HVA is the only conservation organization working across the entire 2,000 square–mile Housatonic Watershed. As a tri-state nonprofit citizen’s environmental group, HVA works to conserve the natural character, environmental health and the economies of our region by protecting and restoring its land and waters for today and for future generations.
With a professional team of conservationists, interns, and volunteers, and strong network of community and conservation partners, we restore and protect vital watershed lands and waters. We have a long track record- 80 years and counting! – of successfully conserving and defending this river valley.
But as our climate shifts, our actions in the next decade will profoundly affect the long-term environmental health of this place we cherish. Today we are working in two vital ways to establish a healthy and climate-ready watershed by 2040:
Follow the Forest: Conserving a 50,000-acre woodland and wildlife climate corridor across our region for wildlife habitat, clean water, and carbon and temperature moderation.
Clean, Cold and Connected: Restoring and protecting 500 miles of rivers and streams along with the groundwater that recharges these waterways and our local drinking water.
Our common-sense solutions balance important economic and environmental needs allowing for smart growth that protects water quality and encourages open space, wetland habitats, recreation areas and scenic vistas.