We need to build a group of significant numbers and work to persuade the CT Department of Energy and Environmental Protection (DEEP) leadership to focus on logging in their 30+ other State Forests in Connecticut instead of The Preserve.

You can help spread the word: Reach out to neighbors and friends. Have them send us their email address so we can keep them updated.

We do not oppose forestry conducted with logging practices appropriate in dry-ground forests with few endangered plants and animal species. But in a carbon-rich wet-soil forest like the Preserve, forestry with heavy equipment can cause lasting damage.

It’s a plan for “Sustainable Forestry” in the wrong forest. The Preserve should be protected because:

The Preserve is habitat for threatened, rare and species of concern – animals and plants that live and thrive ONLY in undisturbed forests. We are proud to have habitat worthy of flora and fauna we see or hear as we can now, and want to continue to be able to, walking through a largely intact forest. But if it’s logged, will the next generation ever see spotted or box turtles? Dusky or marbled salamanders? Wood frogs? Wood thrushes? Heavy equipment crushes fragile subterranean fungal infrastructure, essential to forest health, and introduces invasive weeds.

“Stand 10“ is the first one set to be “harvested.” The heart of the Preserve, it connects the two largest Core Protected Areas, home to the greatest numbers of rare species of concern, both animals and plants.

The operational plan for Stand 10 (one of 24 marked for logging) will be presented by DEEP at a public meeting to be held at the Town Hall in Old Saybrook on September 16th. It is CRITICALLY IMPORTANT THAT YOU ATTEND!

Before then, DEEP plans to start spraying invasive plant species. They haven’t announced whether they will use glyphosate (Round-Up) or Triclopyr, but both options have raised alarms for their effects on human health, water supply, vernal pool dwellers and forest mammals.

The parking for DEEP’s trucks and heavy machinery will be the lot at the top of Ingman Hill Road. Significant noise and disruption should be expected for the next of those operations. Essex’s parking lot is also in consideration for use for logging in the other 23 stands.

Contact our leaders with the power to change the outcome: Our Governor, state senators, Old Saybrook's First Selectman. Urge them to protect The Preserve from heavy-machine logging and allow it to evolve from a mature to an old-growth forest, so it remains a wildlife habitat haven for walkers, hikers, families and animals. (Email links below)

MESSAGE POINTS for a phone call or email:

1. WHY THE PRESERVE SHOULD BE DESIGNATED a Natural Area Preserve: it’s one of Connecticut's largest remaining intact coastal forest ecosystems, supporting dozens of National Diversity Data Base (NDDB)-documented rare species, wetlands, vernal pools, headwaters to three rivers and wildlife habitat of statewide importance.

2. EXPERTS HAVE SURVEYED THE FOREST: Dr. Michael W. Klemens, who surveyed The Preserve for DEEP in 2003, ’04, 05, ‘22 and 2026, described it as an “unusually important intact coastal forest and an excellent candidate for Forest-Reserve protection” because of its high number of rare, threatened, and species of special concern. With its documented biological, scientific, educational and scenic value, The Preserve meets the standards and criteria established by CT’s statutes for designation as a Natural Area Preserve.

3. PUBLIC SUPPORT: More than 250 area residents have joined together as the Preserve Protection Alliance in opposition to DEEP’s plan, echoing the thousands who fought for 20 years to keep The Preserve undisturbed. We reject DEEP’s “Sustainable Management” plan, that would cause irreversible harm to The Preserve due to soil compaction by heavy equipment and forest fragmentation

4. AUTHORITY: The Governor already has legislative authority to designate The Preserve as a Natural Area Preserve

5. PUBLIC SUPPORT: More than 270 area residents have joined together as the Preserve Protection Alliance in opposition to DEEP’s plan, echoing the thousands who fought for 20 years to keep The Preserve undisturbed. We reject DEEP’s “Sustainable Management” plan, that would cause irreversible harm to The Preserve due to soil compaction by heavy equipment and forest fragmentation.

6. AUTHORITY: The Governor already has legislative authority to designate The Preserve as a Natural Area Preserve.

   Intact, mature forests provide exceptional benefits—storing carbon and water, supporting biodiversity, providing habitat and buffering climate impacts. In places like the Preserve, these benefits are maximized when disturbance is minimized.

The Preserve is fundamentally different than other state forests, with its 38 vernal pools, wetland landscape, its rich fungal soils, and documented presence of threatened animal, amphibian, reptile and bird species especially vulnerable to disturbance.

It’s an election year for the Governor and our State Senators – we need them to know how much we care about this issue. Your calls, emails, media and attendance at rallies and events we plan will help enormously. We have requested a meeting with the Governor. We’ll keep you posted on progress with that, with Preserve Protection Alliance emails.

CONTACT INFO:

• Governor Lamont’s office: 860-566-4840

• U.S. Senator Blumenthal’s CT office: 860-258-6940

• U.S. Senator Murphy’s CT office: 860-549-8463

• State Senator Norm Needleman’s office: 860-240-0428

• State Senator Martha Marx’s office: 860-240-0436

• Old Saybrook’s First Selectman Carl Fortuna’s office: 860-395-3123

• DEEP Acting Commissioner Emma Cimino’s office: 860-424-3387

Your voice can make a difference.

Thank you for working now to save the future of an irreplaceable forest.