Save Oswegatchie Hills
Protect this last mile of fragile coastal forest from ill-conceived development
The fight to protect the Hills
Three organizations, two local and one statewide, have formed the Save Oswegatchie Hills Coalition to protect this critical piece of land and its resources.
Two local environmental grassroots organizations, the Friends of the Oswegatchie Hills Nature Preserve (the Friends) and Save the River-Save the Hills (STR-STH) formed fifteen years ago when the current owner of the 236 acres proposed development. When the developer sued the Town of East Lyme in 2005, both organizations became intervenors on environmental grounds.
CFE/Save the Sound joined the ongoing legal battle in 2015 and is leading the collective legal efforts of the three organizations.
The Oswegatchie Hills are a fragile coastal forest located in southeastern Connecticut on the Niantic River, a tidal estuary that flows directly into the Long Island Sound. The Hills teem with wildlife and encompass rugged forest, vital wetlands, and spectacular rock formations.
Bordered by I-95 on the north and tucked between busy corridors of commerce and residential
communities, the steep and rocky landscape and pristine forest provide a critical undisturbed habitat for a multitude of native plant and animal species, a safe haven for migrating birds and an inspiring landscape for the state’s residents to hike and explore.
To save the Hills, we need your help! Join the coalition
Coalition members believe the best use of the remaining 236 acres of this vulnerable coastal forest is preservation, not high density housing. We want this land to be acquired at fair market value and added to the adjoining Oswegatchie Hills Nature Preserve.
Please show your support by joining our coalition. A broad range of civic leaders, residents, conservation, and environmental groups are advocating to preserve and protect the Oswegatchie Hills and the Niantic River.
Sign our online petition or fill out the hard copy coalition sign-on letter and email it to Suzanne Thompson at sthompson@ctenvironment.org.
Contact Suzanne for more information on how you can make a difference in helping to preserve and protect these precious natural resources.
Save Oswegatchie Hills Coalition founding members
The Hills also protect the delicate ecosystem of the Niantic River, which lies between East Lyme and Waterford.
Two-thirds of the undeveloped coastal forest has been protected for perpetuity in the Oswegatchie Hills Nature Preserve established in 2007.
The final one-third of the Oswegatchie Hills - a crucial parcel of 236 acres that contains the last mile of undeveloped Niantic River saltwater shoreline, steep hillsides with shallow soil depth, wetlands, and vernal pools - is threatened by high density development that would ruin habitats and threaten water quality. The developer, Landmark Development, LLC., seeks to construct 840 units of housing with 1,767 parking spaces.
Photo by Vivian Brooks
