Mollie Beatty Bog at Silvio O Conte NWR

The Silvio O. Conte National Fish and Wildlife Refuge is along the Connecticut River watershed, 7.2 million acres in four states, is larger and more heavily populated than areas usually considered when creating a refuge. The purposes of the refuge are also much broader than usual. The Conte Refuge is one of the few fish and wildlife refuges, and protecting natural diversity is a new scientific and social challenge. Recognizing that land acquisition alone cannot meet this challenge, the Conte Refuge’s primary action is to involve the people of the watershed, especially landowners and land managers, in environmental education programs and cooperative management projects. The Conte Refuge may become the model for refuges of the future. The Conte Refuge will join the 92 million acre national refuge system, a system with a proud heritage of protecting plants, fish, and wildlife.