CT HB06384

The Commissioner of Energy and Environmental Protection shall enter into an agreement with the town of Middlefield and Lake Beseck Association by November 1, 2021, establishing annual water level draw downs of three feet in even-numbered years and six feet in odd-numbered years to balance recreational needs, lakefront infrastructure, fisheries habitat, and natural resource concerns.

The Commissioner of Energy and Environmental Protection must submit a report by October 1, 2021, to the joint standing committee on the environment detailing revenue collected from Aquatic Invasive Species fees and grants awarded to municipalities and not-for-profit organizations from the Connecticut Lakes, Rivers and Ponds Preservation account.

Tax-exempt 501(c)(3) organizations may obtain a group fishing license to conduct up to 50 events per calendar year with a maximum of 100 persons per event for individuals receiving services from the Department of Veterans Affairs, Department of Mental Health and Addiction Services, Department of Developmental Services, Department of Social Services, or Department of Children and Families.

Group fishing events must be supervised by licensed staff or volunteers, are free to participants, cannot be used as fundraising events, and organizers must report event results to the commissioner within ten days including participant numbers, hours fished, and species caught and released.

Sport fishing of trout shall have no closed season year-round, though the Department of Energy and Environmental Protection retains authority to regulate the method and manner of trout harvest.