Maria Horn

Here’s a list of today’s topics: 

• CDOT Update for Washington. Click here.
• AARP CT Livable Communities Grants. Click here.
• Use of Diquat to Combat Hydrilla in the CT River. Click here.
• ICYMI - DOT Public Information Meeting in Goshen. Click here.
• ICYMI- Trees for Communities Grant Program. Click here.
• Northwest Corner Events. Click here. 

The Connecticut Department of Transportation (CTDOT) is developing plans to replace a retaining wall and implement safety improvements on Route 47 in the town of Washington. 

The project proposes to remove the existing concrete crib walls on Route 47 between School Street and Moody Bridge Road with a new retaining wall structure across the Church. The roadway will be reconstructed to provide a consistent cross-section with wider shoulders. 

Click here to learn more. 

AARP CT Livable Communities grant application is now open.  Municipalities and nonprofits are encouraged to apply for projects that the community more livable for all ages and abilities. Grants can range from small, short-term activities to larger, permanent solutions, but the maximum amount of any single grant will be $5,000.  Applications are due by August 16. Click here for more information. 

I wanted to bring to your attention some false and misleading information on social media recently concerning the use of herbicide to combat Hydrilla, an aggressively invasive aquatic plant that is threatening bodies of water in Connecticut.  The inaccurate [unscientific/claims] has/have focused on treatments being used in the Connecticut River, where Hydrilla was first found in Connecticut, but as we in the Northwest Corner are also combatting Hydrilla in Twin Lakes, it is relevant for us as well.  What follows is a shortened version of the press release signed by a bipartisan group of 17 state legislators earlier this week:

There has been false and misleading information on social media that has triggered fear among residents about the use of the herbicide Diquat to combat the growth of Hydrilla in the Connecticut River. The false claims allege that federal and state agencies, scientists, and environmental advocates are intentionally harming rather than protecting the river and other waterways. In the face of a serious environmental threat from Hydrilla, it is important that the facts about the problem and the evidence-based method to eradicate it are accurate. 

The Connecticut River is a premier natural resource. As its stewards, we must preserve and protect the river, its ecosystems, waterfowl, and wildlife, and ensure the safety of residents who live along, recreate, or work on the river. Hydrilla is a highly invasive and transmissible plant, and its threat to the Connecticut River's natural ecology is very real, including the degradation of river habitat, water quality, native plants, and animals, and the loss of waterway navigability and fishing, lowering of property values, and an increase in flood risk.

If we do not act now, the ecosystems of the Connecticut River will be changed forever, and the rivermay never recover. Understandably, the use of any chemical in our environment causes concern. If we do nothing, the Hydrilla problem will worsen, and other invasives will proliferate. More chemicals will then have to be used to combat invasive plants. Diquat, a non-selective herbicide, when properly applied and in the right amount, is not considered hazardous.

This product has passed comprehensive federal Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) risk assessments for registration of aquatic use. The state Department of Energy and Environmental Protection (DEEP) permits all aquatic herbicide applications and certifies trained applicators to apply the product. The US Army Corps of Engineers in partnership with state and local organizations, is conducting an ongoing research program into the use of Diquat and new ways to combat the spread of Hydrilla. Environmental advocates support this program to combat Hydrilla to protect the Connecticut River, lakes, and waterways.

Alternatives to Diquat currently include using mats to cover the plant beds and mechanical removal of Hydrilla. These methods have proven to be ineffective and only worsen the problem. The plant grows through and around the mats. Mechanical removal chops and fragments the plant, causing migration and proliferation as parts of the plant float downstream and proliferate elsewhere.

We can all help slow down the spread of this invasive and highly transmissible strain of Hydrilla and other invasive plants. CT DEEP and USACE recommend the best way is to “Clean, Drain, Dry” your boats and any type of watercraft and fishing gear after removal from the river or a lake. Report any sightings of the strain to DEEP https://portal.ct.gov/deep or the Connecticut River Conservancy https://www.ctriver.org.

For more facts on the USACE and ERDC's efforts to eradicate Hydrilla, visit www.nae.usace.army.mil/Missions/Projects-Topics/Connecticut-River-Hydrilla/.

CTDOT will conduct an in-person public informational meeting for the project will be held on Wednesday, July 30  at the Goshen Center School Gymnasium at 42 North Street in Goshen. An open forum for individual discussions with project staff will begin at 6:30 p.m., with a formal presentation following at 7:00 p.m.  The proposed improvements will require two sliver property acquisitions that will be used for the construction of the new roadway geometry and sidewalk. Minor rights and easements may also be required and will be added as the design develops. 

Steep Rock Association Centennial Benefit Concert on July 13 

On Sunday, July 13 at 6:00 pm Steep Rock will host their Centennial Benefit Concert at Spring Hill Vineyards in Washington. This nature-inspired concert is presented as a collaboration between four beloved Washington nonprofits —Washington Friends of Music, Pilobolus, Spring Hill Vineyards, and Steep Rock Association.  

100% of proceeds supports Steep Rock's mission to protect the land you love.  

Doors open at 5:30 pm.