The good news for wildlife watchers and nature lovers is that Connecticut likes to acquire open space. The state has set a goal of making sure 21 percent of its state-owned land base is dedicated open space — 673,210 acres. More good news: The state is about two-thirds of the way towards this benchmark, spending millions to achieve it.

In its 2018 Connecticut Open Space Annual Report, the state Department of Energy and Environmental Protection noted that $1.43 million was spent to acquire 703 acres of new open space through the state Recreation and Natural Heritage Trust Program and 1,443 more acres through $3.2 million in grants under the state Open Space and Land Acquisition program. And there’s an additional $4.8…