Project Highlights
From outreach and education to project and program implementation, our goal is to create local solutions for natural resources concerns.
Explore our latest projects and programs showcasing our efforts to protect and restore natural resources in our community.
Town Beach Shoreline Stabilization
The Town of South Hero and local conservation partners are working together to restore and protect the shoreline at White’s Beach as aging cottonwood trees reach the end of their lifespan, threatening both the character of the beach and one of the last naturally stabilizing features along the shoreline. Through newly secured funding, a nature-based shoreline design is being developed to reduce erosion, protect water quality, improve accessibility, and establish a new generation of shade trees. We are seeking to incorporate feedback from the community into the final design.
Act 59 Listening Session
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In June 2023, the Vermont Legislature passed the Community Resilience and Biodiversity Protection Act (Act 59), which calls for a statewide conservation plan to achieve the goal of conserving 30% of Vermont by 2030 and 50% by 2050. In March, in partnership with the South Hero Land Trust, we co-hosted a listening session as part of the community feedback process for Act 59.
The listening session was designed to create space for Grand Isle County residents to share questions, concerns, and ideas about the proposed plan and its implications for the county’s future.
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The event was well-attended at the North Hero Community Hall. Representatives from the Vermont Housing & Conservation Board (VHCB) gave a presentation, followed by discussions and questions. We also passed out feedback forms so participants could give their input directly to VHCB. Discussion was wide-ranging and included feedback about the current use program, the need for affordable housing and economic growth in the county, the interactions between this plan and the current Act 250 overhaul, and many others. GICNRCD and SHLT ave sent a report summary to VHCB with the feedback from the meeting and elsewhere from community members.
We hope that legislators will listen to this feedback as they consider how this plan will be rolled out. In addition, we plan to incorporate this feedback into our internal planning and goal-setting
Conservation Block Parties
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The Lake Champlain Basin is home to nearly 600,000 people. The impacts of our actions are seen and felt by all those who enjoy the region. To keep our waters clean, we hope to motivate residents to act in fun, simple and accessible ways that positively impact our shared ecosystems.
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In collaboration with the South Hero Land Trust, we hosted five block parties—one in each town in Grand Isle County. Each event focused on a shared issue or interest identified by the local community, from living alongside wetlands and best practices for lakefront living to native plants, resilient garden design, and managing private roads. Experts guided discussions and shared practical, easy-to-implement solutions for participants to use at home. These gatherings brought communities together in a fun and engaging way—with food, music, door prizes, and more—to inspire actions that together can have a big impact on water quality.
Keeler Bay Action Plan
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Keeler Bay, located in the northeast arm of Lake Champlain and surrounded by South Hero, offers scenic views, recreation, and drinking water. It supports local tourism and businesses. The surrounding 6.8-square mile watershed drains water—often carrying fertilizer, oil, pesticides, bacteria, and eroded debris—into the bay. This runoff can lead to elevated phosphorus levels, harming water quality and aquatic life. Whether we live on the shore or inland, our actions impact the health of the bay.
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It all begins with an idea. Maybe you want to launch a business. Maybe you want to turn a hobby into something more.In 2021, the Grand Isle County Natural Resources Conservation District and South Hero Land Trust began working with local residents to develop the Keeler Bay Action Plan. This assessment and planning tool provides an in-depth analysis of the watershed’s landscape, encompassing shorelines, streams, roads, and more. With funding and support from the Lake Champlain Basin Program, we identified 25 ready-to-build projects. These projects, upon implementation, are expected to improve the water quality in the bay, enhance its surrounding ecosystem, and provide the community engagement and education.
Click here to learn about the plan and all the ways you can help Keeler Bay.
Locally Led Conservation
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Conservation works best when shaped by people who live and work on the land. This ensures that conservation efforts reflect the needs, priorities, and knowledge of our local communities. This approach puts decision-making in the hands of those who know the land best, creating solutions that are more responsive, more effective, and rooted in community priorities.
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In 2023 and 2024, we partnered with our fellow Northwest Natural Resources Conservation Districts and USDA-Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) to hear directly from community members through meetings, surveys, and planning sessions. This input shaped a regional conservation action plan focused on real-world solutions to the most pressing resource concerns. Thanks to this work, almost $2 million in additional federal funding has been directed to Grand Isle, Franklin, and Lamoille counties. This funding supported practices offered through the USDA-NRCS Environmental Quality Incentives Program (EQIP), opening the door for landowners to make lasting improvements to soil, water, and wildlife resources.