To the Editor:
Many thanks to Tracy Brannstrom for her article recapping the Conservation and Recreation Visioning (CRV) Community Forum on May 29. The 60 or so people attending were very engaged. You can view it here: https://mrvtv.com/878112-2/. The Mad River Valley Recreation District (MRVRD) is the manager and fiscal sponsor of the VOREC grant that is benefitting The Valley in many ways including the creation of CRV. VOREC partners are the Friends of the Mad River, Mad River Riders, Mad River Path, Mad River Valley Chamber of Commerce and Waitsfield. Our steering committee of 15 people is fine tuning current conditions a snapshot in time of what ecological integrity and trails and recreation look like in our watershed now. We are seeking more community input for the task at hand, developing desired future conditions. We will develop management strategies to achieve those future conditions. Background information on can be found here: https://www.mrvrd.org/about-crv. Think about what you desire for future conditions in The Valley regarding rec and trails and a sustainable environment. If you want your voice heard, now is the time!
Please stop by the welcome center, the chamber’s new office, which was part of this VOREC grant, to see some large printed maps of CRV work. And keep an eye out for big changes coming to the area behind the Local Smoke House as the bike and pedestrian bridge over the Mill Brook becomes a reality. CRV will continue well past the end of 2024, when the VOREC funding is complete. We anticipate the work of CRV continuing for many years under the leadership of a group yet to be identified, either an existing group or a new configuration. The state is counting on us to keep this work going. There will be additional CRV Community events in the late summer/early fall. With questions, comments/edits on current conditions or your list of future desired conditions email Emily Friedman, CRV project manager at
Laura Arnesen
Mad River Valley Planning District
