Article published Nov 14, 2006
How to restore the Batten Kill
This letter would be to state fish biologist Ken Cox and the area communities boarding the Batten
Kill river, in response to the Herald articles of Sept 19 and 23, pertaining to the demise of the
Batten Kill fishery. If Lee Perkins wants to pull his 100K grant for habitat restoration, encourage
him. Better yet, have him pull his store out of the state, too. And with Orvis, encourage Izod,
Natori, Polo, Armani, Hilfiger, and Baccarat to take a hike also. The thought process here is if the
town of Manchester is restored, the river will follow. Google might indicate that Orvis "is"
Manchester, but it is not.
Nowhere through the volumes of blather "reported" by the Herald, has there been any mention of the
paving of Manchester now that the town has become a parking lot for the above-mentioned businesses,
and a bedroom community of Greenwich, Conn., and Scarsdale (median house value: $708,000), N.Y. What
we have in the demise of the Batten Kill is an example of tourism on steroids. It was not that many
years, Ken, when the fishing in the river was darn good. Imagine the effects of the asphalt runoff
for a moment: the increased heating of the stream, the oils, human and animal wastes, solvents, all
running down hill, so to speak, into the river.
For the stream itself, what are the long-term effects of the tens of thousands, if not millions over
the decades, of fishermen approaching the stream on foot (making trails), rotor tilling the
streambed with their feet, chewing up the habitat of the insects, which the fish depend upon. Having
seen (been there too) the young adults drifting the river in inner tubes at mid-day, is really a
postcard of Vermont. No fisherman expecting to catch a brown trout would have been out there at that
time anyway, as the big brown trout feed at night. And let's face it, Ken, this whole story has been
ongoing for a number of years, as witnessed by the stream-side development, and as witnessed by the
fishing guides taking their clients to the Mettawee River.
Let's see the state biologists lead a Scout troop of volunteers, a school science class of
volunteers, church groups volunteering, Audubon club volunteers, or any number of the varied
environmental groups, to include the volunteer employees of the above mentioned businesses, and
their businesses' checks to offset the costs, for well-organized weekend projects to do riparian
zone improvements, rip-rapping placement, and stream cleanups. Let all the local fishermen,
worm-dunkers to fly casters, and all the local businesses participate. And if this interrupts some
local tourism, advertise it as Vermonters in Action. Encourage town folk to get involved with the
destiny of their local habitats, both woodland and stream. If not, a well-funded, well-organized
group will come in and tell you what is good for you, as only they know. This includes the state
also, Ken, because your outfit can study an issue to death, for fear a group will sue you for
undertaking the wrong thing in the wrong way.
Vermont has some wonderful opportunities ahead of itself, in attempting to recover from its progress
in over-development. Stand up to the money? Make it better because you can without bottom-line
returns, or recognition. We should do it to help save us from ourselves.
SAMUEL SHULTIS
West Rutland