Learn about TU Southwestern Vermont’s action plan to conserve, protect, and restore southwestern Vermont’s coldwater fish populations, fisheries, and their watersheds.

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Strategic Plan for 2023-2025

 Mission

To conserve, protect, and restore southwestern Vermont’s coldwater fish populations, fisheries, and their watersheds.

 Vision

The Southwestern Vermont Chapter of Trout Unlimited will ensure that robust populations of native and wild coldwater fish thrive in the watersheds of Bennington and Rutland counties, so that our children and others can enjoy healthy fisheries in their home waters.

Core Values

Restore, Improve, and Protect high quality habitat for native and wild coldwater fish in  the watersheds of Bennington and Rutland Counties. 

Reconnect fragmented fish populations and habitats by improving instream flows and  removing fish barriers such as impassable culverts and dams. 

Sustain our conservation efforts by inspiring and training present and future  generations of conservation stewards. 

Build Community through partnership with a wide variety of organizations, both within the fishing community and outside of it to maximize our impact.

In addition,

• We value innovation and original thinking.
• We believe education is key to protecting regional watersheds.
• We are optimistic and believe in a better future.
• We are nonpartisan and will not take positions on electoral politics.

Strategies

Restore, Improve, and Protect Strategies

• Advocate for the protection of our home waters via a watershed approach, working collaboratively with the Vermont State Council and the Agency of Natural Resources.
  • Bennington County: Hoosic, Walloomsac, Battenkill, and Mettawee
  • Rutland County: Otter Creek
• Take appropriate actions to prevent harm to native and wild trout from poor hatchery and harvest management policies and practices, working with the Vermont State Council and the Agency of Natural Resources.
• Work in partnership with the Vermont Agency of Natural Resources and federal agencies, private industry, local communities, watershed organizations, and others to help restore degraded wild and native fish populations throughout southwestern Vermont.

Reconnect Strategies

• Reconnect rivers and streams by removing or creating passage through culverts, diversions, and dams.
• Support the funding of selective dam removal and restoration projects where there is detrimental effect on a fishery without mitigating benefit.

Sustain Strategies

• Work towards growing a strong conservation ethic among school-aged children through Trout in the Classroom, area fishing derbies, and the Vermont State Council’s “Trout Camp.”
• Grow the number of anglers within southwestern Vermont who will be conservation stewards by increasing membership and encouraging non-member participation in events, volunteer projects, and online activity.
• Diversify our member composition in terms of age, race, gender, class, profession, and education level.
• Support these goals and strategies by increasing Chapter income through fundraising, membership dues, sponsorships, and events.

Build Community Strategies

• Partner with other organizations around the area to support their efforts, and lean on them for their expertise within our ongoing projects.
• Strengthen communications with our members and the public to build a self-sustaining community of southwestern Vermont coldwater conservation stewards.
• Engage the fly fishing, outdoor, and tourism business sectors in our conservation and membership development work.

Activities

Restore, Improve, and Protect Activities

• Each year, identify a major conservation project to:
  • a) prevent harm to native and wild trout from poor hatchery and harvest management policies and practices,
  • OR b) advocate for the protection of our home waters via a watershed approach,
  • OR c) restore habitat conditions of at least one river or stream within southwestern Vermont.
• Commit funds to advance that project.
• Set activities and assessment plans for the year for that project.
• Collaborate with the Vermont State Council, the Agency of Natural Resources (ANR), and other organizations (watershed alliances, coalitions, private industry, federal agencies, or other TU chapters) wherever appropriate.

Reconnect Activities

• Each year, support the efforts of partners to remove barriers to fish passage in at least one river or stream within southwestern Vermont.
• Commit funds to advance that project.
• Set activities and assessment plans for the year for that project.

Sustain Activities

• School-Aged Children:
  • Establish Trout in the Classroom (TIC) programs in at least one new school district per year and maintain the TIC programs currently running.
  • Support the Vermont State Council in delivering the annual “Trout Camp” and encourage participation by school-aged children in southwestern Vermont.
  • Support at least one youth fishing derby a year through volunteer staffing, prize donations or other sponsorship, informational materials, and/or refreshments.
• Membership and Fundraising:
  • Complete at least one online membership drive per year using email and social media.
  • Hold an annual banquet or picnic as the major fundraising activity for the Chapter.
  • Create a member email list, grow the subscriptions by 15 percent each year, and use it for event publicity and membership drives.

Build Community Activities:

• Plan at least four Chapter events per year to engage our members and the public in southwestern Vermont coldwater conservation issues.
• Create a plan to reach out to other stakeholders on the rivers (anglers, homeowners, business owners, tourists) to include them in our mission and raise awareness about conservation best practices.
• Update the tusouthwesternvermont.org website quarterly to maintain it as a general source of semi-permanent information about the Chapter and national organization’s mission, membership/donation processes, the national organization, our major programs, and volunteer opportunities.
• Establish Facebook as the primary channel for communicating with members and the public by publishing a new post about conservation at least once a month, listing the year’s events in advance, and boosting posts or events through paid promotions.