Guiding Principle
To coordinate a group of environmental professionals drawn from a variety of federal, state, regional,
and local agencies to form multidisciplinary environmental study teams to assist municipalities at no
cost to the municipality in review of sites proposed for development, conservation or preservation.
Goal
To meet the challenges of development and conservation through knowledge of the land, its resources,
and the probable effects of developments by providing a written report to assist land use decision
makers at the local level.
Objective 1: To support and provide administrative maintenance for the statewide ERT program in
cooperation with the King’s Mark RC&D Area Project, Inc.
Strategies
1. Conduct at least quarterly meetings of the ERT Subcommittee.
2. Foster communication and cooperation among the organizations that receive DEP line item
funding together. (The CT Council on Soil and Water and the five Soil Conservation Districts)
Objective 2: Manage financial resources for continued program operation.
Strategies
1. Continue biennial review of financial management strategies.
Objective 3: Support programs and initiatives that foster a deeper local understanding of land use
and environmental issues.
Strategies
1. Provide financial support for the Green Valley Institute to provide outreach education on land
use to municipal decision makers in Connecticut.
Objective 4: Educate legislators, town officials, citizens and others about the ERT program.
Strategies
1. Produce yearly mailings concerning the ERT program.
2. Maintain a separate ERT website.
3. Provide all legislators (state and federal) with a yearly ERT program update and e‐mail
notification of reviews in their districts.
4. Develop a new ERT video.
5. Continue to update program brochures, information and displays.
6. Continue to post archived ERT reports to the website.
Objective 5: Explore ways to improve the ERT program.
Strategies:
1. Continue to assess and modify the ERT program by evaluating and reporting on annual
project reviews.
2. Create a project team with Team members to identify opportunities to improve report
completion time.
3. Meet with CT DEEP officials and others for continued support of the ERT program on a
quarterly basis.
4. Provide innovative use of the ERT program to further DEEP goals in the Bureau of Water
Protection and Land Reuse.
5. Incorporate GIS mapping and analysis into ERT reports.
6. Provide annual contact with agencies providing Team members and reach out to other
organizations and individuals to obtain new Team members.
7. Test the usefulness of a post‐field review meeting with all participants to discuss
synthesized recommendations.
8. Conduct a study to establish program value to Connecticut communities.
9. Conduct HR review to ensure compliance with current contracts, employment laws, and
policies.
