Local River Subcommittees
The Connecticut River Joint Commissions work to bring decision-making back home to the people of the Connecticut River Valley. Our five local river subcommittees, composed of over a hundred citizens appointed to represent their riverfront towns, voice the interests of local business, local government, conservation, agriculture, recreation, and riverfront landowners. Their leadership, planning, and expertise are local in nature, but their ideas now range far beyond town boundaries as they advise the array of federal and state agencies, and the CRJC, on river issues.
Member Responsibilities
To be most effective, each LRS needs representation from each town and many perspectives. Your voice is an important component. Meetings are no more than two hours in the evening and take place 4 to 6 times per year. In addition, members spend time on the following:
- Contact person for your town officials about river-related issues.
- Help your town put the Connecticut River Management Plan into action.
- Provide advice about permit applications for projects that could affect the river, including site visits that occur outside of normal meeting times.
- Provide guidance to VT basin planners for basin plan content and priorities.
- Advise the CRJC on issues of concern to you or your town, such as water quality problems or main street revitalization.
- Shape the work being done for our valley by federal and state agencies (guide the Conte Refuge, US Fish & Wildlife Service, EPA, NRCS, National Park Service, and others on how they can best do their job in the region).
- Contribute to the meeting agenda on specific matters of discussion, concern or acknowledgment.
The strength of these subcommittees lies in the diversity of their membership. Both NH and VT state law requires that members represent local business, local government, agriculture, riverfront landowners, recreation, and conservation interests. There is never a dull moment around the table! The subcommittees are advisory and have no regulatory authority.
Interested in Membership… ?
The CRJC asked the selectmen of all 53 of the riverfront towns for nominations and appointed up to two members and several alternates from each town. Over 150 citizens have thus participated in the subcommittees’ work.
A welcome packet has been created to orient community members with an interest in joining their local river subcommittee. This packet is also a useful first stop reference for new members. You are welcome to peruse the LRS Welcome Packet and another including the referenced LRS Welcome Packet Appendix.
For those interested in joining their local river subcommittee, this LRS Nomination Form needs to be completed by the appropriate person in your municipality.
Additional Activities…