Editor’s note: This commentary is by Vermont Agency of Natural Resources Secretary Julie Moore, of Middlesex.
[T]he “Blue Marble” is an image of planet Earth made in December 1972 by the crew of the Apollo 17 at a distance of about 18,000 miles from the earth’s surface. It is one of the most reproduced images in human history. It is also the image my dad gave me when he and my mom dropped me off for my first semester of college, saying “this is why you are here.” This charge felt a bit overwhelming.
In my current role as secretary for the Agency of Natural Resources, I frequently think back to those six words my dad said. It was a tall order back then and it still is today. Yet, in the years since, I’ve realized I’m not alone in this work. I’m surrounded by people who are figuring out tangible ways to make our world a bit better. I have the privilege to work with an amazing group of people from engineers to scientists, who are engaged in efforts alongside thousands of Vermonters – likely including many of you – to steward Vermont’s natural resources, to restore lakes, ponds, rivers and wetlands, and to identify where pristine waters and critical wildlife habitat exist and can be protected. I love the challenge of thinking about and testing the promise of different strategies that we might use or deploy across Vermont’s landscape to lessen our impact, or even correct our past misdeeds. I couldn’t, and still can’t, imagine any more worthwhile or fulfilling work.
Helping Vermonters forge a connection with our land and water is an important part of the work the Agency of Natural Resources does. Although the profile of these connections may be heightened on days like Earth Day, there are innumerable examples of this connection that I see every day. One such example is the Resilient Right-of-Ways project – a collaboration between the Agency’s Urban and Community Forestry Program, 10 Vermont communities, and the U.S. Forest Service. Throughout this two-year project, UCF staff are working with participating towns to conduct roadside vegetation assessments and develop best management practices that create and maintain healthy tree canopy, diverse plant habitat, and safe and beautiful roads. Trees, shrubs and other small plants stabilize roadside banks, reduce erosion, and filter stormwater flowing from roads and neighboring uplands. They also calm traffic, delineate the edge of the road, and sustain the sense of place that many rural towns wish to preserve.
In addition to supporting these sorts of targeted, local efforts to steward and enhance natural resources, ANR is also working on state-level action, an example of which is the effort underway in the Legislature to ensure robust, long-term funding for clean water programs statewide. Protecting, maintaining and restoring our water resources requires a coordinated effort and a shared commitment to invest in essential programs, prioritize cost-effective solutions, and provide long-term sustainable funding. ANR is playing a leading role in bringing community leaders, agricultural and environmental partners, and state officials together to build out an approach for the next 20 years of clean water work.
From statewide efforts to community-driven projects, I am grateful to live in a place full of people that truly treasure our natural resources. Each day, individual Vermonters show their willingness to learn about and advocate and act on behalf of the state’s lands and waters.
For anyone interested in getting more involved, educational opportunities abound, such as the series of free guided walks on select state wildlife management areas in northern, central and southern Vermont this spring. The walks are led by biologists and naturalists with decades of experience conserving Vermont’s wildlife and their habitats. There are also ample opportunities for advocacy – like attending a meeting of your town’s conservation commission, supporting the mission of a local watershed group, and through acts of service like helping collect trash along local roadways on Green Up Day or participating in the River Clean-up Week held each September. I am heartened by the cumulative impact that these seemingly small, but important, measures can and do have.
My wish for all of you this Earth Day is that you will seek opportunities to learn more about the incredible bounty and wonder of the natural resources that fill Vermont’s landscape, and that your love of this place will help and inspire you to do the work needed to steward our land and water for future generations. As my dad would say: This is why we are all here.
