Since the summer of 2022, a collaborative effort has been championed under the umbrella of the Mad River Valley Conservation and Recreation Visioning Project (CRV) to find ways to shape a shared future that protects and enhances both our valued ecological resources and our unparalleled recreational assets.
CRV is funded by a grant from VOREC (Vermont Outdoor Recreation Economic Collaborative). Over the past year, representatives from 15 recreation and conservation groups have been meeting to lay the foundation for this effort, forming the CRV steering committee. The goal is to develop, through an inclusive community process, a set of maps, shared goals, guiding principles, and best practices that together will provide a well-supported vision for balancing ecological integrity with recreation and trails across The Valley.
As we move forward in this process, we’re excited to invite community members to our first Valley Conservation and Recreation Visioning community forum. It takes place Thursday, June 15, at the Pavilion at Lareau Farm in Waitsfield. It will begin with an informal community potluck at 5 p.m., followed by a meeting from 6 to 8 p.m. All who plan to attend are encouraged to bring something to share.
At 6 p.m., the evening will transition to an informational and participatory forum. The first half of the meeting will be a panel Q and A, featuring steering committee members. The panel will provide background information and project context before opening up for questions.
After the Q&A, participants will have an opportunity to share perspectives and ideas in small groups. Steering committee members will be assigned to each discussion group to help facilitate the discussions and provide context.
In these small discussion groups, we are keen to hear from community members about your recreation and conservation values, as well as your concerns and hopes for the future. Community insights and perspectives are critical to moving this project forward.
At the end of the night, the steering committee will share ways to stay engaged, next steps, and answers to any lingering questions.
Prior to the forum, the CRV steering committee is providing resources to help foster deeper and more engaging discussions at the meeting. The Mad River Valley Recreation District’s CRV website page (address below) has a link to a summary of efforts to date, definitions of important terms, and a relevant video from the Stowe Land Trust.
The pavilion is an accessible, outdoor (covered) space; any specific questions concerning this site can be addressed to Emily Friedman, the community project manager (contact information below).
In the weeks following the community forum, the steering committee will be sharing summary notes of the public forum and a survey. These resources will be available by signing up for an email list (contact
Laura Arnesen, Mad River Valley Recreation District, along with, Phil Huffman, Waitsfield Conservation Commission, and Corrie Miller, Fayston Conservation Commission make up the CRV leadership team.
