Political Quotes

“as a cosponsor of the New England Scenic Trail Designation Act, I rise in strong support of this very important bill. Connecticut is proud to be home to part of the Metacomet-Monadnock- Mattabesett Trail System, a beautiful nature trail that runs 190 miles from Massachusetts through Connecticut to the Long Island Sound. First established in 1931, the 700-mile long Blue-Blazed trail network in Connecticut join the Metacomet-Monadnock trail system in Massachusetts, a trail laid in the late 1950s. The trail is a vital part of the natural beauty and recreational activity of the First Congressional District of Connecticut, as well as the other parts of the state and neighboring Massachusetts. This distinctive trail passes through one of the most densely populated parts of the country--2 million people live within 10 miles of the trail. In 2001, the Connecticut Department of Environmental Protection designated the Metacomet Ridge System--part of the trail system--as an official state greenway. The ridge system contains a ``spine'' of traprock ridges, providing a habitat for various types of plants and animals. These living things that call the ridge home and add to its beauty are not protected from residential development pressures, and while seventeen towns in Connecticut have signed a compact to work towards protecting the ridge system the trail merits Federal protection.”