Charter Oak state parks and forests program: Purposes; criteria. Charter Oak state parks and forests account.

(b) There is established the Charter Oak state parks and forests program to enable the state to acquire land for open space and watershed protection. All land acquired by the state under this program shall be preserved in perpetuity predominantly in its natural scenic and open condition for the protection of natural resources while allowing for recreation consistent with such protection as specified in subsection (b) of section 7-131d . (c) When ranking lands to be acquired under the Charter Oak state parks and forests program, the Commissioner of Energy and Environmental Protection shall give priority first to open space land to be permanently preserved that is located in municipalities with population densities of at least one thousand five hundred persons per square mile, and second to open space land to be permanently preserved that is owned by an electric distribution company or electric supplier, as defined in section 16-1 , and to open space land to be permanently preserved that is designated as class I, class II or class III land, as defined in section 25-37c . (d) The Charter Oak state parks and forests program shall expire when the state and municipal open space goal is achieved as provided in subsection (b) of section 23-8 . Any moneys remaining in the Charter Oak open space grant program account at the time the program expires shall revert to the recreation and natural heritage trust program established under section 23-74 .