11-1SG Saco River Recreational Council
Grant Round:
2011 February
Grant Program:
Small Grants
Grant Type:
Other Grants
Grant amount requested:
1,500.00
Attachments
Please provide a brief description of the project for which you seek funding.
The Saco River Recreational Council, a nonprofit organization, and its partners are working to protect this unique recreational river for generations to come. The Saco River Recreational Council organized in 1983 due to the rapid rise in canoeing and camping on the Saco River maintains the well being of the Upper Saco River. We are seeking funds to continue and expand our outdoor education program based at Swan‘s Falls Campground in Fryeburg for the protection of the Upper Saco River and our local waters.
This 50-mile stretch of the Saco River is a very popular canoe and camping trip. It is being threatened by invasive plants such as Milfoil, invasive beetles such as the Asian Longhorned Beetle and the Emerald Ash Borer, Japanese knotweed, among other terrestrial invasive plants and abuse by a small percent of the thousands of visitors that come from all over the world each season. The trash left behind, human waste, cutting and trampling of live trees and trash, are huge issues. There is a need for visitor education consisting of Leave No Trace ethics, preventing the spread of invasives, water safety, outdoor etiquette, local laws and rules of the river.
Some visitors come to the Saco River expecting to party, abuse alcohol while cutting live trees, throwing and leaving trash everywhere and showing total disrespect for the environment and those around them. They act in a manner not consistent with norms of outdoor camping etiquette. We would like to make this a family friendly river once again and protect it for our children and grandchildren but we need more help.
The challenge is to change the paradigm of the river as it is currently seen.
Objectives:
1. Generate support for our expanding river education program under the direction of Michelle Broyer.
2. Expand the efforts of the Saco River Recreational Council and its partners in conservation and Leave No Trace education. Develop new river guides and educational videos, sponsor more river education interns. Create a unique Saco River Outdoor Education program providing outreach to schools, scout groups and other organizations at Swans Falls Campground which could include overnight camping and canoe trips sponsored by the Saco River Recreational Council.
3. Teach Leave No Trace and Outdoor Ethics, protect from invasives such as Milfoil, invasive beetles and everything needed to protect our river and ponds for generations to come while promoting responsible boating and camping and enjoying the outdoors respectfully.
Programs:
* The Saco River Recreational council manages a unique river runners program which includes a full-time seasonal crew of 9 who go out on the river 4 days a week to remove trash and debris left behind by our visitors and man all access points along this busy stretch on weekends for parking and traffic control.
* Manage Swans Falls Campground and river access in Fryeburg, Me, an 18 site campground and popular river access leased from the Maine Dept of Conservation.
* Maintain bulletin boards (at landings and key locations in the River Valley) with revised and updated stewardship information including Saco River maps, mileage charts, laws, emergency numbers and more. Information aimed to improve visitor trip planning and preparation - the first crucial step to minimizing visitor impacts on the Saco River.
* Maintain a website and Facebook page for our education programs.
* Hosted the National Subaru/Leave No Trace Traveling Trainers two years in a row at Swan’s Falls and are coming back for our annual Scout Spring Cleanup.
* Interviewed by Dave Winters of the National Leave No Trace program, for our efforts on the Saco River and featured in their “My Backyard” article in their national newsletter in June of 2010.
* Expand awareness through news media regarding events and river cleanups – articles in local and regional newpapers, televised coverage of events and educational activities, letters to the editors, media outlet contacts in major metropolitan areas of Boston and New York (particularly focused on new firewood regulations, policies, and programs to prevent beetle infestations).
* Hosted the Maine Dept of Agriculture and Maine Forest Service for a trainers training to educate us to provide education to protect against ALB and EAB and provide the materials and tools needed for these programs.
* Partner with The Nature Conservancy/Saco River Project, Leave No Trace, Maine Department of Conservation, local and state law enforcement agencies and new partnership and support with the Maine Milfoil Project.
Primary Issue Area:
Land & Water
Please break-down/categorize the program expenses:
| Proposed Item | Estimated $ Amount | Would grant funds be used for this item? | Type Of Expense |
|---|---|---|---|
| Advertising | $250.00 | Materials | |
| Canal Bridge Maintenance | $1,326.00 | Materials | |
| Canal Bridge Lease | $18,300.00 | Materials | |
| Equipment | $800.00 | Materials | |
| Fica | $2,200.00 | Materials | |
| Insurance | $3,500.00 | Materials | |
| Labor | $61,000.00 | Yes | Materials |
| Misc expenses | $2,997.00 | Materials | |
| Police | $1,000.00 | Materials | |
| Postage | $100.00 | Materials | |
| Prof services | $2,800.00 | Materials | |
| Rent | $1,094.00 | Materials | |
| Supplies | $2,990.00 | Yes | Materials |
| Swan’s Falls | $8,555.00 | Materials | |
| Telephone | $725.00 | Materials | |
| Trash removal | $7,000.00 | Materials | |
| Unemployment tax | $725.00 | Materials |
Whom does your group need to make this project happen?
Please explain how your group will engage members from your community in this project.
* Hands on education programs at access points along the river teaching proper disposal of trash and human waste, checking boat motors for invasive plants, registrations, required permits, checking firewood for beetles, and distributing handouts.
* River runners program with approximately 9 employees who remove debris from and maintain the river, 4 days a week and man parking/access areas and direct traffic on the weekends.
* Manage Swans Falls Campground and river access with 4 employees.
* Initiated a full fledged conservation education program for local community and visitors.
* Partnering with the Maine Volunteer Lake Monitoring Program, Lakes Environmental Association in Bridgton, and Lovewell Pond Association to protect from Milfoil and other aquatic invasives on the Saco River, and surrounding waters.
* Hosted The Nature Conservancy Diversity (LEAP) Interns who provided minimum impact/Leave No Trace education, invasives mapping, water quality monitoring. Provide weekly reports of their education efforts on the river.
* Hosted Lisa Bondesmon of the Maine CDC and Mary Ann Amich, who educated our staff and visitors on tick identification and protection from Lyme and Rabies.
* Created and conducting visitor experience surveys on landings and our website.
* Organize bi-annual Saco River volunteer Cleanups with over 300 volunteers, removing boatloads of trash from the river.
* Looking to develop an action plan with local organizations to manage (remove and monitor) invasive Japanese Knotweed (large infestations identified through mapping) and stem its spread down river.
* Organized booth at Fryeburg Fair, “Partners for the Protection of the Upper Saco River.”
If your group receives a NEGEF Grow grant, how do you plan to pay for remaining expenses?
| $ Amount | Source |
|---|---|
| $800.00 | Camps |
| $2,000.00 | Goldberg grant |
| $314.00 | Misc income |
| $2,000.00 | Mulford fund |
| $10,000.00 | The Nature Conservancy |
| $3,000.00 | Nestle Grant |
| $25,700.00 | Parking |
| $13,000.00 | Saco River Livery Assoc (canoe companies) |
| $58,500.00 | Swans Falls campground |
Please list these materials or services
| $ Amount | Item |
|---|---|
| $5,000.00 | Canoe rentals -cleanups |
| $1,000.00 | Transportation employees rurunners |
| $250.00 | Volunteer labor for cleanups |
| $300.00 | Campsites for volunteers |
| $1,350.00 | Marketing/Advertising |
| $10,500.00 | Management services/ labor |
Please describe what changes will occur in your community and its environment when your group's project is successful.
Our residents and visitors alike will be able to enjoy the town beaches and river without seeing all the trash and abusive behaviors on the river. There will be less or no trash left behind or bottles and cans floating down the river. The community will be less volatile to the river and its issues as we control the abuse and occasional lawlessness. We will see more families and children enjoying the river the way it is meant to be enjoyed. We will remain free from invasives, both aquatic and terrestrial, and invasive beetles. Hopefully cut back on the Japanese Knotweed and other terrestrial invasives that are taking root along the river.
Please list how many people in your community your group expects to actively engage in this project.
1 000
What relevant skills does the group need (but does not currently have access to) to help move the initiative forward?
Improve social media, website and advertising skills
Grant writing training
What relevant skills do current members of the group have to help move the initiative forward?
* Local canoe liveries are volunteer, active and supporting members of the SRRC .
* Direct contact with boaters and campers, experienced in dealing with this demographic in their business and on the river.
* Partner with The Nature Conservancy and Leave No Trace and Maine Volunteer Monitoring program, which support and assist in these efforts.
* Team effort with local and state law enforcement controlling access points and educating visitors.
* Trained and certified aquatic invasive plant patrollers, inspectors and educators
* Saco River Corridor Commission member and partner, we participate in their water quality testing and terrestrial invasive plant programs.
* Trained Leave No Trace educators and partner of Leave No Trace Outdoor Ethics.
* Partner of The Nature Conservancy/Saco River Project and diversity program.