The Connecticut Land Conservation Council (CLCC) is dedicated to advocating for land conservation, stewardship, and funding to ensure the long-term strength and viability of the land conservation community in Connecticut. Their mission encompasses working with land trusts across the state to bolster conservation efforts, ensuring equitable access to open spaces, and advocating for policies that support natural resources as a vital community asset. Furthermore, CLCC commits to diversity, equity, inclusion, and environmental justice in its operations and outreach.
The Transaction Assistance Grant (TAG) program by CLCC offers reimbursement grants to support transaction-related project costs for land trusts, facilitating the initiation and completion of new conservation projects. The program aims to provide crucial funding for early-stage and closing-stage transaction costs, with awards of up to $5,000 for early-stage costs and up to $20,000 for closing-stage costs. The grants do not require repayment once reporting requirements are met, and while a match is not mandatory for applications tied to municipal, state, or federal conservation funding, a 25% cash match is needed otherwise. Preference is given to projects with willing landowners and those that have a contractual agreement in place. CLCC indicates a willingness to provide immediate funding up to 25% of the grant request for applicants demonstrating a need.