Housatonic Valley Association Inc

TO PROTECT AND PRESERVE THE NATURAL ENVIRONMENT AND SCENIC BEAUTY OF THE HOUSATONIC RIVER WATERSHED BY FOSTERING ENVIRONMENTAL EDUCATION AND BEST PRACTICES FOR CONSERVATION AND LAND USE

WATER: COMPLETED THE HOUSATONIC WATERSHED HEALTH DASHBOARD TO MAP THE ENTIRE WATERSHED AND IDENTIFY THE HEALTH OF ALL SUB-WATERSHEDS AND THE SPECIFIC LAND AND WATER ACTIONS NEEDED TO BUILD CLIMATE RESILIENCY LOCALLY; CONTINUE TO DEVELOP A WATERSHED RESTORATION AND ACTION PLAN FOR THE TEN MILE WATERSHED IN NY, AND IMPLEMENT THE WATERSHED RESTORATION PLAN FOR THE STILL RIVER WATERSHED IN THE GREATER DANBURY, CT REGION; CONTINUE TO MONITOR AND RESTORE STREAM HEALTH AND HABITAT, INCLUDING MACRO INVERTEBRATE, TEMPERATURE, SHORELINE ASSESSMENTS AND BACTERIA MONITORING ACROSS THE BERKSHIRES AND TEN MILE WATERSHED IN NY, AND CULVERT EVALUATIONS ACROSS THE BERKSHIRES, NAUGATUCK VALLEY IN SOUTHERN CONNECTICUT, AND NORTHWEST CONNECTICUT COMMUNITIES; CONTINUE WATERSHED ASSESSMENT WORK IN THE POOTATUCK (NEWTOWN CT), GREEN AND WILLIAMS RIVERS IN MA; AND OXFORD/SEYMOUR, CT;; CONTINUED MAINTENANCE OF FISH LADDER TO IMPROVE THERMAL REFUGE IN CT; AND CO-CREATED THE HARLEM VALLEY CONSERVATION COLLABORATIVE TO ADVANCE ENVIRONMENTAL IMPROVEMENTS IN THE TEN MILE WATERSHED AND INFLUENCE PUBLIC POLICY TO IMPROVE CONDITIONS LOCALLY.

LAND: COMPLETED THE HOUSATONIC WATERSHED HEALTH DASHBOARD TO MAP THE ENTIRE WATERSHED AND IDENTIFY THE HEALTH OF ALL SUB-WATERSHEDS AND THE SPECIFIC LAND AND WATER ACTIONS NEEDED TO BUILD CLIMATE RESILIENCY LOCALLY; EXPAND A COLLABORATIVE OF LAND TRUSTS ACROSS THE HOUSATONIC RIVER WATERSHED AND BEYOND TO CONSERVE STRATEGIC, HIGH QUALITY WOODLANDS AND CONNECTOR LANDS TO BUFFER THE REGION AGAINST A WARMING CLIMATE, AND MAPPED 50,000 ACRES FOR CONSERVATION OVER THE NEXT 15 YEARS; CONTINUED TO LEAD AND SUPPORT A REGIONAL CONSERVATION PARTNERSHIP OF 34 CONSERVATION ORGANIZATIONS (THE LITCHFIELD HILLS GREENPRINT); CONSERVE LAND DIRECTLY AND WITH PARTNERS INCLUDING THIS YEAR TARGETING 2,000 ACRES IN SALISBURY, AMENIA, SHEFFIELD, CORNWALL, WATERTOWN AND PURSUING NEW OPPORTUNITIES ACROSS NORTHWEST CONNECTICUT; UPDATE AND SHARE WITH PARTNERS A MAP AND DATA OF CRITICALLY IMPORTANT CORE AND RIPARIAN FOREST, HEADWATER STREAM LANDS AND STRATEGICALLY IMPORTANT FOREST AND CONNECTOR CORRIDOR (FOLLOW THE FOREST) TO GUIDE A LONG-TERM COLLABORATIVE CONSERVATION ACTION PLAN; INSTALL NEW RIVER ACCESS SITES IN PITTSFIELD AND PURSUE NEW SITE IN NORTH CANAAN; EXPAND THE FIRST ON-LINE PORTAL OF HIKING TRAILS THROUGHOUT 27 CT TOWNS; PROVIDE CONSULTING SERVICES TO LAND TRUSTS IN CT, MA AND NY ON STRATEGIC VISION, COLLABORATION, AND SHARED SERVICES; PROVIDE SHARED ADMINISTRATION AND LEADERSHIP SERVICES TO 2 LAND TRUSTS IN CT; SUPPORT LAND CONSERVATION POLICY AND CLIMATE CHANGE READINESS INITIATIVES AT THE STATE AND FEDERAL LEVEL; AND ASSIST STATE LEADERS TO PURSUE CONSERVATION OF MORE THAN 15 HIGH PRIORITY LAND PARCELS IN WESTERN CONNECTICUT.

EDUCATION: COMPLETED THIRD YEAR OF RIVER RECREATION USERS SURVEY TO BETTER UNDERSTAND NEEDS OF HOUSATONIC RIVER ACCESS SITES TO BETTER PROTECT RIVER AND PUBLIC SAFETY; CREATED A RIVER ACCESS RESOLUTION PROCESS TO MORE EQUITABLY DISTRIBUTE PEOPLE ACROSS A VARIETY OF DIFFERENT RIVER ACCESS USES; EXAMINED ACCESS WITHIN THE DIVERSITY, EQUITY AND INCLUSION GOALS TO BEGIN THIS CONVERSATION WITH RIVER USERS FROM ACROSS AND BEYOND THE WATERSHED; ; BRING WATERSHED AND RIVER EDUCATION TO CLASSROOMS VIA ONLINE LEARNING IN THE BERKSHIRES, AND HANDS-ON LEARNING OVER THE SUMMER WITH YOUTH AND INTERNS IN THE NAUGATUCK. TEN MILE, AND SOUTHERN VALLEY REACHES OF THE WATERSHED; CONTINUED HANDS ON ENVIRONMENTAL SKILLS TRAINING WITH AT RISK YOUTH IN THE GREATER DANBURY AREA WITHIN THE CONSTRAINTS OF COVE-19; CONTINUED HANDS ON RIVER RESTORATION AND EDUCATION WITH VOLUNTEERS AT MULTIPLE BUFFER PLANTING AND INVASIVE REMOVAL EVENTS ACROSS THE WATERSHED WITHIN COVID-19 PROTOCOLS; PROVIDED PADDLING AND HIKING TRIPS FOR FAMILIES DURING SUMMER AND FALL OF 2019; AND EXPAND SOCIAL MEDIA OUTREACH AROUND RIVERS, RECREATION AND RESTORATION.

ISSUE RESPONSE - STUDY AND ALERT COMMUNITIES OF POTENTIAL PROBLEMS TO CONTAMINATION OF THE ENVIRONMENT; RESPOND TO COMPLAINTS AND DEVELOPMENTS THREATENING GROUND WATER AND RIVER QUALITY; REVIEW REPORTS AND DEVELOP SOLUTIONS TO PROBLEMS.