Getting to Know Connecticut's Woodland Owners 

72% of Connecticut's forestland is privately owned. Because of this, DEEP Forestry's Private & Municipal Lands (PML) program exists to educate and engage private landowners in conserving and managing their forested land. 

The National Woodland Owner Survey (NWOS) is the official survey of private forest owners in the United States. The U.S.D.A. Forest Service's Forest Inventory and Analysis (FIA) program conducts the NWOS to quantify who owns the forests of the United States, why they own them, how they use them, what they intend to do with them in the future. 

The last NWOS was conducted in 2023. In 2025, the PML program, contracting with the Family Forest Research Center, a joint venture between the University of Massachusetts Amherst and the USDA Forest Service, decided to go a step further and expand the data collected by the national survey. 

The survey collected data on landowner demographics, values, and actions in regard to their forested land. Here are the top three highlights from the survey:

Hellen Lee and Lisa Dennis exploring their woodland during a recent visit with a Service Forester.  

1. The majority of privately owned wooded parcels in Connecticut are less than 10 acres in size. This is a concern, as larger parcels of woodland are vital for forest health, wildlife, and management purposes. We encourage woodland owners to collaborate with neighbors to achieve management goals and to avoid further fragmentation of their woodland if possible.  
2. The majority of Connecticut's private landowners are over the age of 60. Our state's privately owned woodlands will experience a significant change of hands in the coming years. We recommend that woodland owners explore the legal, financial and conservation options for the future of their land.
3. Woodland owners care about their land. The top reasons that private owners value their woodland are privacy, beauty, wildlife, forest and watershed health, and recreation. Woodland owners in Connecticut are most concerned about taxes, insects and diseases, invasive plants, climate change, and land fragmentation. 

Your DEEP Service Forester can provide free technical assistance on the above topics and more. Learn more about DEEP's Service Forestry program.  

An American beech tree with advanced beech leaf disease. 

Forest Facts: Beech Leaf Disease   

1. What is beech leaf disease (BLD)? BLD is an emerging and serious threat to beech trees. This invasive disease is caused by a nematode. It was first detected in Connecticut in 2019 and has since spread throughout the state. The disease affects the leaves and buds of beech trees, leading to reduced photosynthesis, weakened trees, and, in severe cases, death.

2. How do I know if my beech trees are affected? Symptoms appear at leaf-out and worsen throughout the growing season. The most obvious symptom is dark bands between the lateral veins of leaves. Leaves with severe symptoms are heavily banded, shrunken, and crinkled with a thickened leathery texture. Affected trees will also show premature leaf drop and bud failure in advanced stages.  

3. What is being done about BLD? The Connecticut Agriculture Experiment Station is actively monitoring the spread of BLD and collaborating with community partners to better understand the disease and develop management strategies. At this time, there is no known cure.  

Monitor beech trees in your community and avoid moving beech material such as saplings and wood. Learn more about beech leaf disease. 

A slash wall protects a young forest from deer browse. 

Supporting Resilient Forestry on Town and Tribal Land   

Municipal and tribal-owned woodlands play a vital role in supporting well-functioning natural systems and a high quality of life for Connecticut residents. These forests face growing threats to their health from pests, diseases, invasive species, extreme weather events, and other stressors. Many of these threats can be mitigated through resilient forestry practices.

With support from the Inflation Reduction Act and the U.S.D.A. Forest Service, CT DEEP’s Urban and Community Forestry (UCF) Program has $1 million available to help communities in Connecticut implement resilient forestry practices. Federally recognized tribes or rural municipalities with a population less than 50,000 are eligible for a max grant award of $150,000. 

A forest management or stewardship plan completed by a Connecticut-certified forester is required. Potential applicants who do not have a forest management plan or whose plan does not include eligible resilient forestry practices may still apply for funding by working with a CT DEEP Service Forester to develop a Practice Plan prior to applying.

A Request for Information (RFI) is now available for those interested in this grant. The RFI provides preliminary feedback to DEEP to assess interest and increase potential applicants for an upcoming Request for Proposals (RFP). The final day to submit the Request for Information is March 13, 2026. The anticipated release of the Request for Proposals is June 15, 2026. 

Learn more about the Resilient Forestry Practices Grant.   

New Projects Support Wood Utilization  

DEEP received two Wood Innovations Grants to advance locally grown forest products and protect forested wetlands and watercourses.  

DEEP's Division of Forestry is excited to announce the receipt of two separate Wood Innovations Grants, provided by the U.S.D.A. Forest Service Wood Innovations Grant Program. 

“Connecticut’s diverse forest products industry boasts an economic impact of $4 billion per year while providing a number of ecological benefits and hazard mitigation. Through market support, we encourage the sound management of our natural resources.” DEEP Commissioner Katie Dykes said. “We are grateful to administer two programs that provide this support to our local forest products producers while also protecting our forested wetlands and watercourses.” 

The first project, “Branding the Future of Connecticut's Forest Products: Connecticut's Wood Utilization Team”, will form a Wood Utilization Team whose goal will be to promote the utilization of Connecticut Grown Forest Products. The project will promote Connecticut's primary and secondary wood products producers, and will act as a centralized hub for wood products producers in the state.                               

The second project, “Support for Best Management Practices in Timber Harvesting to Protect Forested Wetlands and Watercourses”, will offer financial assistance to  members of the Connecticut Professional Timber Producers Association (Timpro) to facilitate a rent-to-own program for timber mats and steel bridge sets. This will allow timber harvesters to use best management practices to protect streams and wetlands during timber harvest activities. In addition, DEEP will enhance the existing Connecticut Best Management Practices mobile app, which was officially released in November 2024. This will allow users to accurately calculate the cost of best management practices, including timber mats and bridges.  

To learn more about locally grown forest products, visit Connecticut Grown Forest Products and Connecticut’s Primary Wood Processors.   

Danica Doroski & UCF Program Awarded Partner of the Year 

DEEP Forestry is excited to announce that Danica Doroski, DEEP's Urban Forestry Program Coordinator, was awarded Sustainable CT's Partner of the Year award. This award celebrates partners who provide outstanding support to Sustainable CT and Connecticut communities. According to Jessica LeClair, Director of Sustainable CT, Danica "has been an extraordinary partner and supporter of Sustainable CT. She has shared her expertise with our program as an action reviewer and is helping us improve our actions over time. Danica has also supported our summer fellows program by sharing her professional career journey."  Congrats, Danica! 

Connecticut Hosts the National SAF Conference

Connecticut was excited to host the 2025 National Society of American Foresters annual conference in October. DEEP Forestry participated in introducing Foresters from across the nation to Connecticut's special brand of Forestry.  

Chris Martin, Connecticut's State Forester, participated in a “New England Forestry Challenges and Opportunities" forest policy panel discussion with New York State's Fiona Watt and Rhode Island State Forester Tee Jay Boudreau. Topics included workforce development, forest markets, and state agency capacities to address forest and forest community needs.

Danica Doroski, Urban & Community Forestry Program Coordinator, co-led an Urban Forestry tour at Keney Park in Hartford. With partners from the City of Hartford, the Keney Park Sustainability Project, Ferruci & Walicki, Harvard University, and the Community First School, they highlighted urban forestry projects in forest management, wood utilization, and community engagement.  

Dan Evans, State Lands Management Forester, co-led a tour of Southern New England oak sites affiliated with the Adaptive Silviculture for Climate Change (ASCC) network. The tour highlighted field trials of “early intervention techniques” with oak regeneration and recruitment, with a focus on subcanopy shade reduction and deer browse protection.

The convention was a huge success and attendees experienced first-hand the great forestry work that is happening in Connecticut! 

Grant Opportunities

RFI Due March 13:  Resilient Forestry Practices Grant

Due April 22: U.S.F.S. Wood Innovations Grants 

Due April 30: Climate-Smart Forest Stewardship Grant

Ongoing: Connecticut Landowner Support for Forest Resilience Cost Share Program