Opponents press ahead on land swap deal

NEW LONDON, Conn. (AP) - Opponents to a land swap in southeastern Connecticut are pressing ahead with their opposition two months after Gov. Dannel P. Malloy signed the deal into law.

The Day of New London reports that Daniel Esty, commissioner of the state Department of Energy and Environmental Protection, was questioned Monday as he tried to raise marine-related issues in New London.

Melissa Schlag, a leading opponent, said the land swap will undermine potential donors' willingness to give land for conservation.

Developers will use 17 acres set aside for conservation in Haddam to build a hotel, stores and a train station. They will exchange 87 acres, several miles away, adjacent to a state forest.

Esty said the issue has received far more attention than it deserves, particularly compared with other conservation issues such as clean energy.

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Information from: The Day