hosting a webinar titled "Communicating Climate Solutions". For more information, click here.
• 4/19/26 (Burlington): Shockingly Effective! DEEP's Wildlife Division is offering a series of free workshops for proper electric fence installations and wildlife deterrent tips. These workshops will take place at several locations across the state from April through June. For more information, click here.
• Application deadline- 4/20/26 (virtual): Yale's Financing and Deploying Clean Energy 10-month Certificate Program is designed to train professionals with cutting-edge expertise in policy, finance, and clean technology. For more information, click here. 

Tribal News

Events 

Notice of Funding Opportunity Informational Webinar | April 9 | 3-4PM
This informational webinar will provide an overview of the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) Office of Indian Energy $50 million notice of funding opportunity (NOFO), Unleashing Tribal Energy Development. This NOFO aims to foster affordable, reliable, and secure energy solutions in Indian Country. This funding opportunity supports Tribal-led community-scale energy project planning and development, and large-scale energy project planning. For more information, click here. 

Every Color Tells a Story: Natural Dye Workshop | April 12 | 1PM
Natural dyes have been around for nearly 30,000 years; the practice of processing and producing dyes has been passed down from generation to generation. Join Ashley Reiske, IAIS Museum Educator and events coordinator, for a family-friendly, interactive workshop on natural dyes. Followed by a brief presentation on the history and significance of natural dyes in Indigenous communities, participants will create natural dyes using powdered and dried plants to decorate their own unique scarf. For more information, click here.

Uncivil Education: Federal Indian Boarding Schools in America (traveling exhibit) | Exhibit opening - April 18
The Institute for American Indian Studies has developed a new traveling exhibit called Uncivil Education: Federal Indian Boarding Schools in America. Uncivil Education addresses the history of Federal Indian Boarding schools in America and the assimilationist policies that led to their creation. Drawing directly from first hand accounts and primary documentation, this exhibit uses lived experiences to tell the hard truth of life at boarding school at this time. For more information, click here.

National Tribal Forum on Air Quality | April 27-30
The National Tribal Forum on Air Quality (NTFAQ) aims to support tribal programs by fostering information-sharing and networking opportunities that are focused on building tribal capacity in air quality management. The event’s agenda is driven by tribal input and priorities, with a focus on increasing tribal engagement in air quality initiatives that are relevant to tribal communities across the nation. 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.

• 4/15/2026 deadline: EPA Wildlife Smoke Preparedness in Community Buildings grant is available for the assessment, prevention, control, and/or abatement of wildfire smoke hazards in community buildings and related activities. 
  • Eligible entities: states, federally recognized Tribes, public pre-schools, local educational agencies, and non-profit organization.
  • Funding amount: 8-11 grants ranging from $350,000 to $2,500,000.
  • Contact: WildfireSmokeGrants@epa.gov. For more information, click here. 
• 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: 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

• 4/13/26: Environmental Analyst 1; Department of Energy and Environmental Protection
• 5/1/26: Electric Boat Fellow; Mystic Aquarium and Electric Boat
• 5/1/26: Indigenous Summer Program Fellowship; Mystic Aquarium; for more information, email mmateleska@mysticaquarium.org.
• 5/8/26: Environmental Protection Program Specialist (Natural Resources); 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

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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