Aundré Bumgardner

• Out n' About in the 41st
• Access Health CT Open Enrollment Deadline is Sunday
• Student Loan Reimbursement Program Rolls Out in January
• Grants will Help Drive Environmental Quality and Resilience in District
• Proudly Appointed Vice Chair of the Environment Committee
• Yellow Farmhouse Education Center Receives CT Kids Grant Award
• Remembering Sandy Hook
• Community Events

Have a great weekend,
Aundré 

1. Must have graduated from a Connecticut state public or private college or university with a bachelor’s or associate degree or have an occupational/professional license or certificate or left such college in good standing and was granted a hardship waiver by the Office of Higher Education.
2. Must be a CT resident for at least five years.
3. Must have a Connecticut adjusted gross income of not more than $125,000 for single applicants and file a federal tax return as unmarried or have a Connecticut adjusted gross income of not more than $175,000 for married applicants and file a federal tax return as head of household, married filing jointly or a surviving spouse.
4. Must have an outstanding student loan balance and have made payments in 2024 toward federal direct loans, federal direct PLUS loans, federal Perkins loans, CHESLA loans, other state-sponsored student loans, or a private student loan.
5. Must have volunteered for at least 50 hours at a Connecticut nonprofit organization registered with the Department of Consumer Protection, municipal government, served on the Board of Directors for a nonprofit organization, or has military service after January 1, 2024.

• Grantee: Alliance for the Mystic River Watershed
• Grant Amount: $419,900 (Total: $654,800)
• Develop a comprehensive watershed-based plan addressing water quality and resilience challenges, involving local municipalities and Tribal Nations.

1. Living Shoreline Park in Mystic
   • Grantee: Town of Stonington
   • Grant Amount: $1,255,000 (Total: $4,709,000)
   • Transform a brownfield into a park using nature-based solutions, restoring coastal habitats and protecting the Mystic River shoreline.
2. Innovative Wastewater Denitrification at Mystic Aquarium
   • Grantee: Sea Research Foundation
   • Grant Amount: $172,100 (Total: $306,300)
   • Reduce nitrogen output by implementing a cutting-edge filtration system, paired with public education on reducing nitrogen footprints.
3. MyCoast Coastal Monitoring Tool
   • Grantee: University of Connecticut
   • Grant Amount: $162,000 (Total: $243,400)
   • Engage Groton, Stonington, and New London communities in documenting flooding events to inform resilience planning.
4. Reducing Disturbances to Protect Beach and Island Nesting Birds in LIS
   • Grantee: Connecticut Audubon Society
   • Grant Amount: $677,700 (Total: $1,054,300)
   • Establish stewardship and monitoring activities to manage threats to shorebird species like the piping plover at nesting sites such as Bluff Point State Park in Groton during the 2025 and 2026 breeding season
5. Cultivating Next-Generation Stewards
   • Grantee: Sea Research Foundation
   • Grant Amount: $165,100 (Total: $268,100)
   • Engage high school students from Stonington in hands-on environmental education to build future conservation leaders.
6. Delivering an Oyster Conservation Education Program
   • Grantee: New England Science & Sailing Foundation (NESS)
   • Grant Amount: $79,400 (Total: $119,700)
   • Provide hands-on experiential learning activities for 760 secondary school students and professional development activities that will deliver oyster lessons

The Long Island Sound Futures Fund has proven its effectiveness in protecting coastal habitats within the second-largest estuary on the East Coast and one of North America’s most biologically diverse. Congress must support the reauthorization of its funding in the years to come because our future depends on it.

 
State Representative and Vice Chair of the Environment Committee Aundré Bumgardner congratulates the Yellow Farmhouse Education Center in Stonington for being awarded $74,940 through the Connecticut Grown for Connecticut Kids Grant for fiscal year 2025. Its “Farm to Culinary Classroom (F2CC) Fellowship” program focuses on local procurement, reducing food waste, and improving cultural relevance in the culinary classroom. This year-long development program will provide transformative opportunities for students and educators alike.

“Yellow Farmhouse Education Center is doing incredibly impactful work in our district, connecting students to the origins of their food and fostering an appreciation for sustainability and healthy eating,” said Bumgardner. “A big thank you to the Department of Agriculture for this grant, which will enable them to continue enriching education and strengthening our local food systems.”

Despite being a relatively new organization, Yellow Farmhouse has quickly become a vital part of the Stonington community, advancing innovative farm-to-school programs that benefit students and educators. Earlier this year, Rep. Bumgardner also awarded Yellow Farmhouse a Youth Violence Prevention grant for their efforts to create positive and engaging opportunities for young people in Groton.
“I am proud to support organizations like Yellow Farmhouse that are making such meaningful contributions to our district and serving as a model for experiential education across the state,” Bumgardner added.

The CT Grown for CT Kids Grant, administered by the Connecticut Department of Agriculture, is designed to enhance the availability of local foods in schools and early childcare programs while fostering a deeper understanding of food systems among students.
For more information on Yellow Farmhouse Education Center and its programs, visit www.yellowfarmhouse.org.

STATE REPRESENTATIVE BUMGARDNER APPOINTED VICE CHAIR OF THE ENVIRONMENT COMMITTEE

State Representative Aundré Bumgardner (D-41st District) has been appointed Vice Chair of the Connecticut General Assembly’s Environment Committee for the upcoming legislative session. This leadership role will enable him to further advocate for the environmental priorities of the coastal communities he represents in Groton, Mystic, and Stonington.

“Preserving our open spaces and Long Island Sound, advancing coastal resilience and climate justice, supporting family farms and local agriculture, and fighting for our fishers and oyster harvesters are not just policy issues—they are deeply personal to the residents of the 41st District and Eastern Connecticut,” said Representative Bumgardner. “Throughout my time as a state representative, constituents have emphasized the urgent need to address rising sea levels, safeguard natural resources, and ensure clean energy solutions that protect future generations.”

The Environment Committee oversees legislation related to environmental conservation, coastal management, energy use, and public lands. As Vice Chair, Representative Bumgardner will assist the committee’s chair and his caucus in advancing key legislative priorities, including a climate action bill that Speaker Matt Ritter and the House Democratic Majority have committed to prioritizing this year.

“It will be an honor to help shepherd this critical legislation through the legislative process, reflecting our commitment to tackling climate change head-on,” he added. Representative Bumgardner also expressed gratitude for the confidence placed in him by House Speaker Matt Ritter and Majority Leader Jason Rojas. “I deeply appreciate the trust they have shown in me to help lead on these vital issues and look forward to working alongside my colleagues to deliver results for our communities.”

The committee’s jurisdiction includes matters overseen by the Department of Energy and Environmental Protection, such as conservation, recreation, pollution control, fisheries and game, state parks and forests, water resources, and flood and erosion control. It also handles issues related to the Department of Agriculture, including farming, dairy products, domestic animals, and the Bureau of Aquaculture, which oversees shellfishing.

In addition to his leadership role on the Environment Committee, Representative Bumgardner will also serve on the Finance, Revenue, and Bonding Committee, including its General Obligation and Transportation Bonding subcommittees. He has also been appointed to the Transportation Committee and the Energy and Technology Committee. These roles position him to comprehensively address the district’s priorities, including economic development, infrastructure improvements, and energy sustainability.

“Serving on these committees allows me to tackle the interconnected issues that affect our daily lives—whether it’s making historic investments in transportation infrastructure, advancing public power to reduce energy costs for ratepayers, or protecting the environmental quality of our district,” Bumgardner added. “I am committed to ensuring that our coastal and environmental priorities remain front and center as we move forward together.”