The Vermont Paddlers Club

Id

3

Mtgdate

2003-05-09

Purpose

VPC and VRC Collaboration

Officers

Fritz Senftleber (Pres), Nate McHugh (VP)

Others

Jeff Meyers, Matt Kiedaisch, Tony Shaw, Mike Crane

Agenda

Discuss/plan colaborative activities of mutual interest to the VPC and the Vermont River Conservancy.

Newbiz

Jeff started by describing some notable Vermont River Conservancy successes which will enhance paddling opportunities in VT. These include the protection of 41 acres in Bloomington adjacent to Lyman Falls on the Connecticut River, and the development of primitive campsites on the parcel. The VRC mission is to protect/ensure public access to scenic riverfronts throughout Vermont. The list of current projects includes the Nulhegan and Connecticut River (Bloomfield, Guildhall), Trout River/Wade Brook (Montgomery), North Branch Black River (Reading), Otter Creek (Vergennes), North Branch Winooski (Worcester/Elmore), White River (Sharon), Saxtons River (Westminster), West River (Brattleboro/Dummerston), Williams River (Rockingham), Mill River (Clarendon), and Jointer Brook (Bolton).
The group discussed ways in which the VPC and VRC could work collaboratively. The VPC became a dues-paying member of VRC for the first time in 2003, at the urging of Sue Alden. However, the VRC may lack awareness of "threatened" river accesses frequently used by paddlers, and could benefit from paddlers' first-hand information about threatened put-ins and take-outs in hopes that the VRC will want to get involved in advocacy for protecting these paddler access points. The Rt. 104 bridge put-in for the Lower Lamoille was cited as an example. Lastly, VPC members could be made more aware of the work of the VRC, so that they might support the VRC whether monitarily or by volunteering for work details alongside newly protected river reaches.
It was decided that the VPC and VRC would develop jointly a questionnaire for paddlers, to make paddlers more aware of the VRC's work, and to broaden VRC's awareness of riverfront protection issues germaine to paddlers. We also agreed that the VRC and VPC would schedule a summer 2003 canoe-camping trip on the Upper Connecticut River, with the goal of solidifying the VPC/VRC relationship and scouting the banks for other likely campsites worth trying to protect through easement or out-right purchase.

Nextmtg

0000-00-00

Tentative

1

Author

Tony Shaw

Postdate

2003-06-01

Blessed

1

Joomla

170