by Erika Armyn

Created on: January 29, 2009   Last Updated: February 03, 2009

Forever a Vermonter in spirit, this Green Mountain native can hardly imagine this green jewel of a state without its rushing waterways, historic covered bridges and verdant riverbanks coming to mind. Accordingly, it comes as a surprise to many, including myself, that Vermont is only the latest state to make a move toward defending its valuable watersheds from harmful human development. Two such rivers, the Missisquoi and Trout rivers, located in Franklin County in northwestern Vermont, are the focus of a bill seeking protection from such calamitous activity. The rivers would be the first in the state to be granted federal protection.

The Missisquoi and Trout Rivers Wild and Scenic Rivers Study Act of 2008 (H.R. 3667), introduced by Rep. Peter Welch (D-VT) in September 2007, seeks to designate 50 miles of the Missisquoi River and 20 miles of the Trout River for studies to be conducted by the National Park Service, to determine whether each tributary fulfills criteria for addition to the National Wild and Scenic Rivers System. The bill passed on the House floor a year after its introduction and is quickly on its way to becoming written into law. The passage of this bill is another high mark for Vermont's outstanding environmental record.

Created by Congress in 1968, the National Wild and Scenic Rivers System was initiated to preserve certain streams, brooks, and rivers with exceptional natural, cultural and recreational qualities, as well as diverse fish and wildlife, in their organic, free-flowing condition. Watercourses designated as Wild and Scenic are permanently protected from federal support for damming and other activities that have a negative impact on their natural state. If studies of the Missisquoi and Trout rivers find the waters suitable for designation as Wild and Scenic, the Act would prohibit construction of federally licensed dams, limit development that would alter the rivers' character, and safeguard the unique cultural, ecological and biological value of each river.

Both the Missisquoi River and its tributary, the Trout River, are imbued in those values. Bordered by what is called the largest silver maple floodplain in the state of Vermont, the Missisquoi and Trout rivers snake through a scenic emerald patchwork of rolling green meadows, dense deciduous forests and expansive dairy farmlands in the Champlain Valley, common veins that weave together the rich heritage of the agrarian communities through which they lazily travel. The Missisquoi River

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