(a) An area designated as a natural area preserve is declared to be put to its highest, best and most important use for public benefit and no interest therein owned by the state shall be alienated or put to any use other than as a natural area preserve, except upon a finding by the commissioner in consultation with the natural area preserves committee that (1) such alienation or other use serves a public necessity and that no prudent alternative exists or (2) the features of the land found worthy of preservation have been destroyed or irretrievably damaged so that the public purpose in preserving such land has been frustrated, and after the approval of such proposed alienation or other use by the Governor. Any alienation shall be subject to the payment of just compensation to the state for the use of the commissioner and to such other terms and conditions as the commissioner shall determine. Any finding which the commissioner is required to make under sections 23-5a to 23-5i, inclusive, shall be made only after public hearing and upon notice. The notice required by this section shall set forth the substance of the proposed action and describe, with or without legal description, the area affected, and shall set forth the time and place of the hearing, and shall be published at least twice in the Connecticut Law Journal, at intervals of not less than fifteen days, the first not more than sixty days nor less than thirty days, and the last not less than five days before such hearing. Such notice shall also be published twice in a newspaper having a substantial circulation in the municipality or municipalities in which the area directly affected is situated, at intervals of not less than ten days, the first not more than forty-five days, nor less than thirty days, and the last not less than five days before such hearing. No finding which the commissioner is required to make under sections 23-5a to 23-5i, inclusive, shall be effective until, after the approval by the Governor of the proposed action based on such finding, the finding has been published in the Connecticut Law Journal. No action shall be taken by the state pursuant to such finding prior to the expiration of sixty days after such finding becomes effective. During such sixty-day period, any such finding may be appealed by any resident of this state, in a suit brought against the commissioner in the superior court for the judicial district of Hartford. In any such action, the court shall vacate such finding if it finds the commissioner acted arbitrarily or illegally with bad faith or with malice in making such finding. During the pendency of such appeal, the state shall take no action pursuant to the findings of the commissioner.

(b) If the Governor approves the alienation of any conservation restriction conveyed to the commissioner pursuant to subsection (b) of section 23-5d, such conservation restriction shall be extinguished and the commissioner shall record a release of the conservation restrictions on the land records in the municipality in which such land is located.

(1969, P.A. 727, S. 5; 1971, P.A. 870, S. 119; 872, S. 163; P.A. 76-436, S. 462, 681; P.A. 78-280, S. 5, 127; P.A. 88-230, S. 1, 12; P.A. 90-98, S. 1, 2; P.A. 91-65, S. 5; 91-358, S. 4; P.A. 93-142, S. 4, 7, 8; P.A. 95-220, S. 4–6.)

History: 1971 acts replaced superior court with court of common pleas, effective September 1, 1971, except that courts with cases pending retain jurisdiction unless pending matters deemed transferable, and replaced references to state park and forest commission with references to commissioner of environmental protection; P.A. 76-436 replaced court of common pleas with superior court, effective July 1, 1978; P.A. 78-280 substituted “judicial district of Hartford-New Britain” for “Hartford county”; P.A. 88-230 replaced “judicial district of Hartford-New Britain” with “judicial district of Hartford”, effective September 1, 1991; P.A. 90-98 changed the effective date of P.A. 88-230 from September 1, 1991, to September 1, 1993; P.A. 91-65 added language qualifying the findings required of the commissioner for alienation of a preserve; P.A. 91-358 designated existing language as Subsec. (a) and restated provision requiring the commissioner to consult with the natural area preserves committee in making a finding under section and allow as a reason for transfer or release a finding that the qualifying features of the land have been destroyed or irretrievably damaged and that the land's purpose as a preserve has been undone and requiring that the land's transfer or other use serve a public necessity rather than an imperative and unavailable public necessity and added Subsec. (b) re termination of restriction; P.A. 93-142 changed the effective date of P.A. 88-230 from September 1, 1993, to September 1, 1996, effective June 14, 1993; P.A. 95-220 changed the effective date of P.A. 88-230 from September 1, 1996, to September 1, 1998, effective July 1, 1995.