To The Editor:
If you live in the Mad River Valley (watershed), full or part time, Friends of the Mad River needs your help.
Last month Friends of the Mad River and the Mad River Valley Planning District hosted a Community Forum and Resilience Celebration called Embracing a Mad River at the Big Picture Theater. The purpose of the event was to celebrate the Mad River Valley’s progress toward resilience since Tropical Storm Irene and learn about actions still needed for building a stronger future. Over 100 people attended the forum, swapping stories of what has happened in their communities since the 2011 storm and learning from each other.
A relatively new initiative of Friends of the Mad River called Ridge to River was highlighted. A taskforce of municipal reps and interested community members has been working to figure out how our community can reduce its flood vulnerabilities and keep our water clean. The Ridge to River taskforce mobilized to help our community cope with the future expected increases in the amount and intensity of rainfall.
Better management of stormwater (the water falling during a rain or snow melt) is one way to adapt. The answer lies in slowing it down, dispersing it, sinking it into the ground to recharge the groundwater before it has the chance to quickly run off to streams, carrying sediment and pollutants with it.
To understand better where our community is now and to inform how to best proceed in building community resilience in the years ahead, the Ridge to River taskforce created a baseline survey. You can help in the Ridge to River effort by taking the survey. And you may win one of four cash prizes (one $50 and three $20) for doing so. To take the survey, go to ridgetoriver.org and click on “Take the Survey” under “Complete Our Survey + Win.”
Your help will be greatly appreciated.
Richard Czaplinski
Warren
A board member of Friends of the Mad River and a member of the Ridge to River taskforce.
