Environmental Advocacy

to support coliform bacteria testing program on one tributary or river segment of the Quinnipiac Watershed, as well as continued advocacy to strengthen state NPDES and local land use permits affecting water quality in the Quinnipiac River.

to support a coliform bacteria testing program that uses trained volunteers to collect and a professional lab to analyze to support a coliform bacteria testing program that uses trained volunteers to collect and a professional lab to analyze bacteria in stream and river segments of the Quinnipiac Watershed, and to support advocacy for state and local permits affecting water quality of the Quinnipiac River.

to support the monitoring of state level permits affecting water quality, and then support water quality testing of the Quinnipiac River as well as recruitment and training of a permits observer corps to monitor local land use commissions and screen for testimony local land use permits.

to support the Be the Solution to Pollution project which raises awareness of how pollution threatens the health of humans, animals, and the environment along the Quinnipiac River.

to support outreach, education and advocacy of the current school lawn pesticide ban and activities associated with the expansion of the ban to include all Connecticut parks, playgrounds, municipal playing fields and town greens, as well as the enhancement of the organization's website.

To support environmental advocacy, particularly through raising awareness of new federal phosphorus requirements for the lower Quinnipiac River.

To provide general operating support for fostering awareness of environmental issues of the Quinnipiac River and promoting activities that safeguard the health of residents that use the Quinnipiac River.

To support water testing of the Quinnipiac estuary and New Haven Harbor for contaminants and evaluation of abnormal reproductive development of the blue mussel (Mytilus edulis) by endocrine disrupting compounds.

To support recruitment and training for residents in each of the river municipalities to become advocates on behalf of the Quinnipiac River in order to participate in public meetings on the upcoming Quinnipiac Watershed Action Plan Update of 2012 and to support the completion of the Lower Quinnipiac River Canoeable Trail and the Town of North Haven canoe launch to access the new trail.

To establish a comprehensive multi- disciplinary watershed planning initiative to improve the quality of the environment in the QR Watershed.