Who We Are

In 2005, a small group of committed partners formed the Friends of the Silvio O. Conte National Fish and Wildlife Refuge or Friends of Conte (FOC). Since then, we have become a thriving network of more than 80 public and private organizations and individuals whose collective efforts forge mutually beneficial partnerships and strengthen the health of the Connecticut River Watershed and the communities that live in and are served by it.

Together we envision a future where:

• Our waters, from source to sound, run clean and clear, and fish and wildlife thrive in our lands and waters.

• People are drawn to live, work, and play in our iconic New England landscape.

• As stewards, we value natural, working, and urban landscapes, which collectively protect our natural, cultural, recreational, and scenic heritage.

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The Friends coalition includes many organizations and individuals - including regional planning commissions, state and federal agencies, land trusts, watershed associations, educational organizations, museums, and others working and living in the Connecticut River Watershed.

The Friends provide a forum, foundation and framework to forge partnerships that benefit wildlife, people, and environmental quality in the Connecticut River Watershed.

Vision Statement: We live, work and play in a watershed where vibrant and engaged communities, a healthy natural environment, and an ecologically sustainable economy are valued.

Goals:

Conserve, restore, and steward our lands and waters.

Ensure equitable access for people of all abilities and backgrounds and provide opportunities for all to experience the natural beauty of the Watershed.

Engage and inspire the Watershed community to work together to enhance the quality of life in our watershed.

Promote a resilient and adaptive watershed by advocating for tools that will mitigate the impacts of climate change on our human and natural communities.

Achievements

  • Helped to secure more than $33.5 million from the Land and Water Conservation Fund (LWCF) for key land conservation projects throughout the watershed, across all four Watershed states.

  • Together with a network of partners, advocated and achieved authorization and full funding of the Land and Water Conservation Fund.

  • Secured designation of the Connecticut River Watershed as the nation’s first and only National Blueway.

  • Mapped environmental justice communities and overlap with Conte Conservation Focus Areas in the Watershed in partnership with Harvard Forest.

  • Collaborated with the Conte Refuge to improve aquatic organism passage, restore critical wildlife habitat, control invasive species, and conduct research on trust species.

  • Launched the development of the Connecticut River Paddler’s Trail, a connected network of rustic campsites along the entire length of the Connecticut River.

  • Enhanced access to stateside LWCF grant funds through multistate webinars and cross-state collaboration.

  • Enhanced access to federal LWCF by facilitating partnerships between the Conte Refuge/US Fish and Wildlife Service and watershed-based land trusts.

  • In 2015, supported the Silvio O. Conte Fish Wildlife Refuge in the development of a Comprehensive Conservation Plan (CCP), which will guide refuge management for the next 15 years.

  • Worked with the Refuge to establish ‘Conte Corners’ in area museums.

  • Advocated to include the Connecticut River in the Connecticut National Estuarine Research Reserve (NERR).

  • Advocated for $100M in Long Island Sound funding over the next five years through the Infrastructure bill.