Established in 1911, the St. Croix River Association “has been from the beginning a grassroots affair, linked inseparably to the St. Croix River itself. Starting as an informal organization, it evolved slowly out of the basic, direct interests of people living along the banks of the border river between Minnesota and Wisconsin. Many of the association’s specific goals have changed…and some of its early objectives now seem ludicrous. But the idea of saving the St. Croix for the people of both states has remained a constant.” From: Saving the River – St. Croix River Association, 1911-2001

Today, nearly a century later, the St. Croix River Association (SCRA) has evolved from an informal organization of mostly river valley residents, into a formal nonprofit organization of people and organizations advocating for conservation throughout the watershed.

The St. Croix River Association, in 2008, completed a thoughtful and deliberate process, engaging our members as well as many other community and conservation leaders, to develop an over-arching Strategic Framework that describes our mission, guiding principles, core functions, goals and strategies. Click on Strategic Framework to view a downloadable PDF.

Mission Statement:

To protect, restore and celebrate the St. Croix River and its watershed.

Core Functions:

We will work in partnership with others, to perform the following core functions.

Land Conservation:

We work to protect and restore important natural and scenic areas along the river and throughout the watershed by partnering with land protection organizations.

Water Quality Protection:

We focus on improving water quality, recognizing its interconnection with land use.

River Corridor and Watershed Stewardship:

We engage people in educational, recreational and volunteer stewardship activities that give them an understanding and motivation to advocate at the local, state and national levels on behalf of the river’s values.

Celebration:

The St. Croix River watershed is a national treasure. We live, work and play in the St. Croix River watershed because we love this place, and we celebrate that love at every opportunity.