Connecticut River Conservation

The Connecticut River is over 400 miles beginning in the mountains of northern New Hampshire and eventually emptying into Long Island Sound. The river forms a natural boundary between Vermont and New Hampshire and travels through the states of Massachusetts and Connecticut. The Connecticut River Basin is over 11,000 square miles and is home to over 2 million people.

To help protect the Connecticut River Watershed, Congress passed and the President signed into law the Silvio O. Conte National Fish and Wildlife Refuge Act. The act is named in memory of the late Silvio Conte, a western Massachusetts Congressman, who worked for many years on behalf of conservation efforts throughout the country.

Vermont farmers, forest land owners and communities have a long tradition of environmental stewardship and conservation throughout the state. Part of what makes Vermont unique and attractive is the extra effort that Vermonters make to maintain snowmobile trails, leave extra apples in orchards for wildlife, and protect streams for silt and pollution.

The Conte Refuge project is designed to help people from Long Island Sound to the First Connecticut Lake continue the tradition of stewardship. The Fish and Wildlife Service is committed to providing financial assistance to landowners, technical assistance to community leaders and land acquisition funds where local communities feel outstanding natural resources deserve protection.

I am pleased that the combination of all these efforts will improve one of the most important waterfowl flyways in North America and will enhance the quality of life for the people in the region.

The Connecticut River Valley of Vermont and New Hampshire is also home to a unique partnership between the two states, businesses, all levels of government and other citizens from all walks of life. This partnership, called the Connecticut River Joint Commissions, was created by Senator Warren Rudman and myself to help coordinate the efforts of both states to preserve and protect the resources of the Connecticut Valley. The Connecticut River Joint Commissions continues to unite the two states by pushing for legislative actions to protect the river in both states and I remain a strong supporter of their efforts throughout the Connecticut River watershed.