History

RiverCOG is the result of the merger of the Connecticut River Estuary (CRERPA) and Midstate regional planning organizations. Prior to 2012 there were fifteen such RPOs in Connecticut, with each agency in existence for at least 50 years. The leaders of CRERPA and Midstate, being aware of an ongoing legislative effort to reduce the number of RPOs in the state, were the first to voluntarily merge. This joint effort arose from the desire to maintain the scenic lower Connecticut River as the core of our region, rather than as a possible boundary for several regions.