The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service would like to acquire more than 160,000 acres of land in 22 locations in the four states along the Connecticut River.
The proposal to acquire the land is part of a draft management plan for the Sylvio O. Conte National Fish and Wildlife Refuge, made up of 37,000 acres within the Connecticut River watershed in Vermont, New Hampshire, Massachusetts and Connecticut.
Once finalized the plan will guide the management of the refuge for 15 years.
Refuge manager Andrew French says the additional land acquisition target is part of a broader effort to manage the land within the refuge. He says it would take decades to acquire the land and only from willing sellers.
The land would continue to be available for public recreational uses.
