SAVE our WATERSHED COORDINATORS!

Almost half of the state's watershed coordinators are at risk for losing their jobs in the next round of state of budget cuts. As stewards of our great state's natural resources, we must speak out against this potentially disastrous decision before this Friday, March 27th. The WRWA has sent letters to Senators John F. Campbell and Peter Shumlin as they are on the Appropriations Committee. Please read the following letter and send one of your own AND/OR just comment here AND send a letter/email to your state representatives. Your rivers and streams and forests and communities around them will thank you!

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It has come to my attention that almost most half of Vermont’s seven Watershed Coordinators employed by the Agency of Natural Resources’ Department of Environmental Conservation are currently threatened with losing their jobs as part of the state’s effort to balance their budget. I am writing to request your deep consideration of how this will affect the future of Vermont’s streams, rivers, forests, farms and communities over the next many decades before casting your vote. On behalf of over 200 friends and members and the Board of Directors for the West River Watershed Alliance (WRWA), please KEEP our WATERSHED COORDINATORS!

Marie Levesque Caduto is the Watershed Coordinator for the West, Williams and Saxtons Rivers, also known as Basin 11, the region of the state where I have had the privilege to work as Director of WRWA’s flagship Water Quality Monitoring Program (WQMP). This program is only one small, very tangible impact Marie and her counterparts have had on the state’s watershed resources. Marie is the guiding light for our organization and others like it throughout our region. She is our connection to the state’s conservation efforts and is instrumental in helping us to obtain funding to continue to engage Vermont’s local citizens in conserving and restoring their watershed resources.

As you know, Vermont’s economy is closely tied to its natural resources. For this reason alone, it makes very little sense to put jobs from the Agency of Natural Resources on the chopping block – these positions are not fluff! During Maries’ three and half year tenure as a Watershed Planner for Basin 11 and Basin 10 and Basin 13 she has brought in over $700,000 in grant funds to support numerous monitoring, planning, and restoration projects throughout southeastern Vermont. In addition to their environmental benefits, these funds help to create jobs doing good work that would not be possible otherwise.

The Watershed Coordinators are an essential part of the “Basin Planning Process” which helps citizens know and understand the current condition of their natural resources as well as the specific projects that need doing to repair, protect, and restore the clean water and healthy forests that support Vermont’s vibrant rural communities. This process took over three years of hard work in Basin 11 and has just been completed. The WRWA has been working closely with Marie on the implementation of many of the projects identified in the Plan and are on the cusp of an opportunity to work with the Trust for Public Land, the Connecticut River Watershed Council and the US Fish and Wildlife Service to begin work on another round of projects that focus on protecting our coldwater fisheries.

Most people I know who have moved to Vermont have done so because it “so beautiful” and want their kids to grow up in a “pristine” environment – PLEASE preserve this right for our children and grandchildren. I come from a place where I was subject to watching my childhood home of northern coastal New Jersey marred by pollution and development. I am so grateful every day that I get to see my boys run down to the stream that runs through our back yard to play. It is the reason I am here, it is the reason many families are here, it is the reason Vermont is one of the greatest states in the Nation.

I know that the budget must be balanced, but cutting funds and jobs from our Agency of Natural Resources does not bring balance. It is impossible to have a healthy economy without healthy ecosystems. Thank you very much for your time and consideration of this urgent matter. I appreciate the hard work that you do and the difficult decisions you make on behalf of the citizens of Vermont. I trust that your final vote will reflect your best judgment and highest values.

Iron bridge open soon?

I read in the Reformer earlier this week that the green iron bridge in Dummerston, which spans the West River, is due to be repaired (replaced?) and open for traffic. Stimulus $ at work? I've lived in Windham County since '95 and I don't think I can remember ever having seen the bridge open for vehicular traffic. Maybe we can help 'em throw a bridge opening party...
cs

Ice Out March 19th!

I stopped by the Marina this a.m., walked beneath the Rt. 5 bridge and, lo and behold, the West is flowing free and clear to the Connecticut which is also flowing ice-free in Bratt (except along the embankments and set-backs). So, remember this date next year: March 19th. In a boat you could make it from the Dummerston covered bridge (and probably quite a ways upstream from there) to the Connecticut without having to portage.
cs

Tree Trimming

For years I've been driving up and down Route 30 between Brattleboro and Newfane, and I've been struck by the lack of vegetation that grows on the Rt. 30 side of the river in Bratt. and Dummerston. There are some sections, several hundred feet long, that have virtually no trees. Just yesterday I noticed that the DOT (?) trimmed many trees' limbs and cut down every sapling in at least one of these sections. While I understand the need to keep highway shoulders somewhat clear, it seems they could allow some more trees to grow in this barren stretch. The lower West is one of Vermont's warmest bodies of water in the summer. More trees would offer some shade as well as habitat. I wonder if this could be a future streambank restoration project...

WRWA Board Meetings Are Really Awesome!

Sitting here relishing the good feelings & joy of another WRWA Board meeting I wanted to share the experience with those that might be considering joining our board, and we certainly need some new Board members. Why you can even be a Board member by phone.

Not only did we get some good work done that will continue to move this group forward & keep us doing important things that help our rivers & watersheds (hence the good feelings); we also shared homemade bread, VT brewed beverages & Green Mtn salsa, we then went for an awesome full moon snowshoe in a beautiful VT state park.

So if you ever thought about joining our awesome Board think again, because you just might find that they are well worth your time.

Williams River flooding

This morning I heard on VPR that an icejam on the Williams River was causing some flooding. Does anyone out there have more info (where, to what extent, prognosis, etc.)?

Committee Members Needed

To All Water Quality Monitoring Volunteers, (past, present, and future),

WRWA board members had a retreat in January and met again last evening to start the implementation of some of our goals. We need people like you to help us out since a board of six members cannot possibly have a corner on the market of expertise, enthusiasm, and vision that is needed to help WRWA pursue its organizational goals and continue our flagship Water Quality Monitoring Program (WQMP). We need people like you to rally around this program that takes organization, time commitment, and other skills.

We would be grateful to you if you can help WRWA in the following ways:
1. Be willing to meet with other volunteers for initial discussions that build a vision of how to organize and structure this year’s program. (Rebecca Salem has been program director for the past two years, and she is now our Board president. She will give guidance and resources, and answer questions, but she cannot undertake the full organization and report writing since we have other objectives to work on this year as a Board.)
2. The initial meeting(s) can help us build a network of WQMP volunteers and reveal the strengths and degree of commitment of all of you, possibly in the areas of grant and report writing.
3. Volunteering to provide leadership for this project. We will not be able to continue without you.

Our continuing with this program is contingent upon recruiting an intern. For the water quality monitoring to continue, we have applied for an intern through SCA who will possess the necessary skills. We will not know if SCA can provide us with this intern until March. This intern will ultimately be the point person in administering the program. In the meantime, however, we need to know that he/she will have a group of dedicated volunteers, some of you who may volunteer to drive to Waterbury to take the water samples to the lab for testing or do other tasks in addition to collecting the samples. (We have investigated having the samples mailed to Waterbury, but the window of time for getting the samples tested cannot be met this way.)

We are applying for grant money for the lab tests so the WQMP committee of volunteers does not have to worry about that significant expense.

We can do this, but we need you! Please email Rebecca Salem, Board President at westriver@vermontel.net to let us know if you can help out, and then we’ll set a date for a meeting. Thanks!