Keep Cell Towers Out of State Parks

Do you want to see cell towers rising in Connecticut’s state parks and forests? Connecticut’s General Assembly in Hartford is considering a bill that would allow that to happen.

Connecticut Audubon Society thinks it’s a bad idea.

A provision in a bill now before the General Assembly, An Act Modernizing the State’s Telecommunications Laws (SB 447), would allow communications companies to build towers in state parks and forests, with the approval of the commissioner of the Department of Energy and Environmental Protection.

This would fundamentally change the current state practice of not allowing towers on watershed land, state parks or state forests. Passage of the provision would lead to the construction of communications towers that would seriously damage wildlife habitat by causing forest fragmentation; cell towers are also a hazard to migrating birds.

The bill was recently passed by the Energy and Technology Committee, though not without dissent caused by the cell tower provision. It may soon come before the full General Assembly for a vote. You can read more about the proposal and the debate, here.

Let your representatives in Hartford know that this provision is a bad idea. Ask them to strike it from the bill. Tell them, “I am opposed to the provision in SB 447 that would allow cell towers to be built on state parkland.”

You can find your local representatives, and their contact information, on this page: http://www.cga.ct.gov/maps/townlist.asp

Connecticut Audubon Society is following the progress of several other bills in Hartford as well. You can learn more on our new Tracking Legislation webpage, here.

The full text of the bill is here.