Mission and Initiatives

Lamoille County Conservation District was established in 1945 in response to the degradation of natural resources vital to the agricultural livelihood of residents in Lamoille County. Working in partnership with USDA's Natural Resources Conservation Service and Farm Service Agency, the Conservation District works to:

• Maintain and improve our natural resources;
• Aid and educate our fellow citizens to appreciate and adjust to the changes taking place in our natural resource system;
• Be a local voice for conservation, preservation, and stewardship of all natural resources and work in conjunction with other agencies (private and public) at the grassroots level.

To support our mission and support our local community, LCCD writes and receives grants to complete projects in Lamoille County and Lamoille Watershed. The following initiatives maintain the success of these on going projects.

Lamoille Valley Farm & Forest Initiative

LCCD supports the working landscape and advocates for a farm and forest lands-based economy of the Lamoille River Watershed through the Lamoille Valley Farm and Forest Initiative (LVFFI). The initiative is comprised of a series of projects that support the working landscape, whether farming or forestry. Through this initiative, a Local Producers Guide was created to support the localvore movement in Lamoille County.

Lamoille River Watershed Initiative

Community and partner organizations involved in the Lamoille Watershed Basin planning process recognized the need for a group to lead watershed-wide projects and created the Lamoille Watershed Association housed under the auspices of LCCD. Rather than forming another organization, LCCD took the lead for these watershed-wide efforts through the Lamoille River Watershed Initiative. Since that time, LCCD completes many projects throughout the entire Lamoille River Watershed annually. For up to date projects throughout the watershed, refer to the Lamoille Watershed Initiative page for the Lamoille River Agricultural and Resource Guide, Lamoille Online Resources for Educators, Lamoille Watershed Water Quality Monitoring and Exchange Project, and the Lamoille River Photo Gallery.

Resource Protection & Conservation Projects

LCCD collaborates with many partners to seek funding and support for locally driven valuable projects to insure the livelihood of our neighbors and protect farms, fields, and forests in our community. We assist landowners in measureable ways to follow state and federal protocols and regulations. These projects are varied and are often realized through Local Working Group Meetings, an annual meeting of concerned citizens to help adress natural resource issues and concerns. These projects include our successful Trees for Streams Program, and equipment rentals through the Portable Skidder Bridge Program, and the Hydroseeder Shareholder Program.