The Great Bay Resource Protection Partnership is a group of organizations committed to protecting the important habitats of the Great Bay region. The Great Bay Partnership has undertaken a comprehensive, landscape-scale approach to conservation and habitat protection within 24 towns around Great Bay.  Since 1994, the Great Bay Partnership has operated as a unique cooperative effort intended to further collective conservation goals and promote conservation actions in the Great Bay region.  Habitat protection strategies and stewardship activities are developed and implemented through the integration of scientific field studies and collaboration with local, regional, state and national conservation partners. 

The primary activities of the Great Bay Partnership include: 

• Conservation Planning: The Partnership conducts habitat analysis studies to identifying significant habitat areas to be considered for protection.
• Land Conservation: Based on the conservation planning field work, the Partnership seeks to protect large blocks of significant conservation land through working voluntarily with landowners on the purchase or donation of land or conservation easements.
• Stewardship: Partner organizations collaborate on stewardship activities such as restoration, resource management and public access on protected lands.
• Education and Outreach: Partner representatives provide technical assistance to communities, conservation entities and landowners.

The Great Bay Partnership includes state and regional private non-profit conservation organizations and land trusts, federal and state public agencies, and municipalities.

A collaborative effort is key to the Great Bay Partnership’s successful conservation activities. The Partnership seeks to:

• Promote creative solutions for habitat protection.
• Build upon the conservation efforts of already protected and restored lands.
• Coordinate resources, and identify and pursue a variety of funding opportunities.
• Promote communication and cooperation between partnering entities.

Principal Partners

• Ducks Unlimited, Inc.
• Great Bay National Estuarine Research Reserve
• New Hampshire Audubon Society
• New Hampshire Fish and Game Department
• Society for the Protection of New Hampshire Forests
• The Nature Conservancy, New Hampshire Chapter
• U.S. Environmental Protection Agency
• U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Great Bay National Wildlife Refuge
• U.S.D.A. Natural Resources Conservation Service

Associate Partners

• Southeast Land Trust of New Hampshire
• Bear Paw Regional Greenways
• Rockingham County Conservation District
• Strafford Rivers Conservancy
• Strafford County Conservation District

Download the Great Bay Partnership’s informational brochure: GBRPP Information Brochure 2010 (PDF format)