HARTFORD, Conn. and BOSTON, Mass. (October 18, 2012) – Recognizing that open space is one of Connecticut's most valuable assets, Northeast Utilities is announcing a new non-profit, irrevocable land trust to help preserve land in the state for generations to come. The land trust is the first of its kind, large-scale preservation land trust operated by a regulated utility in the country, and comes at no cost to customers. It will hold four of the company’s parcels totaling 981 acres as permanent open space, with several acres available for recreational use.
"Preserving beautiful natural areas is one of our primary land management goals," said Tom May, CEO and President of Northeast Utilities. "We take great pride in being environmental stewards and implementing sustainable land practices across our service territory. I also want to commend our environmental partners for their work in helping to establish the land trust to ensure our customers and neighbors can enjoy Connecticut’s open space.”
The parcels in the Northeast Utilities Land Trust include 723 acres located on Skiff Mountain in Sharon, 188 acres on the Connecticut River at Kings Island in Enfield, 57 acres on Hanover Road in Newtown, and 13 acres on Bartlett Cove in Waterford. The company is proud to be a trusted partner in the state's plans for protecting unique forest lands.
“Today we celebrate the continued protection and preservation of nearly 1,000 acres of open space in the state through our partnership with Northeast Utilities and more than one dozen local and statewide environmental groups,” said Connecticut Department of Energy and Environmental Protection Commissioner Daniel C. Esty. “Connecticut’s natural resources and immense beauty add greatly to the quality of life we enjoy in our state. The partnerships that we celebrate today have been critical to our state’s success at preserving open space and will be even more important as we move forward.”
The land in the trust will not only be permanently protected but will be more visible and accessible for people who want to enjoy it. A new interactive website (www.nu.com/landmanagement) will have maps, pictures and videos of the property to help identify hiking trails and other recreation opportunities. The website will also offer information about dozens of other properties the company owns that are not in the land trust but are still open for the public to use. The parcels in the land trust are being donated by the company, with no cost to customers.
About NU
Northeast Utilities (NU) operates New England’s largest energy delivery company. NU and its companies are committed to safety, reliability, environmental leadership and stewardship, as well as expanding energy options for its more than 3.5 million electric and natural gas customers in Connecticut, Massachusetts and New Hampshire. Headquartered in Boston, MA and Hartford, CT, NU is a Fortune 500 company traded on the New York Stock Exchange under the symbol NU. Learn more about NU and its family of companies at nu.com.
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