Partnerships Program

DER's Regional Restoration Partnerships Program

Partnerships are a hallmark of DER’s work. In June 2021, DER launched the Regional Restoration Partnerships Program to help build the capacity of regional organizations and regional planning agencies who work with municipalities and other local partners to lead and support watershed-scale ecological restoration within their regions. Pairing partner strengths with the state’s investments will empower networks of partners to restore rivers and wetlands and help people and nature adapt to climate change.   

The Regional Restoration Partnerships Program is currently supporting three Partnerships across the state. Interested in becoming a DER-supported Partnership?  Learn more on our funding page!

Table of Contents

Current Partnerships

DER is currently supporting three Partnerships as part of the Regional Restoration Partnerships Program:

  • Berkshire Clean, Cold, Connected Restoration Partnership
    • lead organization: Housatonic Valley Association
    • core partners: Hoosic River Watershed Association, Farmington River Watershed Organizations, Berkshire Environmental Action Team, Berkshire Regional Planning Commission, Trout Unlimited, and The Nature Conservancy
    • location: Hoosic, Housatonic, and Farmington River watersheds
  • Buzzards Bay Watershed Restoration Partnership
    • lead organization: Buzzards Bay Coalition
    • location: Buzzards Bay region
  • Merrimack Restoration Partnership
    • lead organization: Merrimack River Watershed Council
    • core partners: Nashua River Watershed Association, OARS, Groundwork Lawrence, Merrimack Valley Planning Commission, and Lowell Parks & Conservation Trust
    • location: Merrimack River watershed

Partnerships as Restoration Resources

Partnerships are restoration resources for the communities in their regions. Each Partnership is actively advancing locally-led projects focused on regional restoration needs. The Partnership’s success is a result of regional coalition building and tapping into local knowledge, understanding that identifying both ecological benefits and community benefits are critical to advancing projects which build community and ecological resilience.  

Each Partnership is led and organized by one “Lead Partnership Sponsor.” With support from DER, each Lead Partnership Sponsor coordinates Partnership activities and works collaboratively with Core Partners and others (such as municipalities and landowners) who bring opportunities to leverage external funding, increase restoration capacity, and collaborate and learn from each other. Learn more about each Partnership by visiting the individual Partnership webpages linked above!

Map of the three DER Partnerships boundaries.

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