Our Vision...to restore and protect the Cuyahoga River and near shore area of Lake Erie as a natural resource which we can use, enjoy, and bequeath with pride as our heritage to our children and future generations.

Our Mission...with the participation of the community, is to plan and promote the restoration and preservation of beneficial uses of the lower Cuyahoga River and near shore area of Lake Erie through remediation of existing conditions and prevention of further pollution and other degradation.

The Cuyahoga River RAP process began in 1985, when the International Joint Commission’s Water Quality Board designated the watershed as one of 43 “Areas of Concern” in the Great Lakes Region.  In 1988, the Ohio EPA formed a task force of local, state and federal agencies; businesses and industries; and community interest groups that would create a Remedial Action Plan (RAP) for the Cuyahoga River.  This 33 member task force is known as the Cuyahoga River RAP Coordinating Committee (CCC).  The CCC meets six times a year, and meetings are open to the public.

The purpose of the RAP is to define actions that are necessary to effectively overcome current water quality problems in the watershed and to restore beneficial resources of the river, such as healthy fish and wildlife populations and human recreational activities like fishing, swimming and boating.

In 1989 leaders of the Cuyahoga River RAP CCC formed the Cuyahoga River Community Planning Organization (CRCPO), a nonprofit, 501(c)(3) charitable organization which is housed at NOACA.  The CRCPO supports the environmental planning process of the Cuyahoga River RAP with program planning and coordination, technical assistance and research, community involvement and public education programs.  The CRCPO is sustained through grants from local area foundations, government grants and member contributions.  The CRCPO Board of Directors consist of members from the Cuyahoga RAP Steering Committee.