“Our Town had a Municipal Separate Stormwater Sewer System permit in place for years, but with evolving scientific understanding and a push to update requirements by the State, staff was a bit overwhelmed by the process for a new permit in many respects. CLEAR and the Municipal Stormwater Educators, specifically Amanda Ryan, were quintessential to my learning and understanding of the new requirements. The educator program even provided in person on site attention to help educate my coworkers involved with budgeting for the require- ments. This really helped with a group understanding to have a source directly available to help eliminate differing interpretations amongst employees involved.” – Chris McGinness, Inland Wetland Agent and Zoning Officer, Southbury, CT Extension in Connecticut Why Extension “Thank you and the NEMO staff for the support provided for the MS4 program. 2017 was a busy year to complete the updated municipal Stormwater Management Plan (SMP), public notifications, submittals and follow-up tasks. The guidance for the submittal requirements and the review comments you provided on the Bristol SMP were extremely helpful. Also, the NEMO webinars provided valuable information and training. The NEMO website for CT MS4 Guide; the GIS Mapping, Control Measures summaries and educational materials have been and continue to be valuable resources for the Bristol MS4 program. Looking forward to your continued sup- port for pollution prevention in CT!” – Carol Noble, Engineer, Bristol, CT “4-H has been a part of my life since I was seven years old. I take away so many fond memo- ries of interactions with my peers and leaders, and with animals and fairs and service events. With all the guidance from leaders and friends, I have learned so much about life. It has been a very valuable growing and learning experience that I’m sure will help guide me as I mature.” – Owen Day, 17-year old 4-H member from Middlesex County “Phenomenal trainer! I learned more in the first hour than through any research I have done. Shane was beyond knowledgeable and broke down a complicated topic into very easy-to- understand blocks.” – Participant in Solid Ground Tractor Safety and Maintenance Training, fall 2017 UConn Extension is on a collabora- tive journey. We co-create knowledge with farmers, families, communities, and businesses. We educate. We con- vene groups to help solve problems. Connecticut is a small, diverse state with urban and rural spaces. We under­ stand that because we live and work here. Extension educators are ready to connect you with our knowledge and help you to improve your community. Join us. “I learned about the type of soil that we have and how different the soil structure is, even in the same field. Kip Kolesinskas was an incredibly knowledgeable resource. I would recommend this consultation to everyone. Thank you for your service.” – Steven Ayer, Soil Health one-on- one consultation recipient from Solid Ground program Program participants share their reasons: 4 2017 HIGHLIGHTS OF EXTENSION