Chelsea Gazillo -- Working Lands Alliance/American Farmland Trust

Frank Cervo, CT DEEP, Eastern District Service Forester

Hi Everyone, Eric Hammerling, Executive Director, Connecticut Forest & Park Association

Mary Buchanan, Connecticut Institute for Resilience and Climate Adaptation (CIRCA)

Jason White, Director, CT Agricultural Experiment Station

Hello Everyone! Kristin Barendregt-Ludwig, Program Manager at the Yale Center for Environmental Justice and EEJ Working Group Co-Chair

Denise Savageau, GC3 EEJ Work GroupCT Council on Soil and Water Conservation

Hi everyone! Allison Pilcher, Policy Director with the Connecticut Roundtable on Climate and Jobs

Maebel Haynes - EEJ Member, Sunrise Movement CT National Correspondent, Liaison between Litchfield High school environmental club and Litchfield Sustainability council

Hello all - Lisa Hayden, Outreach Manager, New England Forestry Foundation

Lilian Ruiz

Lee Cruz, Cochair GC3 Equity & EJ Working Group

Lilian Ruiz GC3 Ag and Forestry Group, CT Council on Soil and Water Conservation

Juliet Cain, Pollinator Pathway

Thanks everyone for joining. Here is a link to today's agenda: https://portal.ct.gov/-/media/DEEP/climatechange/GC3/GC3-2022-agendas-and-minutes/GC3-EEJ--Climate-Smart-Ag-and-Forestry-Meeting-Agenda-111022.pdf

Equity & Environmental Justice membersClimate Smart Ag. & Forestry membersPlease introduce yourselves in the chat.

If you would like to sign-up for public comment, please send me a direct message.

These important concepts of equity are in a helpful chart on page 11 of the EEJ Working Group's 2020 Report here: https://portal.ct.gov/-/media/DEEP/climatechange/GC3/GC3-working-group-reports/GC3_Equity_EJ_Final_Report_111320.pdf

Alex is going over the materials explained in more depth in this excerpt from the EEJ working group. https://portal.ct.gov/-/media/DEEP/climatechange/GC3/GC3-2022-agendas-and-minutes/EEJ-Public-Guidance-Excerpt.pdf

if you have questions for the presenters, please put them in the chat.

we will answer from the chat because we are a few minutes behind our agenda schedule.

DECD Distressed Municipalities list: https://portal.ct.gov/DECD/Content/About_DECD/Research-and-Publications/02_Review_Publications/Distressed-Municipalities

https://portal.ct.gov/DEEP/Environmental-Justice/Environmental-Justice-Communities

For Clarity, Are we looking at communities that have been in the list within the last 5 years when, for example, in a grant application.

We are looking at the current (2022) list.

Previous lists are in the link that Rebecca shared (the one after the last link).

@denise for the DEEP Climate Resilience Fund we will also honor the policy of DECD that those communities that were part of the distressed municipality list in the last five years are still eligible for benefits under programs, including grants.

https://portal.ct.gov/DOAG/ADaRC/ADaRC/Grants/Climate-Smart-Agriculture-and-Forestry-Grant

Thanks Rebecca. I think the 5 year is a good rule since towns tend to drop on and off the list each year.

If you would like to sign up for public comment, please send a direct message to Ashley Benitez

https://portal.ct.gov/DOAG/Boards/Boards/Diversity-Equity-and-Inclusion-Working-Group

Guiding questions for discussion (EEJ members, we would like to hear from you):-What successful applications of the equity and environmental justice lens did you hear in the presentation today?We learned today that the state statute for environmental justice communities includes communities across the state that are economically distressed and have concentrated poverty. These communities are in rural, suburban and urban areas.-What are the rural environmental justice issues the Climate-smart Agriculture & Forestry working group should consider as they apply the equity lens going forward?- How might we break down the perceived siloes of urban versus rural environmental justice communities? What are the opportunities for cross-fertilization?

Please come on camera working group members :)

Link to CIRCA's Climate Justice and Equity Grant Program: https://circa.uconn.edu/environmental-justice/climate-and-equity-grant-program/

2nd set of questions:-What are the rural environmental justice issues the Climate-smart Agriculture & Forestry working group should consider as they apply the equity lens going forward?- How might we break down the perceived siloes of urban versus rural environmental justice communities? What are the opportunities for cross-fertilization?

Kristin asked about successes, it's good to note that DEEP has made significant investments in Urban Forestry/Climate grants over the past year working with the CT Urban Forest Council and others. It is good news that Chris mentioned that thanks to an infusion of federal funds these kinds of investments will hopefully continue.

I would be interested in seeing that map overlaid with a map of CT towns that are majority BIPOC or Puerto Rican

Contextual Equity would hopefully include consideration of low-income rural communities as should Procedural Equity.

Successes: Developing a DEI working group can have a huge impact in navigating the context-specific issues that will make a difference in implementation.

Thank you Eric! The Forestry team has made incredible progress over the past couple years related to urban forestry - with multiple grant opportunities available. If anyone is interested in learning more DEEP grants, you can find more information here - https://portal.ct.gov/DEEP/Forestry/Urban-Forestry/Urban-Forestry-Grant-Opportunities

Farmland Preservation Grant info - https://portal.ct.gov/DOAG/Farmland-Preservation/Farmland-Preservation-Program---Traditional#:~:text=The%20traditional%20Farmland%20Preservation%20Program%20%28FPP%29%20is%20the,defined%20by%20the%20United%20State%20Department%20of%20Agriculture.

Let me know if you'd like to provide public comments.

Land affordability, affordable housing, and housing for temporary workers are co-considerations rural areas

UConn Extension has done a great job engaging with the Mashantucket Pequot Tribal Nation on the creation of the Tribal Dept of Ag. https://ctnations.cahnr.uconn.edu/tribes-extension-program/#

Thank you sharing Commissioner.

Looking ahead 2023, what are some equity and environmental justice tools, practices and other that we might collaborate together to support the work of the GC3!

We already talk about developing checklist to go over future recommendations and best EEJ practices by sector/topic. I think that's a great idea.

Sorry having some computer issues! Land ownership is something that was implemented here by white settlers. Looking at creative ways to make land available to CT's indigenous communities is key. How do we allow cultural respect easements? Also -- a lot of rural communities are considered what USDA calls "food deserts" some practitioners call these areas "food apartheids" -- how do we increase local food access for folks living in rural areas?

How will folks be made aware of the Climate Smart Agriculture and Forestry Grant? How can we support outreach and engagement around that?

Another thing to consider for supporting rural agricultural operations is processing/marketing infrastructure for value-added products. I've heard from farmers in Windham County who have to drive to New Haven for processing.

Hopeful that EEJ and Working & Natural Lands working group recommendations from 2020 and 2021 will continue to be carried forward. Thanks to all for staying engaged on these important issues!

We should also try to make better use of social media.

^^ Farmers groups/pages on Facebook, for instance

Great intersections here with food insecurity discussions that have come up in the Public Health & Safety working group.

https://portal.ct.gov/DOAG/Marketing/Marketing/Connecticut-Weekly-Agricultural-Report

Thank you Sarah!

The nexus between water supply, food supply, and energy conservation is critical discussion on climate change mitigation/adaptation. Mostly related to Working and Natural Lands - ag, soils, forests, water.

https://portal.ct.gov/DEEP/Climate-Change/GC3/Working-Group-Meetings-2022You can find the next meetings agendas and the recordings on that link.

https://portal.ct.gov/DEEP/Forestry/Urban-Forestry/Urban-Forestry-Grant-Opportunities

Congratulations!