See the following from Connecticut Wildlife Volume 38, Number 2: pp. 22.

"Located in North Stonington, Assekonk Swamp Wildlife Management Area (WMA) has a diversity of habitats, including critical wetland, mixed hardwood forest, evergreen stands, and old fields with interspersions of apple and cedar trees. Dominated by a large wetland complex, Assekonk Swamp provides habitat for a variety of wildlife. Species supported by this wetland system and surrounding upland forest include the pickerel frog, green frog, bullfrog, snapping turtle, painted turtle, spotted turtle, muskrat, otter, beaver, and an array of insects including dragonflies. The mature forest provides food and cover for deer, turkey, fishers, bobcats, coyotes, mice, weasels, and raccoons, in addition to many other species.

Assekonk Swamp was originally acquired from various private landowners by the U.S. Department of Agriculture, under the terms of the 1937 Bankhead-Jones Farm Tenancy Act. The Act authorized the acquisition by the federal government of “damaged lands to rehabilitate and use them for various purposes.” In 1938, the area was leased to the “Commission on Forests and Wild Life” (now DEEP) from the federal government and subsequently deeded to the State in 1954, with the condition that the land be used for public purposes. Since 1938, Assekonk Swamp has been managed for wildlife and wildlife-based recreation.

In addition to routine maintenance, several large-scale management activities were recently completed. In February 2018, 27 acres of young forest habitat adjacent to the field areas were created using contract forestry services."