RAQUETTE RIVER BLUEWAY CORRIDOR (RRBC)
HISTORY OF EVOLVING PROCESS AND SUMMARY OF NEW RRBC PLAN
EVOLVING MULTI-PHASE PROCESS
Current RRBC efforts build upon a Raquette River Corridor Project organized by the Town of Colton with support from communities in the river corridor. Three grants from the NYS Department of State Division of Coastal Resources, one supporting each of the three phases of work, are administered by the Town of Colton on behalf of municipalities in the river corridor.
§ First Phase (grant = $6,000) – Developed Raquette River Corridor Strategy for Revitalization (held visioning sessions; completed May 2007 recommending development of RRBC Plan)
§ Second Phase (grant = $50,000) – Developed RRBC Plan (completed March 2010 through Peter J. Smith & Company outlining projects and initiatives to implement)
Third Phase (grant = $104,250) – Implement RRBC Plan (kicking off in 2010 with new grant administered by Town of Colton
KEY FACTS AND DEFINITIONS
RAQUETTE RIVER
As the second longest river in New York State, the Raquette is 174 miles long extending from its source at Blue Mountain Lake in Hamilton County to its destination at the Akwesasne / St. Regis Mohawk Reservation on the St. Lawrence River
BLUEWAY
As defined in plan – A ‘blueway’ is small boat and paddling route that combines recreation and environmental awareness, and allows users to travel to designated stops along the way for rest, overnight stays, and enjoyment of land-based attractions in the vicinity
[Note – over time the desire is to have a blueway system—or series of routes—within NYS complementing scenic byways (e.g., Black River Blueway Trail, Hudson River Water Trail, etc.)]
RIVER CORRIDOR
As defined in plan – The ‘river corridor’ includes the Raquette River and the first through road on either side, or both sides, including all riverside communities
[Note – entire watershed is not included in order to control breadth of plan, recognizing that often activities away from the immediate river corridor are not river-based or –related activities
[Note – riverside communities include 12 towns, 4 villages, and the Akwesasne community in the 3 counties of Hamilton, Franklin, and St. Lawrence County]
PLAN GOALS / OBJECTIVES AND STRATEGIES
Final draft dated March 10, 2010 includes following goals/objectives and strategies
GOALS AND OBJECTIVES (page 26)
§ Develop a framework for voluntary regional cooperation
§ Encourage improvements to corridor access and infrastructure
§ Encourage responsible use of river’s fragile ecosystems
§ Provide more complete corridor information for visitors
§ Support educational users of the river corridor
§ Encourage a corridor-wide approach to promoting assets
§ Promote the corridor as an engine driving local economies
STRATEGIES (page 28)
§ Increase and improve public access
§ Promote all-season use
§ Formalize inter-municipal cooperation
§ Create awareness of the Blueway
§ Promote stewardship of the river
IMPLEMENTATION OF THE PLAN
The proposed waterfront concept and plan includes proposed range of projects as well as corridor-wide initiatives, including a proposed projects plan (pages 29-32) for involving riverside communities, public and private sector owners/managers of land in the river corridor, and the many other organizations who have interests otherwise
PROPOSED RANGE OF PROJECTS (pages 33-45) [with representative site projects suggested (see below)]
§ Riverside parks
§ Boat launches
§ River access points
§ Scenic overlooks
§ Visitor centers
§ Blueway kiosks
§ Community gateways
§ Riverside camping
§ Trails
§ Signage
PROPOSED INITIATIVES (pages 48-57)
§ River stewardship
§ Website promotions
§ Traveling Blueway exhibit
§ Birding promotions
§ Trip packages
§ “Patch System”
§ River maps
§ Invasive species control
SUGGESTED REPRESENTATIVE SITE PROJECTS (pages 53-57)
§ Raymondville Park – interpretive panels and map of the river, river overlook, entrance improvements, changes to play and picnic areas, ball field upgrades, basketball and parking area changes
§ Piercefield Beach – sign identifying and directing visitors to beach, parking lot improvements, recreational improvements (e.g., picnic/sun shelter), and landscape improvements
§ Gateway Sign at Blue Mountain Lake – sign with Blueway logo and name of specific location
CORRIDOR-WIDE PROJECTS UNDERWAY
A number of projects are being accomplished through partnerships developed out of the interest of people and organizations involved, with time volunteered and other resources counted as local match for grants from NYS Department of State Division of Coastal Resources. In addition site-specific projects have been done (e.g., new trail access to Carry Falls Reservoir from State Highway 56) and the annual Raquette River Awareness Week was kicked off in August 2009.
POWER POINT PRESENTATION ON HISTORY OF RAQUETTE RIVER AND RIVER COMMUNITIES
Project initiated during earlier phases of RRBC effort continues, with a Power Point presentation completed and Mary Jane Watson available to tailor presentation for meetings and other events
[Key contact – Mary Jane Watson]
POWER POINT PRESENTATION ON PADDLING RAQUETTE RIVER
Project completed during earlier phases of RRBC effort based upon historic information and actual experiences of paddlers led by Adirondack Guide Mike Prescott, with Mike Prescott available for presentations during meetings and other events
[Key contact – Mike Prescott]
LOGO DESIGN
Development of new logo for RRBC effort by end of July 2010 for use on signs and elsewhere
[Key contacts – Mark Huff (SUNY Potsdam), Pat Whalen (NYS DEC)]
WEBSITE MAINTENANCE / DEVELOPMENT
Original website continues to be updated with goal of keeping RRBC participants as well as community residents and visitors informed about progress and opportunities; ideas for major changes are now being gathered in anticipation of the new grant
[Key contact – Jon Kopp (Tupper Lake) as webmaster]
ORAL HISTORY PROJECT
Through a class at SUNY Potsdam senior anthropology students are developing training materials for teachers to take part, including preparing students to collect oral histories from community members; materials are being piloted in the Town of Colton
[Key contacts – Alan Hersker (SUNY Potsdam) and Town of Colton representatives including Mary Jane Watson, Ruth McWilliams, Louise Bixby, Katherine Brown, and Cynthia Hennessy]
INTERPRETIVE PANEL CONCEPTS
Through a class at SUNY ESF Ranger School in Wanakena forest recreation students are developing interpretive panels for possible use on kiosks, in exhibits, and elsewhere with the understanding that the concepts can be altered for use as needed
[Key contacts – Jamie Savage (SUNY ESF Ranger School), Ruth McWilliams, Mary Jane Watson]
ORGANIZATIONAL STRUCTURE TO IMPLEMENT PLAN
OPERATIONAL COMMITTEES
Organized via Advisory Committee in fall 2009 and composed of volunteers with active members serving as co-chairs leading each committee to share responsibilities (purpose of and contacts for each are outlined in Attachment #2)
§ Executive Committee (composed of leads of following action-oriented committees)
§ Governance & Coordination
§ Marketing & Promotion
§ Stewardship, Education & Access
§ Grant & Contract Management
ADVISORY COMMITTEE
§ Includes advocates of the Raquette River corridor-wide efforts, originally formed for ongoing consultation during first two phases of endeavor
§ Proposed to morph into Raquette River Inter-municipal Coordinating Committee during third phase
RAQUETTE RIVER INTER-MUNICIPAL COORDINATING COMMITTEE (proposed in plan)
§ To be established by interested local governments, using Memorandum of Agreement as vehicle (see below)
MEMORANDUM OF AGREEMENT (MOA)
§ Example text for MOA provided in RRBC Plan (Appendix page 1)
§ Propose to develop process for raising awareness about the plan (including proposed inter-municipal coordinating committee) and for gaining agreement on MOA text so local governments can begin to sign on during summer 2010
§ Want to announce inaugural partners of new Raquette River Inter-municipal Coordinating Committee during 2010 Raquette River Awareness Week scheduled for July 31 to August 7
ATTACHMENT #1
SUMMARY OF NEW GRANT (ANNOUNCED JANUARY 2010 BUT NOT YET AWARDED)
The application for the new grant totaling $104,250 focuses on the following actions
COMPREHENSIVE MARKETING PLAN AND “BRANDING” STRATEGIES
Ø Develop marketing plan, using a market analysis to identify and define target audience
Ø Continue Raquette River Awareness Week (RRAW) begun in 2009, including letterboxing
Ø Enhance current Raquette River website, including virtual tour of the river
Ø Map carries along the river using GIS technologies, building upon previous brochure project
Ø Market Blueway as a destination, using cohesive and consistent messages
Ø Develop State Highway 56 as a connector between Seaway Trail and Olympic Trail Byways
Ø Create promotional packages including local attractions, restaurants, and lodging
Ø Enlist part-time coordinator to develop marketing strategy and work with volunteers
RIVER-RELATED BUSINESS ENHANCEMENT
Ø Hold summits to inform businesses of the opportunities offered by regional tourism approach
Ø Through part-time coordinator help promote high-speed internet access throughout region, cross promote river corridor, and assist with grant applications for revitalization efforts
Ø Identify and assess deteriorating and vacant buildings in downtown and hamlet areas.
ORGANIZATIONAL DEVELOPMENT
Ø Hire part-time program coordinator to assist with inter-municipal agreement, provide leadership, serve as a spokesperson, and more to further every aspect of the work plan
Ø Continue efforts to develop a financial support network through sponsorships, municipal contributions, and other financial support
Ø Make presentations about the history of the river to communities and others
Ø Partner with SUNY Potsdam to include effort in Local Government Conference in 2010
RAQUETTE RIVER STEWARDSHIP PLAN (to be developed during 2011 ???)
Ø Partner with universities, agencies, and organizations to gain understanding of stewardship issues and opportunities to successfully implement stewardship activities in river corridor
Ø Work with Soil & Water Conservation Districts and others to enhance existing water quality efforts within river corridor and to monitor conditions through citizen-based efforts
Ø Gather and share information about nature-based outdoor recreation, emphasizing river access issues as well as limited liability recreation use statutes in New York State
Ø Work with/through partners, (e.g., Adirondack Mountain Club) to inform/train stewards, guides, hikers, paddlers, campers, tourists, and others about practicing Leave No Trace
Ø Identify individuals and groups (e.g., lake associations) interested in water- and land-based stewardship along river and organize voluntary approach to implement group-based actions
CONTINUING EDUCATION PLAN
Ø Incorporate river history presentation in website and make available to museums and others
Ø Work with local groups and schools to further use of the powerpoint history of the river
Ø Work with various partners to include knowledgeable speakers about paddling, history, and more in educational programs
Ø Work with SUNY Potsdam on making photos and narratives available using modern technology as well as on producing virtual tour of river with cameras acquired via grant
Ø Use directional signs, displays, pamphlets, and more to educate visitors
PRIORITY CONSTRUCTION PROJECTS (through local governments and/or partnerships)
RRBC OPERATING COMMITTEES
EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE
Maintains vision for Raquette River corridor-wide effort, makes decisions about RRBC activities, and otherwise oversees overall RRBC process (composed of co-chairs of operating committees described below)
Co-chairs: (responsibility currently shared by following committee co-chairs)
GOVERNANCE & COORDINATION COMMITTEE
Organizes meetings of Executive Committee and/or Advisory Committee (e.g., logistics, agendas, etc.), coordinates public meetings, identifies opportunities for targeted regional collaborations (e.g., scenic byways, etc.), and leads partnership development efforts
Co-chairs: Louise Bixby (Colton), Fred Hanss (Potsdam)
MARKETING & PROMOTION COMMITTEE
Maintains website, coordinates development of logo and promotional materials, maintains RRBC calendar of events, conducts publicity and serves as media liaison, serves as community liaison linking with local officials and businesses through various means, coordinates Raquette River Awareness Week
Interim Co-chairs: Ruth McWilliams, Louis Bixby – with help of webmaster Jon Kopp (Tupper Lake)
STEWARDSHIP, EDUCATION & ACCESS COMMITTEE
Learns about land- and water-related issues and opportunities in river corridor, foster use of Leave No Trace principles for outdoor ethics, gathers and shares information about the history of the river and river communities, identifies trail access and maintenance concerns, and fosters associated actions through partnership efforts
Co-chairs: Ruth McWilliams (Colton), Dan Parker (Potsdam)
GRANT & CONTRACT MANAGEMENT COMMITTEE
Administers grant from NYS Department of State, makes purchases agreed to by Executive Committee, maintains record of local match (in-kind and otherwise), and identifies other funding opportunities
Co-chairs: Mary Jane Watson (Colton), Fred Hanss (Potsdam) HOME