2023 Partnership Award
(Following is the presentation, by Glenn Place, President of Rhode Island TU, of the 2023 Partnership Award to Kathleen Crawley, Acting General Manager, RI Water Resources Board, and Meredith Brady, Associate Director, Department of Administration, Division of Statewide Planning. The presentation was made at the 2024 Annual Fundraising Banquet at the Quonset “O” Club with 100+ guests present)
The Rhode Island Trout Unlimited Partnership Award is presented to an individual or organization who had a significant role in enabling and otherwise supporting Rhode Island TU in achieving its mission, conservation goals and milestones.
Some criteria for the award are the following:
Participation as a key leader or role model in the accomplishment of key mission-based programs, projects, and/or activities.
Provide products, resources, and services necessary to enhance and enable RITU to pursue and complete mission-related activities and projects.
Providing resources including time, energy, knowledge and products that greatly aid RITU in achieving its mission-related goals and initiatives.
Promoting interest in RITU activities, projects, and meetings throughout both the Chapter’s and the partner’s communities.
Helping RITU pursue its brand throughout the conservation and fishing community by collaborating with other like-minded organizations, non-profits, GMO’s and NGO’s
Some background about this year’s recipient:
However ambitious our goals and priorities are, we cannot achieve them without partnerships, with the most Important partnership being one with landowners. And you would be hard pressed to find a land owner that is the steward of 8300 acres in the middle of Rhode Island, such as The Big River Management Area, which is set aside in perpetuity as a future drinking water reservoir for the state of RI.
After meeting with this year’s recipient, we found that we had many mutual goals including water quality and healthy conservation of the habitats within the Big River Management Area. For RITU, the natural gravel geology and shallow groundwater makes it a potential stronghold for wild Brook Trout. We came to the conclusion that although we had never worked together before, what is good for water quality is good for wild Brook Trout.
This year’s recipient and Rhode Island TU have partnered on projects totaling over half a million dollars ($500,000). This has included the Big River Natural Resource Report and Implementation Plan which identified previously unknown wild Brook Trout populations, and prioritized dams and culverts for removal and replacement. Then we partnered together again on the Feasibility and Preliminary Designs for the Capwell Mill Pond Dam removal and most recently were awarded another grant for the removal of the Sweet Pond Dam in Big River which we will be removing in 2025.
Kathy and Meredith, you have been unwavering partners to RITU as we strive to protect, restore, and reconnect wild trout habitats in the State. Your willingness, to listen and partner on these projects has allowed RITU to achieve several of our great success over the last 5 years, and we look forward to future partnerships and opportunities. The residents of Rhode Island need clean water, and so do the trout.
Without further ado, I would like to invite Kathleen Crawley, Acting General Manager, RI Water Resources Board, and Meredith Brady, Associate Director, Department of Administration, Division of Statewide Planning up to accept the 2023 Rhode Island TU Partnership Award.
