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Unanimously passed by the House and Senate during the 2015 legislative session and signed into law by Gov. Dannel Malloy, the Blue Plan ensures that Connecticut has a coordinated strategy for future use of the Sound by requiring the Department of Energy and Environmental Protection and stakeholders to compile an inventory of its natural and human resources.
The legislation was championed by state Sen. Ted Kennedy Jr. and Rep. James Albis, co-chairs of the General Assembly’s Environment Committee, and state Sen. Tony Hwang, whose district includes the coastal towns of Fairfield and Westport as well as Easton and Weston.
“The Blue Plan is substantively important for what it will accomplish in the way of cataloging natural resources and organizing responsible commercial and recreational uses of the treasure we know as the Long Island Sound," Hwang said. "But equally so for its symbolic significance—that it underscores Connecticut’s commitment to being a leader on environmental and eco-friendly policy initiatives and that we, in government, can produce proactive legislation for the people and our natural world when we work together in a bipartisan manner."
The Blue Plan will be completed through a coordinated effort by DEEP and the University of Connecticut, as well as relevant state agencies, colleges, universities and other stakeholders.
Once finished, the Blue Plan will map natural resources, plant and animal habitats, and other unique ecological features along Connecticut’s coastline, and overlay those with existing recreational and commercial uses to provide a comprehensive picture of the Sound.
The legislation has drawn praise from Dr. Sylvia Earle, a renowned oceanographer, explorer, author and lecturer.
“The Long Island Sound Blue Plan is an inspirational model for coastal states to follow as we move away from an era where exploitation of our ocean has been the norm,” Earle said. “It isn’t too late to change from the swift, sharp decline of ocean systems in recent decades to an era of steady recovery if we take action now. Science-based management plans like the Blue Plan will create a baseline, and a road map for the future of Long Island Sound.”
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