Pioneer Valley
Planning Commission

The regional planning agencies located along the main stem of the Connecticut River have formed the Connecticut River Bi-State Partnership for purposes of collaborating more effectively to improve the environment, water quality, recreation and public access on the Connecticut River.  Partnership members are: the Pioneer Valley Planning Commission and the Franklin Regional Council of Governments in Massachusetts, and the Capitol Region Council of Governments and the Connecticut River Estuary Regional Planning Agency in Connecticut.  The formation of the partnership has been supported by a $150,000 grant from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA).  The Partnership’s mission is articulated in the Memorandum of Understanding, a link to which is provided above.

Initial projects include:

Conducting a region-wide stakeholder survey in Massachusetts and Connecticut to help further understanding about major issues and to define goals and priorities;

Establishing a small grants program to help municipalities and organizations throughout the watershed implement priorities to improve water quality and recreational access;

Creating a new series of web-based maps showing the locations of recreational access areas along the river;

Establishing a new Connecticut River website which will provide the public with a single source of information on river water quality, recreational access, and other river-related issues.