Friends of Coburn Pond

At A Glance

Location: 

Plainfield, Vermont

Primary Issue Area:

  • Land & Water

Active since:

2008

Grants Received In:

  • 2011
  • 2009
  • 2008
  • 2000

Core volunteers:

4

Community Size:

5,000

Group Links:

Our Purpose

Using VT's Act 250 Land Use process, a group of citizens protected Coburn Pond (from being destroyed as part of a VTrans wetlands compensations project) and kept glyphosate out of the constructed wetlands south of the swimming hole. From that initial core group, we are evolving into a stakeholder management group to protect public access in perpetuity.To support the transfer of ownership of the property to the Town, we must demonstrate capacity to offer oversight and a proposed management plan. With Town ownership, we can guarantee public access into the future.  These are the final steps to success: To expand and strengthen our core group and its capacity to develop and implement a management plan and to serve as an ongoing liaison for the Town of East Montpelier; to create strong leadership development and group processes to carry forward ongoing management and maintenance of the property surrounding the swimming hole; Conservation easements and Town ownership with management agreements.

Summary of Projects

Route 2 - Coburn Quarry Citizens was successful in protecting the pond and its shorelines through the Act 250 process and negotiating with VTrans. However, with construction for wetland mitigation at the south end of the site, soils being "stored" to the north of the pond, a construction road running between the two, and two major inundations (May and August), fewer people have chosen to use the site for recreation this year. The long-term goal is to protect the pond in perpetuity as a naturalized recreation area. Towards that end, Route 2 - Coburn Quarry Citizens has become "Friends of Coburn Pond". The group received a grant in 2011 to help transition towards Friends of the Coburn Pond now that a final decision has been made around highway construction. Friends of Coburn Pond would like to expand outreach to the community, and to expand the core group to include more neighboring residents and swimmers, and possible conservation partners.

Route 2 Coburn Quarry Citizens Alliance received a grant in 2009 to support fundraising and organizational capacity development in order to follow through with the Act 250 process on the expansion of US Route 2 adjacent to the Marshfield Reservoir through Cabot and Danville, and to protect the Coburn Road Quarry Swimming Hole from being filled in as a wetland mitigation/compensation site.

The Alliance received a small grant in 2008 to help cover expenses around opposing a highway expansion/widening and mitigation plan through the Vermont Act 250 process.The Alliance consists of residents from the different towns that will be affected by the widening, and the group is open to discussing alternatives and compromises with the VT Department of Transportation. A key issue is the proposed filling of the Coburn Pond with highway soil from the Route 2 widening project. The Pond has been used as a community greenspace and swimming hole for many years.

This grant was awarded long ago and the details haven't been uploaded to our online system. If you'd like to learn more, contact us (info@grassrootsfund.org) and we'll fill in the blanks.

Helpful Resources