Friends of the Mad River has been doing yeoman's work for all of us this summer and for many years. Friends of the Mad River was formed during hearings over expanding snowmaking at Sugarbush in 1990.
While the issue of snowmaking created divisions within the community
for a while, the creation of Friends of the Mad River ultimately
created common goals within the community.
Originally formed by individuals who neither opposed nor advocated for
the proposed snowmaking project, the organization has stayed true to
its roots and its mission of advocating for the river and its health.
The group has remained apolitical and takes its positions and picks its
tasks based specifically on the issue of river health. Its membership
is broad and its board members are diverse.
In 1994 Friends of the Mad River took over stewardship of the Mad River
Watch program, one of the oldest citizen water quality monitoring
program in the country. Through the river watch program volunteers
collect bi-monthly samples from The Valley's streams, tributaries, as
well as the swim holes of the Mad River.
After checking water samples for the presence of <MI>E.
coli<D> bacteria, the Friends post the results at local swim
holes along with information about how individuals can assess river
health for swimming.
The educational component of the group's mission has been incredibly
successful from one end of The Valley to the other and public awareness
of how <MI>E. coli<D> bacteria get in the water (and can be
kept out) has increased.
And while the group has eschewed politics in favor of education and
outreach, the group's influence (political and otherwise) has grown.
The Friends of the Mad River is the 'go-to' group when issues of river
health, river protection and river impact come up.
This citizens' group, advocating for the river that runs the length of
The Valley, does more to increase public awareness and to educate than
any governmental agency or department ever could.
We are fortunate to have Friends like this looking out for the river.
{loadnavigation}
