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The Poultney-Mettowee Watershed Partnership Page

How do you coordinate conservation efforts in watersheds that span multiple political boundaries? Both the Poultney River and Mettowee River watersheds span the New York and Vermont border, with significant amounts of land in each state. In addition, the Poultney and Mettowee watersheds are home to 17 towns in Vermont and New York.

In 2000, the Poultney Mettowee Natural Resource Conservation District in Rutland County, Vermont, and the Washington County Soil and Water Conservation District in New York created the Poultney-Mettowee Watershed Partnership to coordinate projects in thisese bi-state watersheds.

The Poultney-Mettowee Watershed Partnership is funded by grant monies administered through the Conservation Districts. Past funding sources have included the Lake Champlain Basin Program, Vermont Agency of Natural Resources and the Department of Fish and Wildlife. In addition, many towns within the watershed contribute donations to be used for local assessments and educational programs.

Hilary Solomon, previous Watershed Coordinator, pictured in the Mettowee River near Granville.

The mission of the Poultney-Mettowee Watershed Partnership is to bring together the efforts of citizens and organizations that share the common vision of conserving, protecting, and enhancing the natural and cultural resources of the watershed.

Partnership Goals:

• To improve water quality.


• To enhance and interpret wildlife populations
  and habitats and other natural resources.


• Maintain a healthy agricultural-based economy
  while protecting, restoring, and conserving the soil and water resources of agricultural land.


• To educate youth, educators, adults, residents, and visitors about conservation practices and the environment around them.


• To maintain and enhance agriculture-related activities and nature-based recreational opportunities.

A steering committee, made up of representatives of many different stakeholder groups in the watershed, make recommendations to the Partnership for management priorities and on-the-ground project activities. This group meets once a year to review current research, projects and priorities. The partnership is involved in many of the activities that you will read about on this website.

Public involvement:

Public involvement is key to the success of the Watershed Partnership. Public forums and surveys are two of the many methods of assessment conducted by the Districts. Input from the public is always welcome and encouraged. This website has been created in order to provide people with a way to participate in identifying projects or commenting on plans. Please see our "Volunteer Opportunities " page if you are interested in donating time or money.