Environmentalists To Governor: Veto Land Swap

Several environmental groups are urging Governor Dannel Malloy to veto a bill that would swap state conservation land with a developer. WNPR’s Nancy Cohen reports.

Although lawmakers approved the controversial bill environmental groups are saying they won’t stop fighting it. The land conveyance bill allows the state to exchange 17 protected acres with a view of the Connecticut River for part or all of 87 acres that are owned by developers and are next to a state forest . The developers, Riverhouse Properties, want to build a hotel, restaurants and shops on the land with the view. Senator Eileen Daily, who proposed the swap, says the development would be a boost to the economy. But Lori Brown of the Connecticut League of Conservation Voters  says her group is asking its members to urge the Governor to veto the bill and allow the swap to be vetted through a process set up by the Department of Environmental Protection.

“Without a good process you’ve got chaos and you have too much room for political maneuvering. We really do want to see the best end result for the environment.  The point here is to get some good process in place and stick by it  so that we never have to go through this kind of controversy again."

The Connecticut River Watershed Council and Audubon Connecticut are also urging their members to call on the Governor to veto the land swap. Governor Malloy’s office says he’ll consider the bill when it arrives on his desk. 

For WNPR, I’m Nancy Cohen.