Study Ranks Wildlife Protection in Connecticut Worst in New England

A new study has just been released that ranks the Best States in the US for Wildlife Protection in 2025, and Connecticut has been listed as the worst state in all of New England.

What are the most common animals out in the wilds of Connecticut? We rarely see the big ones: Moose, Black Bear, American Bald Eagles, or Chappy the wayward seal. I see squirrels everywhere, and our bird population is extremely healthy. The US is home to over 21,000 native species of plants and animals, and over 1,600 of those are considered endangered or threatened. According to the CT DEEP and ct.gov, the Connecticut Endangered Species Act lists hundreds of plant and animal species categorized as either 'Endangered', 'Threatened', or 'Species of Special Concern'.

SmileHub.com just released Best States for Wildlife Protection - 2025, in which they've compared all 50 states using 17 key metrics. Some of the metrics used are Animal Charities per Capita, State Wildlife Grants per Capita, Number of Education and Outreach Programs, Share of State Land Designated for Parks and Wildlife, State Hunting Laws, Vulnerability to Climate Change, Air Quality, and Invasive Species Treat Ranking.

Overall, Connecticut has been ranked #37 out of 50. Our Government and Community Support rank came in dead last at #50, Legal Protection Ranks us at #19, and our Ecosystem Status Rank was #32. As for the rest of New England, Vermont has been ranked #1 in the US overall for 2025, Maine at #7, New Hampshire at #8, Rhode Island ranks #12, while Massachusetts came in at #15.

From what I can see, Connecticut's population density has caused us to tumble in the rankings for 2025. There are few places in the wild that offer safety and security.