Stewardship Areas in Connecticut
The Long Island Sound Stewardship Initiative is highlighting the following areas for the ecological and/or recreational values that they support. Though they focus on publicly-owned areas (identified below as anchor sites), these complexes provide opportunities for other partners – such as land trusts, nonprofit organizations and individuals – to opt in to this voluntary program.
1. Barn Island – Stonington, CT
Anchor Site: Barn Island Wildlife Management Area
Ecological significance
- Focus of over 50 years of continuous wetland research, including investigations into wetland degradation, and one of the few sites on the east coast to have pre-disturbance baseline mapping
- Contains five tidal wetland restoration sites that have been the subject of almost 25 years of pre- and post-restoration research and monitoring
- Exemplary salt and brackish marsh
- Includes rare fen habitat
Recreational significance:
- National Audubon designated “Globally Significant Important Bird Area” site
- New marsh education and viewing area and native plant demonstration area
- One of few extensive coastal trail systems in Connecticut (over 4.5 miles of trails)
- Regionally significant coastal education outdoor classroom
- Regionally significant waterfowl hunting area
- Highly popular state-of-the-art marine boating access facility
2. Bluff Point – Groton, CT
Anchor Site: Bluff Point State Park and Natural Area Preserve
Ecological significance
- Exemplary beach and dune habitat
- Rare back barrier sand flat habitat with rare plant communities and species
- Rare oligohaline wetland system
- Includes ‘coastal old growth forest’ and rare fen habitat
Recreational significance
- Undeveloped barrier beach provides a unique “natural sandy beach experience”
- Car-top boat launch facility allows visitors to explore Poquonuck River salt marsh and popular coves along Fishers Island Sound
- Coastal bluff provides extraordinary views of southeastern Connecticut coastal landmarks (e.g., Ledge Light, Bushy Point barrier beach, and Pine Island)
- Recreational shellfish area
- Regionally significant coastal education outdoor classroom
- Nominated as a Connecticut Coastal Birding Trail Site
3. Charles Island – Milford, CT
Anchor Site: Charles Island Natural Area
(part of the Stewart B. McKinney National Wildlife Refuge)
Ecological significance
- Provides nesting grounds for endangered roseate terns and other colonial water birds
- Exemplary island habitat
4. Duck Island – Westbrook, CT
Anchor Site: Duck Island Natural Area
(part of the Stewart B. McKinney National Wildlife Refuge)
Ecological significance
- Provides nesting grounds for endangered roseate terns and other colonial water birds
- Exemplary island habitat
5. Falkner Island – Guilford, CT
Anchor Site: Falkner Island Unit of the Stewart B. McKinney National Wildlife Refuge
Ecological significance
- Provides nesting grounds for endangered roseate terns and other colonial water birds
- Exemplary island habitat
6. Hammonasset Beach – Madison, CT
Anchor Sites: Hammonasset Beach State Park and Natural Area Preserve
Ecological significance
- Extensive and exemplary salt marshes
- Exemplary coastal barrier habitat and plant communities
- Significant long-term research site
Recreational significance
- Provides outstanding coastal education services and interpretive programs
- National Audubon designated “Globally Significant Important Bird Area” site
- Extensive coastal trail system and opportunities for coastal camping
Most visited park in state park system
7. Great Meadows – Stratford, CT
Anchor Site: Stratford Point
(Great Meadows Unit of the Stewart B. McKinney National Wildlife Refuge)
Ecological significance
- Critical colonial water bird habitat
- Largest complex of unditched high marsh in Connecticut
- Provides habitat for rare plant and animal species
Recreational significance
- Provides swimming, fishing and boating opportunities
- Onshore access for wildlife viewing
8. Great Neck & Goshen Point – Waterford, CT
Anchor Sites: Harkness Memorial State Park and William A. Niering Natural Area Preserve
Ecological significance
- Exemplary coastal barrier beach and primary dune communities
- Includes coastal grassland habitat
Recreational significance
- Unusual and outstanding historical/cultural tourism attraction
- Provides a unique combination of coastal resource-based recreation and cultural tourism opportunities
- Fourth most visited park in state park system
9. Lower Connecticut River–Old Saybrook, Essex, Deep River, Lyme and Old Lyme, CT
Anchor Site: Connecticut River Ramsar Complex
Ecological significance
- Recognized as containing “Wetlands of International Importance” under the Ramsar convention
- Outstanding brackish – tidal fresh marsh complex
10. Milford Point – Milford, CT
Anchor Sites: Milford Point and Wheeler Wildlife Management Area
Ecological significance
- Outstanding back barrier sand flats with rare plant communities and species
- Exemplary primary dune habitat
- Largest unditched brackish marsh complex dominated by low marsh in Long Island Sound
- Includes intertidal shoals that, in combination with the brackish marshes, are a significant wildlife concentration area and provide habitat and foraging areas for colonial water birds
Recreational significance
• Outstanding coastal outdoor education facility
• Regionally significant waterfowl hunting area
11. Norwalk River – Norwalk, CT
Anchor Ecological Sites: Chimon and Sheffield Islands
Anchor Recreation Site: Heritage Park
Ecological significance
- Critical colonial water bird habitat
- Exemplary island habitat
Recreational Significance
- Key urban waterfront access points where recreational need is high for city population
- Access opportunities provided by privately owned waterfront walkways
- Includes public boat slips and moorings, boat launches for both small and trailered boats, and fishing access areas
12. Quinnipiac River – New Haven, CT
Anchor Site: Quinnipiac River Marsh Wildlife Management Area and State Park
Recreational significance
- National Audubon designated “Important Bird Area” site
- Important waterfowl hunting area
13. Rocky Neck – East Lyme, CT
Anchor Site: Rocky Neck State Park
Recreational significance
- Woodland-marsh trail system and coastal camping
- Coastal education nature center
- Highly popular swimming beach
- Historic and architecturally significant pavilion
- Rocky-shorefront popular with salt water anglers
- Diversity of recreation opportunities – unique on Long Island Sound
- Third most visited park in state park system
14. Sandy Point – West Haven, CT
Anchor Site: Sandy Point Bird Sanctuary
Recreational significance
- 3.5 miles of beach from Bradley Point Park to Sandy Point
- Connected by a 1.7-mile urban waterfront greenway for pedestrians, bikes, and rollerbladers
- Supports a variety of fishing, swimming and boating opportunities in an urban setting
- Provides scenic views of the lighthouse located in New Haven Harbor
Wildlife viewing from Sandy Point and the Bird Sanctuary
15. Sherwood Island – Westport, CT
Anchor Site: Sherwood Island State Park
Recreational significance
- Significant saltwater swimming beach serving New York/Bridgeport metropolitan areas
- Nature trails
- September 11th Living Memorial
- State-of-the-art natural resource experiential learning facilities opening in 2005
- Approximately 500,000 visitors each year, making it the second most visited state park
16. Watts Island – East Lyme, CT
Anchor Site: Watts Island (owned by The Nature Conservancy)
Ecological significance
- Outstanding coastal barrier with the highest primary dune system in Connecticut
- Supports the best developed coastal maritime shrub thicket
- Site of tidal wetland research and sedimentation studies
17. West Rock Ridge – Hamden and New Haven, CT
Anchor Site: West Rock Ridge State Park
Ecological significance
- Outstanding traprock ridge segment
- Provides habitat for numerous rare plants and insects
- Rare landform type in the Long Island Sound ecosystem
Recreational significance
- Site of extraordinary geological history interest
- Includes a nature center
- Provides boating access to the West River
- Extensive trail system