Our Vision, Mission, Goals, Values

Over the past 25 years, the Ausable Freshwater Center (formerly Ausable River Association) has grown. With a staff of nine full-time professionals, our mission now extends to the entire Adirondack Park. We'll always have a focus in the Ausable River watershed, it's our home, our laboratory for innovation and for monitoring the success of our science-based models. But our work is branching into neighboring watersheds. We're bringing our field-based science and stewardship to communities throughout the Park so that, working together, we can find solutions that restore streams, protect clean water and riparian habitats, engage people, and ensure the vitality of our communities.

Vision

Adirondack streams, lakes, rivers, and wetlands—and the biodiversity they support—are healthy and self-sustaining. Historic damage is repaired using the innovative science and stewardship programs of the Ausable Freshwater Center. Adirondack communities benefit from and value these freshwater systems and work in partnership with the Ausable Freshwater Center to keep them healthy.

Mission

Advancing science and stewardship of Adirondack waters.

Goals

Restore self-sustaining streams: Healthy Streams

Repair damaged streams to support water quality, connectivity, and biodiversity and to provide climate resilience for our communities.

Safeguard water quality: Clean Water

Monitor streams and lakes to understand trends in water quality. Provide accurate science to manage the impacts of climate change, sediment pollution, emerging contaminants, and nutrient loading. 

Protect native habitats: Biodiverse Habitats

Understand native species ranges and requirements and invasive species distributions. Use this knowledge to protect, manage, and restore resilient freshwater habitats.

Inspire action through outreach and recreation: Empowered Stewardship

Create and encourage sustainable opportunities for people to enjoy streams, lakes, and wetlands and form personal connections to them. Provide knowledge and tools so anyone can actively steward the freshwater systems they have come to love.

Advocate science-based management: Informed Action 

Provide technical assistance to municipalities, partners, agencies, and others. Promote action and facilitate conversations that advance science-based management and policies for protecting freshwater systems.

Sustain the Organization

Maintain an efficient and sustainable organization that effectively communicates our mission, goals, and values, enhances the vitality of the communities where we work, and supports our staff and volunteers.

Our Values

A healthy, diverse planet

We value the Earth, its fresh water, and the living things that depend on it.

Science-based, solution-oriented action

We value scientifically informed action. We are compelled to study, protect, and restore the health of our freshwater ecosystems, to sustain their biodiversity, and to share our knowledge freely.

Transparency

We value transparent and collaborative problem-solving approaches that embrace the needs of human society and natural ecosystems in ways that are equitable and just.

Community engagement

We value and support the individuals, communities, and organizations that strive in responsible ways to protect the Earth, its freshwater, wildlands, and native wildlife.

 

Click here to learn more about our currrent Strategic Plan.