Governor Jim Douglas has appointed Kenneth Bishop of
Springfield and Norman Wright of Putney to serve on Vermont's Connecticut
River Watershed Advisory Commission.
Bishop, a lifelong dairy farmer, is president of the 550-member Windsor
County Farm Bureau, and chairman of the Windsor County Agricultural Fair,
which is held annually in Springfield. Bishop reports that his parents and
grandparents acquired 200 acres of prime agricultural land in Springfield
after construction of the Bellows Falls Dam, and the family has farmed
there ever since. Bishop sold his herd in 1990.
"I've worked all my life next to the Connecticut River as a farmer,"
Bishop observes. "I have already learned a lot more about the river since
being appointed."
Norman Wright, a former state representative and commissioner of the Fish
and Wildlife department, served until last year as chief executive
officer of the Vermont Hospital Association. He is a member of the
executive committee of Windham Regional Planning Commission and chair of
its Community Development and Housing Committee.
"As a Vermonter and resident of the Connecticut River Valley for the last
fifty years, I see no other natural resource used and enjoyed by so many,"
commented Wright. "We must preserve and protect it for the future."
Vermont's fifteen-member Connecticut River Commission has worked with its
New Hampshire counterpart since 1989 to guide growth and development in
the river valley. The diverse backgrounds of their commissioners are part
of their secret to success.
The Joint Commissions hold a monthly public forum to consider issues
affecting the Connecticut River and its watershed. The most recent meeting
drew local officials, planners, and state land use regulators for a
discussion of how the valley bottom's soils from glacial Lake Hitchcock
can affect land use. This month's forum, scheduled for January 26, will
focus upon progress in developing the Connecticut River Birding Trail and
updating the Connecticut River Corridor Management Plan.
Gov Douglas Appoints New Connecticut River Commissioners
Submitted by tim
on