Waterford -- While in Southeastern Connecticut Tuesday to announce turning Waterford’s Seaside Regional Center into a shoreline park, Gov. Dannel P. Malloy also indicated an interest in preserving the Oswegatchie Hills in East Lyme.

Preserving the hills along the Niantic River has long been important to many in East Lyme and Waterford.

A nature preserve in the hills spans 420 acres. Recently a 40-acre parcel in the hills, the Bayreuther property, was placed under conservation. The purchase was made through $100,000 in state funds, $150,000 from a private foundation, and funds from the town of East Lyme and Friends of Oswegatchie Hills group.

Landmark Development, under developer Glenn Russo, holds over 200 acres in the hills and has proposed several applications over the years to develop housing there.

“The Oswegatchie Hills acreage along the river is exactly the kind of property that we should be preserving – for the sake of the Niantic River Estuary and Long Island Sound, for the sake of Connecticut’s wildlife, for the enjoyment of Connecticut residents, and to preserve the natural beauty of our state,” said Malloy in a written statement. “To develop such a beautiful, fragile area as has been proposed would be a terrible loss. I am very eager to see that land remain in its natural state and am ready to play a role in saving it, just as we did at The Preserve nearby.”