Mapping layers acquired by CLEAR through the MS4 project + making them available on the CT ECO website = big benefits for users including a surprise savings of at least a half million dollars for the state. Whoa. Read the full story written by Tyler Kleykamp, Chief Data Officer at the Connecticut Office of Policy and Management where he explains the series […]
Programs
CT MS4 Mapping Details, Clarifications, and Tools
October 24, 2017 Presented By Dave Dickson & Cary Chadwick, UConn CLEAR CT’s new MS4 permit includes several mapping related requirements. From mapping your stormwater system to determining where to focus your efforts, geospatial technologies will certainly be helpful in meeting your permit obligations. This webinar will (1) highlight the parts of the permit where […]
The Emerald Ash Borer Beetle on the UConn Campus
CLEAR’s Tom Worthley recently discussed the Emerald Ash Borer beetle and its impacts on the UConn Campus with UConn Today. Read the full article on the UConn Today website, link below. Big Changes in Store for UConn’s Trees and Yours
That Sound You Hear is the Hatching of Conservation Projects!
Last week saw the successful launch of the Conservation Training Partnership program, the goal of which is to develop and carry out local conservation projects around the state powered by teams of high school students and community volunteers. The CTP is an outgrowth of the Natural Resources Conservation Academy, the week-long program for high school […]
What is a CFS anyway?
Certified Forestry Surveyor? Calculated Fournier Series? A recent conversation (most likely over a beer, but that doesn’t really factor in here…) with my neighbor provided fodder for this post. We were mapping out our route for opening day of fishing season, and I commented that the Fenton was running over 150 cfs, so it might […]
Climate Adaptation Legal Questions and Answers
May 2, 2017 Presented By Juliana Barrett, Associate Extension Educator, UConn CLEAR & Bruce Hyde, Land Use Academy Director, UConn CLEAR This webinar will provide answers to a number of the questions raised at Legal Issues in the Age of Climate Adaptation, a conference held by UConn CLEAR and and Connecticut Sea Grant’s Climate Adaptation […]
Just Take a Screenshot!
At CLEAR, we work hard to provide geospatial data so that most everybody can view and access the maps and information. Inevitably, it is never exactly what everyone wants (sigh, I wish it was). One question that I am repeatedly asked is about printing or exporting. How do I print just one area of a pdf? […]
All New CT ECO Website (that’s the one with maps)
The Connecticut Environmental Conditions Online (CT ECO) website has become a central place to view and access Connecticut’s environmental mapping information along with aerial imagery and elevation. My head has been buried in the sand for the past few months (sorry if I didn’t reply to your email), but I’ve been working on the HUUGGE […]
UConn’s Natural Resources Conservation Academy Adds Two New Education Programs in 2017
Founded in 2011, the Natural Resources Conservation Academy (NRCA) is designed to provide high school students with a structured informal learning experience focused on the environment, natural resources and geospatial technologies. In case you haven’t heard about it yet, let me get you caught up. The NRCA is all about making connections. Connecting young adults […]
Consequences of Road Salt Use in Connecticut
February 14, 2017 Presented By Mike Dietz, UConn CLEAR & Lukas McNaboe, UConn Grad Student Road salt use continues to increase in cold regions of North America. State Departments of Transportation and Municipal Public Works managers need to provide safe travel conditions for the public, however all of the salt applied to our roads ends […]
Getting Started on Your New MS4 Permit
February 7, 2017 Presented By David Dickson & Amanda Ryan, UConn CLEAR For the 121 communities (plus institutions) covered under CT DEEP’s newly revised “MS4” stormwater regulations, the first requirements are to develop (or revise) a Stormwater Management Plan (SWMP) for your town and register as an MS4. Draft SWMPs are to be posted for […]
Major New CLEAR Programs Getting Underway in 2017
As 2017 gets underway, CLEAR folks are working hard on the early stages of major new projects that cover all three of CLEAR’s traditional program areas, and actually add a fourth! Each one of these projects will no doubt be the fodder for many blogs to come, but for now, here’s a quick summary of […]
Drought in Connecticut? Who knew?
Connecticut is not the first place that would likely come to mind if I asked you to come up with a part of the country that experiences drought; the desert southwest and California might typically be first on the list. However, southern New England has received less than normal amounts of precipitation for the past […]
Groundwater 101
November 9, 2016 Presented By Dr. Gary Robbins, Dept of Natural Resources & the Environment, University of Connecticut Connecticut has an abundance of good quality groundwater owing to its geologic past. In this webinar, Dr. Gary Robbins, Hydrogeologist at UCONN, will discuss our groundwater resources—where they are, how much we might have and use, their […]
Connecticut’s MS4 Permit: What’s New?
October 11, 2016 Presented By David Dickson & Chet Arnold, UConn CLEAR The State of Connecticut has committed to an expanded stormwater regulatory program for municipalities, and CLEAR’s NEMO Program will be providing outreach and assistance to towns and institutions to support them in complying with this program. This introductory webinar will provide an overview […]
NEMO Program to Help Communities Navigate the New Stormwater Permit
CLEAR’s venerable, award-winning NEMO (Nonpoint Education for Municipal Officials) Program is embarking on a five-year program to assist Connecticut communities in complying with the state’s revised “General Permit for the Discharge of Stormwater from Small Municipal Separate Storm Sewer Systems,” or the MS4 permit. Stormwater runoff is a major source of flooding, erosion and […]
A Firsthand Rain Garden
Stormwater is one of the largest polluters of surface water in our area. When rain falls to the ground and lands on impervious surfaces (such as roads, rooves, driveways, and more), the water collects all of the pollutants on this impervious cover and dumps them in concentrated amounts wherever the stormwater drains to. Often, the […]
Citizen Science and the Connecticut Woodland Owner: New Extension Forestry program assists woodland owners with monitoring wildlife habitat
Scott Matties was checking his mailbox one late winter afternoon when he saw three shadowy figures cut across Ridge Road heading for his property. The shadows did not move like dogs. Domestic cats are not that big, he thought. He dashed to the back of his house and froze: three young bobcats trotted across his […]
Connecticut’s Forest History
May 31, 2016 Presented By Tom Worthley, Project Manager UConn CLEAR, UConn and Jeff Ward, Department of Forestry and Horticulture, The Connecticut Agricultural Experiment Station Aligned with the theme of Connecticut’s Changing Landscape, but looking much farther back in time, we will discuss the natural forces and human land-use activities that have shaped the composition […]
Connecticut is Bear Country
By Mike Evans, PhD, University of Connecticut Department of Natural Resources and the Environment Connecticut is bear country. It may sound strange, but western CT is home to a growing population of American black bears. While bears may at times look out of place in the 4th most densely populated state, black bears living around […]