Connecticut's Quiet Corner - Heaven on Earth

Bafflin Farm at Dawn, Pomfret, Connecticut

The Last Green Valley is half the size of Grand Canyon National Park and more than ten times that of Acadia, the largest national park in the northeast. Forest and farmland make up more than 70% of its 695,000-acres, yet it lies only an hour from 3 of New England's 4 largest urban areas. Its 300,000 inhabitants reside only 2 1/2 hours from 25 million people. This relatively undeveloped rural island in the midst of the most urbanized region in the nation makes it a resource of local, regional, and national importance.

Many things make The Last Green Valley special. It boasts:

• 2 of the most scenic and productive river systems in New England
• More than 80 ponds and lakes with exceptional water qualities and habitats
• 7 state forests, including the largest in Connecticut
• 16 state wildlife management areas
• 5 state parks composed of thousands of acres
• More than 130 miles of trails, including the East Coast Greenway, a National Millennium Trail
• The presence of moose, black bear, fishers, sea lamprey - species of animals returning after no presence for generations

Loss of The Last Green Valley would have direct, irrevocable, and negative effects on America, particularly southern New England. Why?

• The forests of The Last Green Valley provide oxygen for 8.3 million people, exceeding the needs of its population by more than 27 times. Our forests filter and store 1.2 million tons of carbon that would otherwise remain airborne.
• Our forests produce 1.4 million tons of new topsoil every year, compensating for erosion in stressed parts of the ecosystem.
• The Last Green Valley has an abundance of clean water, including the largest aquifer in Connecticut (2,600 acres). A pilot resource inventory for the towns of Brooklyn, Canterbury, Plainfield and Sterling, showed that 31% of the land was underlain by stratified drift aquifer deposits.