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The Connecticut River is many things: New England’s longest watery treasure, a connector of communities and a paradise for outdoor enthusiasts. It wasn’t always this way. As recently as the 1960s the river was known as “the best landscaped sewer in the Northeast.”
Millions of dollars and decades later, the river now runs clean enough for swimming, fishing and boating. A multi-year restoration program is helping Atlantic Salmon return to their historic tributary streams. The entire Connecticut River watershed defines the Silvio Conte National Wildlife Refuge, a recent federal designation which provides a new conduit for continuing protection and restoration work.
The Connecticut River also provides a reservoir of “clean hydroelectric power. Several years ago, the application for a renewed federal license to operate three hydro dams along the river at Fifteen Mile Falls, near Littleton, led to a settlement agreement that included the creation of the Upper Connecticut River Mitigation and Enhancement Fund or “MEF.”
Annually, the New Hampshire Charitable Foundation and the Vermont Community Foundation receive and hold fund contributions, which will eventually total nearly $17 million, from TransCanada, which operates the dams. Distributions are guided by a 12-person advisory committee made up of representatives of environmental organizations, state and federal agencies and community groups involved in the Fifteen Mile Falls re-licensing process, with support from Charitable Foundation Senior Program Officer Kevin Peterson.
Since 2003, the MEF has distributed more than $4 million in grants to support more than 60 projects from Hanover to Pittsburg. Those projects include dam removals, geomorphic assessments, land protection, inventory of vernal pools and wetlands, tree-planting along eroding stream banks and culvert and bridge repairs to improve fish passage. Dozens of communities have been affected, and a wide variety of local groups, nonprofit organizations and towns and cities have participated.
In November, the Foundation unveiled an innovative map based on Google Earth® which showcases locations and details of some of the best MEF-funded projects. Potential grantees will find this a useful tool for understanding what makes a good project, what areas have been covered and where there are opportunities for additional work. Eventually, it will serve as an excellent database for all.
Click here to view the maps and get grant application guidelines for the MEF grant program. For more information, contact Kevin Peterson at the Hanover office at 603-653-0387 ext. 1270 or by email at kp@nhcf.org.
ABOVE The Upper Valley Land Trust has conserved a number of riverfront and wetland parcels, including farmland and floodplain forest, with grants from the Mitigation and Enhancement Fund, the US Department of Agriculture, the New Hampshire Land and Community Heritage Program, and contributions from town conservation funds and many Upper Valley households and businesses.
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In 2004, the Upper Valley Creative Economy Summit brought together more than 300 artists, businesses, and community members for a day of workshop, panels and discussions about the importance of the arts and creative endeavors in the region.
A new work book for local planners about the Creative Economy is now available. Produced by the Upper Valley Lake Sunapee Regional Planning Commission with funding from the Foundation’s Upper Valley Region, the workbook provides guidance, information and resources for local and regional leaders, planners, and community members about how to encourage and accommodate creative businesses and activities in local communities.
The workbook is free and available for download at http://www.uvlsrpc.org/documents.html. |
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