Strategic Plan

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

Strategic Plan for 2018-2020

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

We are motivated by our mission and shall work together towards our common vision.

We use science as the foundation for our work, relying on outside partners as needed to inform us of basic biological considerations associated with the aquatic resources of southwestern Vermont.

We ascribe to the seven principles of the North American Model of Wildlife Conservation:

  1. Fish and Wildlife as Public Trust Resources
  2. Elimination of Markets for Fish and Game
  3. Allocation of Fish and Wildlife by Law
  4. Fish and Wildlife Should Only Be Killed for a Legitimate Purpose
  5. Fish are Considered an International Resource
  6. Science is the Proper Tool for Discharge of Fish and Wildlife Policy
  7. Democracy of Fishing and Hunting

We believe that a diverse membership strengthens us and we welcome a broad cross-section of our community to the Chapter. We use a collaborative, cooperative approach towards building partnerships to synergistically advance our vision.

We value innovation and original thinking. We believe that educated and informed anglers make committed conservation leaders and advocates. We are optimistic and believe in a better future. We are nonpartisan and will not take positions on electoral politics.

 

Goals

  1. Restore, Improve, and Protect high quality habitat for native and wild coldwater fish in the watersheds of Bennington and Rutland Counties.
  2. Reconnect fragmented fish populations and habitats by improving instream flows and removing fish barriers.
  3. Sustain our conservation efforts by inspiring and training present and future generations of conservation stewards.

 

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.
  • 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.
  • Focus our watershed restoration projects on the following watersheds:
    • Bennington County: Hoosic, Walloomsac, Roaring Branch, Battenkill, and Mettawee
    • Rutland County: Otter Creek and Tributaries

 

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.
  • Engage the fly fishing, outdoor, and tourism business sectors in our conservation and membership development work.
  • Diversify our member composition in terms of age, race, gender, class, profession, and education level.
  • Strengthen communications with our members and the public to build a self-sustaining community of southwestern Vermont coldwater conservation stewards.
  • Support these goals and strategies by increasing Chapter income through fundraising, membership dues, sponsorships, and events.

 

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.
  • Community Engagement:
    • 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 once per year to maintain it as a general source of semi-permanent information about the Chapter and national org’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.

 

Outcomes

How well did we do? The following section constitutes our annual progress report addressing the four major outcomes of this strategic plan, and will be completed each year starting at the end of 2018.

  • What did we do to protect?
  • What did we do to reconnect?
  • What did we do to restore?
  • What did we do to sustain?