Welcome

"Dedicated to constant vigilance, judicious management and conservation of our precious natural resources."

Mission Statement: "To promote the statutory responsibilities of Connecticut Conservation Commissions and Inland Wetland Commissions and to foster environmental quality through education and through the conservation and protection of wetlands and other natural resources."

Save the Date!

Our next Annual Meeting and Environmental Conference will be held on 

 Saturday, November 14, 2026

(Please watch this site for more information!)

Please contact us at AnnualMtg@caciwc.org with any questions.

Our Keynote Speakers		New Location!
James O'Donnell, PhD UConn Professor of Marine Sciences and Executive Director, Connecticut Institute for Resilience & Climate Adaptation (CIRCA)	Mary M. Mushinsky CT State Representative & Deputy Speaker, Co-Chairperson, Connecticut Working Group on Riparian Buffers	Courtyard by Marriott Cromwell 4 Sebethe Dr, Cromwell, CT 06416

Click here for more conference information

ALERT
Please report sightings of Spotted Lanternfly  Lycorma delictula

The Connecticut Agricultural Experiment Station (CAES) renewed its Notice of Order of Quarantine on January 1, 2023, to help prevent and slow spread of the Spotted Lanternfly first identified in Fairfield and New Haven Counties. This imported insect pest can feed on more than 70 species of plants and has the potential to threaten half of Connecticut trees. For more information on identifying and reporting sightings of this insect species, please see:

Spotted Lanternfly - CAES

Spotted Lanternfly - CT DEEP

ALERT
Report Sightings of Invasive Mile-A-Minute

Vine Mile-a-minute vine is a highly invasive annual plant from eastern Asia that can quickly cover, outcompete and replace native vegetation, damaging habitat for native plants and animals. Early detection and rapid response are essential for control. Mile-a-minute was first found in Connecticut in Fairfield County in 1997. Since then, it has spread to 20 Connecticut towns, as far east as Stonington and as far north as Simsbury. Mile-a-minute spreads by seed and quickly grows into dense stands. Seeds are spread by wind and water.

For more information please read: Cheah, Carole and Ellis, Donna 2022. Biological Control of Mile-a-Minute Weed in Connecticut. Connecticut Agricultural Experiment Station Bulletin 1083. June 2022, available at: Click here

For additional information, including questions on reporting, please contact:
Carole Cheah, Ph.D.
Research Entomologist Valley Laboratory
The Connecticut Agricultural Experiment Station
153 Cook Hill Road
Windsor, CT 06095
carole.cheah@ct.gov

Other Conferences and Workshops

The Connecticut Association of Wetland Scientists (CAWS) is inviting all CT inland wetlands & conservation commissioners and staff to attend their: 

CAWS Annual Meeting on Wednesday, March 4, 2026 

at the Aqua Turf Club
556 Mulberry St. Southington, CT 06479 

Please see the conference agenda and registration information at:

Annual Meeting - Connecticut Association of Wetland Scientists

 Register now to attend the

 Connecticut Land Conservation Conference on Saturday, March 21, 2026

at the Frank Center for Public Affairs at Wesleyan University,  238 Church St. Middletown, CT 06457

 Please see the conference agenda and registration information at: 

Schedule At-A-Glance – Connecticut Land Conservation Council

Connecticut River Watershed Seminar Series

Estuary magazine and its parent The Watershed Fund have teamed up with the Old Lyme Conservation Commission to offer a free seminar series beginning in January 2026. The series is planned to span eight sessions over two years.

 2026 Series Dates: January 7 Water Quality, April 8 Avian Habitats, July 8 Building Resilient Habitats, & October 14 Aquatic Habitats
All on Wednesdays
6 -7 pm., via ZOOM

Registration is free but required. For details and how to register, visit
Conservation Events
Old Lyme, CT 

Environmental Job Postings

Check back for job postings.

Conservation Commission Role in Climate Change Resilience:

 CACIWC encourages all Conservation Commissions to review this Connecticut Institute for Resilience and Climate Adaptation (CIRCA) fact sheet on how to advocate for increasing climate change resiliency within their municipality:
Conservation Commission Fact Sheet

For additional information on Inland Wetlands and Watercourses in Connecticut, including training and regulations, please see this State of Connecticut Department of Energy and Environmental Protection (DEEP) website: Inland Wetlands and Watercourses home page (ct.gov)

Please also see the DEEP Inland Wetlands Agency Directory at: AgentTownStaffDirectorypdf.pdf

For additional information on Connecticut Wildlife including CT species, the National Diversity Data Base, and Reporting a Wildlife Sighting, please see this CT DEEP website: Wildlife in Connecticut

Planning for Agriculture:
A Guide for Connecticut Municipalities

American Farmland Trust and Connecticut Conference of Municipalities are pleased to announce the release of the updated Planning for Agriculture: A Guide for Connecticut Municipalities. The 63-page guide is a tool to assist town boards, local elected officials and citizen advocates in finding ways to support local farms and farm businesses and to retain and protect farmland. An electronic version of the guide is available online at:

Click here for Planning for Agriculture: A Guide for Connecticut Municipalities - FIC (farmlandinfo.org)

Your Environmental Toolkit for Properly Assessing Development Proposals

CACIWC is pleased to provide Conservation Commissions with a new environmental toolkit pamphlet to help commissioners properly assess development proposals that may come before their town. Click here to download pamphlet.

Historical find in Haddam

Yellow groove running bamboo has naturalized by rhizomes washing downstream. Naturalized colony documented on 7-28-2013 in Pine Brook Preserve - Haddam, CT.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gvmyqeKn2N0