FGRR ACCOMPLISHMENTS — July 2025 - June 2026
Reviewed the FGRR Mission Statement to confirm our Mission.
Reviewed the FGRR Vision priorities for the next 10 – 15 years.
Worked Scott Johnstone as the GM of MWL who is bringing positive leadership for MWL’s ownership and operations of the GRR hydro facilities.
Throughout the late summer and fall of 2025, Susan Bartlett, convened meetings with persons from ANR, MWL, VNRC, Trout Unlimited and the White Water Association to encourage them to come up with a plan that would allow MWL to be profitable in their production of electricity at the GRR hydro-facility. This resulted in an agreement between the parties announced by Governor Phil Scott in February 2026 and a MOU that will be presented to FERC for their consideration and approval.
Continue to revise and refresh the FGRR web site.
Updated FGRR Park kiosk panel with a new poster.
Continued to assist the DFP&R with planning of infrastructure upkeep including the planning and construction observation for the building of Campsites #10 to be accessible to some persons with some types of disabilities.
Met with the Park Staff in June 2025 and June 2026 to re-introduce ourselves and to offer support for the important work of educating visitors about the unique qualities and sensitivities of the Reservoir and the Park.
Monitor private development and construction adjacent to the GRR as part of the FGRR commitment to the GRRVOD.
Monitored and improved trail access to the Forest Bird Monitoring site (the site was established in 2004).
Re-flagged the Forest Bird Monitoring site trail so Liz Lackey, ornithologist, could find her way to the Forest Bird Monitoring site – June 2025 (2 times each June)
Published FGRR Newsletters in Fall 2025 & Spring 2026
Continued with the cutting (three times per summer) of invasive knotweed in three patches along the Dam Access Road.
Monitored the control of GRR high water level in the spring/early summer in reference to loon egg protection
Assisted the DFP&R with evaluation of the 2024 Work and Operations Plan
Assisted the DFP&R with establishing goals for the 2026 Work and Operations Plan.
Maintained the FGRR membership at approximately 360 memberships providing much needed support for the work of the FGRR.
As part of our educational priority, we sponsored, Bree Furfey, Vt Fish and Wildlife Biologist and her presentation on Mysterious Mustelids to a very attentive audience at the Green Mountain Technical and Career Center, Hyde Park, Vt.
The FGRR has agreed to provide funding for the fabrication and installation of campsite food locker boxes for all campsites still in need. The FGRR will work with the DFP&R to have the food lockers ready for the 2027 season.
Click here for a complete list of projects.
Compiled by Milford Cushman - 1990 - 2026
i Naturalist Biodiversity Project
Calling all park visitors who enjoy exploring nature, especially those with cameras or smartphones. You can contribute to a better understanding of what natural species occur within Green River Reservoir State Park. Your subject can be a flower, a bird, a tree, an animal, an insect or any other living organism. Just note its location, try to identify it and, if possible, take a close-up picture of it. Then when you get web access, sign up with iNaturalist.org, search for Biodiversity of Green River Reservoir State Park under Projects. If you don’t know the identity of your subject, check off the ID Please! box and other citizen naturalists will try to identify it for you. Check back in a few days to see if it has been identified. All identifications have to be confirmed by others. For those of you with young children, this is a great way to introduce them to nature.
You can even download an iNaturalist app for your smartphone, When using the app, date will be automatic. Location will also be automatic, depending on your privacy settings. Observations for this project will also show up on the map for iNaturalist Vermont, a broader project covering the entire state that is part of Vermont Center for Ecostudies’ Atlas of Life.
This project is sponsored by Friends of Green River Reservoir in collaboration with the Vermont Department of Forests, Parks and Recreation. As an incentive to get involved, one of our large tote bags or merchandise of similar value will be offered to the person with the most species observed in any one calendar year.
The park has a broad range of natural habitats to explore, from the kettle ponds and intermediate fen in the Zack Woods section to the wide variety of forest types along the shores of the reservoir and the swamps, marshes and bogs at its north end. So go forth and explore. Who knows? You might even discover a new species!
Theresa A Brungardt Award 2016
Cushman Design Group (CDG) and Friend's of Green River Reservoir, received the highest honor, the Theresa A Brungardt award, bestowed by Vermont Recreation and Parks Association. Left to right: Kelley Osgood, project manager of CDG, Terri Gregory, board member of FGRR, Sue Bulmer, Dept. Forest, Parks and Recreation regional manager, Milford Cushman, CDG and vice president of FGRR board. The awards ceremony was September 22nd, http://www.vrpa.org/recognition.html, to read more.
New park contact station
In 2007 we worked with the Department of Forest, Parks and Recreation to permit, design, and construct a new ranger contact station for GRRSP.
ADA Compliant Trail
Between 1999 and 2008 we worked with the Department of Forests, Parks and Recreation to complete plans and permitting for an ADA accessible trail to the reservoir.
Forest Bird Monitoring Program
Since 2004 we have participated in the Vermont Center for Ecostudies' annual Forest Bird Monitoring Program (FBMP) for the GRRSP area. Initiated in 1989, the FBMP is now one of the continent’s longest-running studies of forest bird population trends.
Duck nest boxes
Since 2006 we have installed bird nesting boxes in various key areas on Green River Reservoir State Park land.
Grrsp Nature field guide
In 2007 we funded and published a nature field guide for the Green River Reservoir State Park. Thanks to Danielle Owczarski for her work to create the Field Guide. Click below to Download a copy.