Congressman Silvio O. Conte had "...a dream that includes a Connecticut River, cleaned, fishable, swimmable, and with salmon restored to abundant numbers. And a dream that someday my children and grandchildren will continue to enjoy the outdoors as I have, and not be saddled with a planet polluted beyond repair." In 1991, he asked Congress to establish a National Wildlife Refuge to protect the watershed of the river and its wildlife resources. In 1997 the refuge named in his honor was established to fulfill that dream.