CT SB00347

Establishes a state goal of preserving 21% of Connecticut's land area as open space, with 10% held by the state and at least 11% held by municipalities, water companies, or nonprofit land conservation organizations

Requires the Commissioner of Energy and Environmental Protection to prepare a comprehensive open space acquisition strategy by December 15, 2012, and update it at least once every five years in consultation with other state commissioners, the Council on Environmental Quality, municipalities, regional planning agencies, and private nonprofits

Strategy must include acreage estimates, methods for improving data collection on preserved lands, acquisition timetables, land management plans, resource assessments, and identification of highest priority lands for acquisition based on wildlife habitat and ecological needs

Directs the Department of Energy and Environmental Protection to evaluate Class A water company lands to determine their resource value and desirability for purchase or preservation as open space, and develop alternative funding strategies

Requires the Commissioner of Energy and Environmental Protection to establish a process for state agencies to identify state-owned lands with conservation value and develop strategies to preserve them in perpetuity by October 1, 2014