(a) There is established a Charter Oak state parks and forests account, within the General Fund, which shall be a separate, nonlapsing account. The account shall consist of any funds required or allowed by law to be deposited into the account including, but not limited to, funds from the Charter Oak open space trust account established pursuant to section 7-131s, gifts or donations received for the purposes of this section. Investment earnings credited to the assets of the account shall become part of the assets of the account. Any balance remaining in the account at the end of any fiscal year shall be carried forward in the account for the fiscal year next succeeding. Payments from the account shall be made upon authorization by the Commissioner of Energy and Environmental Protection. Neither the proceeds of any general obligation bonds of the state nor the investment earnings of any such proceeds shall be deposited in the account. Funds in the state parks and forests account shall be expended to acquire land as set forth in subsection (b) of this section.
(b) There is established the Charter Oak state parks and forests program to enable the state to acquire land for open space and watershed protection. All land acquired by the state under this program shall be preserved in perpetuity predominantly in its natural scenic and open condition for the protection of natural resources while allowing for recreation consistent with such protection as specified in subsection (b) of section 7-131d.
(c) When ranking lands to be acquired under the Charter Oak state parks and forests program, the Commissioner of Energy and Environmental Protection shall give priority first to open space land to be permanently preserved that is located in municipalities with population densities of at least one thousand five hundred persons per square mile, and second to open space land to be permanently preserved that is owned by an electric distribution company or electric supplier, as defined in section 16-1, and to open space land to be permanently preserved that is designated as class I, class II or class III land, as defined in section 25-37c.
(d) The Charter Oak state parks and forests program shall expire when the state and municipal open space goal is achieved as provided in subsection (b) of section 23-8. Any moneys remaining in the Charter Oak open space grant program account at the time the program expires shall revert to the recreation and natural heritage trust program established under section 23-74.
(P.A. 00-203, S. 5, 11; P.A. 11-80, S. 1.)
History: P.A. 00-203 effective July 1, 2000; pursuant to P.A. 11-80, “Commissioner of Environmental Protection” was changed editorially by the Revisors to “Commissioner of Energy and Environmental Protection” in Subsecs. (a) and (c), effective July 1, 2011.
Structure Connecticut General Statutes
Chapter 97 - Municipalities: General Provisions
Section 7-103. - Resignation of municipal officers.
Section 7-104. - Refusal of elected official to accept or perform duties.
Section 7-105. - Oath of assessors, board of assessment appeals and tax collectors.
Section 7-105a. - Office of grand juror abolished.
Section 7-106. - Oath of grand jurors.
Section 7-107. - Vacancy appointments by selectmen.
Section 7-108. - City or borough liable for damage done by mobs.
Section 7-109. - Destruction of documents.
Section 7-111. - Proof of claims against municipality.
Section 7-112. - Rate of wages and citizens' preference in work on public buildings.
Section 7-113. - Marking of bounds of towns, cities and boroughs.
Section 7-114. - Renewal of boundary lines.
Section 7-115. - Establishment of disputed boundaries.
Section 7-118a. - Curbs and sidewalks to be designed with cuts at pedestrian crosswalks.
Section 7-119 and 7-120. - Hearing; appeal. Assignment of street numbers.
Section 7-121. - Making of specific appropriations.
Section 7-121a. - Municipal loans to nonpublic schools for construction or renovation.
Section 7-121b. - Contracts with regional water authorities.
Section 7-121e. - Sewage treatment facility improvement trust fund.
Section 7-121f. - Municipal Electric Consumer Advocate.
Section 7-121m. - Notice of actions concerning real property in other municipalities.
Section 7-121n. - Sustainable energy program.
Section 7-122. - Sites for armories. Appropriations.
Section 7-122a. - Municipal fallout shelters and civil preparedness facilities.
Section 7-125a. - Appropriations to improvement associations for road maintenance.
Section 7-127 and 7-127a. - Municipal advisory welfare boards. Committees on needs of the aging.
Section 7-127c. - Municipal agents for children.
Section 7-127d. - Neighborhood youth center grant program.
Section 7-127f. - Annual reports. Audit.
Section 7-127g. - Annual reports to the General Assembly.
Section 7-128 and 7-129. - Public squares and parks. Gifts for parks.
Section 7-129a. - Park and recreation capital and nonrecurring expense fund.
Section 7-130. - Playgrounds and recreation centers.
Section 7-130a. - Public recreational facilities authorities. Definitions.
Section 7-130b. - Creation of authority. Joining and withdrawal.
Section 7-130d. - Powers of authority.
Section 7-130e. - Municipalities may grant property and money to authority.
Section 7-130f. - Operation of projects.
Section 7-130g. - Bond issues.
Section 7-130h. - Securing of bonds.
Section 7-130i. - Rates, rents, fees and charges.
Section 7-130j. - Use of receipts.
Section 7-130k. - Enforcement of rights of bondholders and trustees.
Section 7-130l. - Tax exemption.
Section 7-130m. - Bonds to be legal investments.
Section 7-130n. - Liberal construction. Consent of other bodies not required.
Section 7-130o. - Municipal powers to aid authority.
Section 7-130p. - Provision of property to authority.
Section 7-130q. - Lease of facilities.
Section 7-130r. - Financial aid by municipality.
Section 7-130s. - Municipal guarantee of authority bonds.
Section 7-130t. - Pledge or assignment of lease to secure bonds.
Section 7-130u. - Exemption of property from levy and sale by virtue of execution.
Section 7-130v. - Payment by authority of sums in lieu of taxes.
Section 7-130w. - Construction of statutes. Consent of other agencies not required.
Section 7-131. - Municipal forests. Public shade trees.
Section 7-131a. - Conservation commissions.
Section 7-131c. - Open space land. Definitions.
Section 7-131f. - Considerations for approving grants from funds authorized prior to July 1, 1998.
Section 7-131g. - Grant: Amount, purposes, valuation of land. Issuance of bonds.
Section 7-131h. - Charges by municipality.
Section 7-131i. - Municipal use of open space land.
Section 7-131j. - Taking of land by state or public service company.
Section 7-131k. - Acceptance of federal funds.
Section 7-131l. - Development of watershed areas for recreation and fish and wildlife sites.
Section 7-131m. - Combined conservation and recreational commission.
Section 7-131p. - Establishment of municipal land acquisition and development authority.
Section 7-131q. - Agricultural land preservation fund.
Section 7-131r. - Land acquisition fund.
Section 7-131s. - Charter Oak open space trust account.
Section 7-131v. - Local and regional agricultural councils.
Section 7-131w. - Municipal sale of certain real property; appraisal required.
Section 7-132 and 7-133. - Bounty: On bobcat or lynx; on snakes and wild animals.
Section 7-135. - Use of municipal lockup and community correctional center in another town.
Section 7-135a. - Reimbursement of towns for keeping prisoners.
Section 7-135b. - Payment for intoxication tests.
Section 7-136. - Municipal economic development commissions.
Section 7-136d. - Ordinance authorizing establishment of foreign trade zone.
Section 7-136f. - Submission of application to operate foreign trade zone.
Section 7-136g. - Applicability of local planning and zoning regulations.
Section 7-136n. - Joint issuance of bonds by two or more municipalities.
Section 7-136o. - Securing of bonds.
Section 7-136p. - Enforcement of rights of bondholders and trustees.
Section 7-136q. - Tax exemption.
Section 7-136r. - Bonds to be legal investments.
Section 7-136s. - Guarantee of joint bonds by participating municipality.
Section 7-137. - Regional economic development commissions.
Section 7-137b. - Establishment of industrial park.
Section 7-137d. - Lien for benefits assessed for water main extension.
Section 7-139. - Notice of assessment of benefits.
Section 7-140. - Assessment a lien; foreclosure.
Section 7-141. - Notice of hearing on municipal assessments.
Section 7-142. - Appeal from municipal assessments.
Section 7-143. - Completion of improvement pending appeal from appraisal of damages.
Section 7-144. - Assessment on estate of decedent.
Section 7-145. - Correction of assessments.
Section 7-146. - Clearing of waterways. Assessment of cost. Appeal.