WATERSHEDS UNITED VERMONT INC

WATERSHEDS UNITED VERMONT (WUV) WORKED IN 2023 TO FURTHER OUR MISSION OF EMPOWERING COMMUNITY-BASED WATERSHED ORGANIZATIONS TO PROTECT AND RESTORE VERMONTS WATERS. WUV FOCUSED ON THREE MAIN AREAS: PROVIDING RESOURCES, TRAINING AND INFORMATION TO WATERSHED GROUPS, FACILITATING CONNECTIONS AND COLLABORATION AMONG WATERSHED GROUPS AND PARTNERS, AND ACTING AS A VOICE FOR GROUPS AT THE STATE LEVEL. WUV CONTINUES TO OPERATE SUBGRANT PROGRAMS FOR WATERSHED ORGANIZATIONS AND PARTNERS FOR: RIPARIAN BUFFER PLANTING, CLEAN WATER PROJECT DEVELOPMENT, CLEAN WATER PROJECT DESIGN AND IMPLEMENTATION, DAM REMOVAL DESIGN AND IMPLEMENTATION, AND WATERSHED PLANNING. MOST OF THESE PROGRAMS WERE FUNDED THROUGH THE VERMONT DEPARTMENT OF ENVIRONMENTAL CONSERVATIONS BLOCK GRANT PROGRAM. THE PRIVATE ORGANIZATION PUR PROJET ALSO CONTRIBUTED FUNDS FOR WUV TO SUBGRANT TO SUPPORT TREE PLANTING IN VERMONT. WUV ALSO WORKED WITH THE VERMONT COMMUNITY FOUNDATION TO SUPPORT THEIR HEALTHY WATERSHEDS INITIATIVE BY WORKING WITH 12 WATERSHED GROUPS ACROSS VERMONT ON PROJECTS TO WORK TOWARDS HEALTHY WATERSHEDS AND RESILIENT COMMUNITIES. ADDITIONALLY, WUV SENT OUT WEEKLY MESSAGES TO THE WUV LISTSERV (200+ PEOPLE) ON EVENTS, TRAININGS, FUNDING OPPORTUNITIES, AND POLICY ANNOUNCEMENTS. WUV HELD FOUR WEBINARS FOR WATERSHED GROUPS AND PARTNERS AND ONE IN PERSON MEETING ON TECHNICAL AND ORGANIZATIONAL TOPICS IN PART FOCUSED ON FLOOD RECOVERY AND RESILIENCE AFTER VERMONTS DEVASTATING FLOOD IN JULY OF 2023. WUV PARTICIPATED IN A WEEKLY WATER CAUCUS TO BRING THE VOICE OF COMMUNITY-BASED WATERSHED GROUPS TO A STATEWIDE COALITION. WUV CONTINUED TO PROVIDE GENERAL GUIDANCE TO WATERSHED GROUPS TO HELP SUPPORT GROUPS IN THEIR WATERSHED RESTORATION EFFORTS.