TO ALL!
The Public Scoping Meeting scheduled for June 19, 2013 at AIV in Montpelier is for
KINGDOM HERITAGE LANDS MEEETING.
This is the start of the forming of the 10 years plan of West Mountain Wildlife Management area.
Please attend! This is extremely important!
Below, I have copied the overview of plan from Steve McCleod, Exec. Dir. of the Vermont Traditional Coalition.
2 meetings have already been held, this is for the sportsmen/women.
Hello VTCERS & Friends,
As with Island Pond on Tuesday night, people dedicated to stopping potential road closures, eliminating the restrictive Ecological Core Area, and preserving traditional land uses dominated the public input at the public meeting on the West Mt. Wildlife Management Area Ten Year Plan held at Lyndon last night. The crowd was smaller than the 78 folks who showed up at Island Pond, but all but a couple of the crowd represented our side.
Once again, we found the format for the meeting chosen by the Department of Fish & Wildlife to be frustrating. Basically, they made an hour long presentation on the proposed Ten Year Plan, and then refused Vermont Traditions Coalition's request to take a vote on VTC's desire to keep all of the eleven roads slated for potential closure open and on VTC's desire to eliminate The Ecological Core Area. Then, like Tuesday, they sent us to four stations where they recorded input on easels. Given this format, we managed to get our near unanimous majority recorded into the record a different way. We wrote down VTC's half dozen priority positions on the easels, and everyone put hash marks next to each statement showing support. The near unanimous majority for our positions was demonstrated on the easels. Last night, VTC partnered with the Champion Lands Leaseholders & Traditional Interests Association; Hunter, Angler, Trapper Association; and Vermont Federation of Sportsmen's Clubs in this effort.
Now, it's on to the special joint meeting between Vermont Traditions Coalition, the Champion Lands Leaseholders & Traditional Interests Association, the Hunter, Angler, Trapper Association, the Ruffed Grouse Society, the Vermont Federation of Sportsmen's Clubs, and the Department of Fish & Wildlife Land Planning Team Wednesday at 6 p.m. at the Associated Industries of Vermont Building in Montpelier. THIS IS THE BIG ONE. YOU DON'T WANT TO MISS IT!
The Associated Industries of Vermont Building is located on the same side of State St. in Montpelier as the State House between the Gulf Station and Movie Theater. Use rear parking lot and rear door. If this facility turns out to be too small, we will move to a larger nearby facility once everyone gathers.
If you were frustrated by the Department of Fish & Wildlife's format for the first two hearings, you especially want to come to the VTC-CLLTIA-HAT-RGS-Federation meeting with the department. VTC will be running the meeting. There will be a ten minute opening presentation by the department. Then members and friends of the five sponsoring organizations will each get to make statements, ask questions, and otherwise carry on a dialogue with the department. It will be one big meeting where everyone will get to hear every speaker and follow the entire conversation. Everyone will get to speak at least once.
Our two priority issues are keeping the West Mt. WMA roads open and getting Plum Creek Timber Co. to open more roads and to eliminate the Ecological Core Area.
We also support:
--Aggressive timber cutting.
--Snowmobiling as per local club desires.
--Increased trout stocking in Paul's Stream, Madison Brook, and Granby Stream.
--An end to the failed salmon restoration program and exclusive focus on trout.
--Target shooting and dog training as is.
--Camps that go onto the market to be purchased by the public, not the state or Nature Conservancy.
--Plus whatever ideas you might have.
Telling your personal story of why West Mt. WMA and the larger region are such an important part of who you are or why Vermont's traditional land uses are such a big part of you while you deliver your opinion on roads, etc. is very effective, and something the department asked to hear about.
CONFIRMED ATTENDEES TO DATE ARE:
YES: Bob Bancroft, Desrochers, Weik, Holbrook, Dindo, Stanley, McLeod, B. Jean, R. Jean, Smead, Davis, Wakefield, Bard, Arsenault, Meyer, Deb Brown, Larson, Moore, Fournier, Lang, Benoit, Parshall, Bernie Chenette, Hammond & Friends, Patterson, M. Desrochers & Friend, Langevin, Stevens, McSweeneey, Marden, Schmidt, Rep. Koch, Mike Bancroft, Gray, Gammell, Procopio, Hank, Cross Family,
Brad Chenette.
Please RSVP if you plan to attend so that we can make seating arrangements.
Hope to see you all Wednesday!!
Steve McLeod
Executive Director
Vermont Traditions Coalition
If you have any last concerns/questions/comments about the schedule or approach, please let me know by the end of the week.
Scheduled
5/21: VNRC [complete]
5/21: Regional deer meeting. [complete]
5/22: Brunswick Planning Commission. 6:30pm, Brunswick.
5/29: Towns (minus the UTG). 7pm, Conte building.
5/30: Recreation group. 1:30, St J office.
6/6: Partners. 9am, St J office.
6/6: Fish and Wildlife Conservation Group. 7pm, Morgan Hatchery.
6/10: UTG. 6pm, UTG office
6/11: Public Forum 7-9pm, Brighton Elementary School
6:13: Public Forum 7-9pm, Lyndon State College
6/19: Sportsmen/Leaseholders 6pm, AIV in Montpelier
6/20: VTFPA 5pm, White River Junction
Scheduled
5/21: VNRC [complete]
5/21: Regional deer meeting. [complete]
5/22: Brunswick Planning Commission. 6:30pm, Brunswick.
5/29: Towns (minus the UTG). 7pm, Conte building.
5/30: Recreation group. 1:30, St J office.
6/6: Partners. 9am, St J office.
6/6: Fish and Wildlife Conservation Group. 7pm, Morgan Hatchery.
6/10: UTG. 6pm, UTG office
6/11: Public Forum 7-9pm, Brighton Elementary School
6:13: Public Forum 7-9pm, Lyndon State College
6/19: Sportsmen/Leaseholders 6pm, AIV in Montpelier
6/20: VTFPA 5pm, White River Junction
Clint Gray,
President
Vermont Federation of Sportsmen's Clubs, Inc.
Care Trak Northeast
