| President's Message | Moving On | Focus for FY'04 | River Cleanup | | New Members' Meeting | Watershed Enemies |
	Focus for FY'04 Massachusetts Watershed Initiative Westfield River Watershed Team Leader Report by John O'Leary joleary@state.ma.us (413) 532-4450 State fiscal year'04 begins on July 1 of 2003. Before Mike Parker retired he and the team decided on the Watershed Priority Projects they would submit for funding in FY04, through the Massachusetts Watershed Initiative. We won't know if they are funded until next spring, but I want to bring them to your attention now, since they involve the WRWA to a great extent. Project 1: The development of a five-year Action Plan for the Westfield River Watershed Team. This five-year plan will guide our activity and focus on problems we think we can address over the next five years. Your input will be critical as we develop the plan next summer and fall. Project 2: A second year of funding for the Westfield River Wild and Scenic intern. This position supports the activities of the Wild and Scenic group by getting out the meeting notices, minutes, and generally coordinating the logistics for this volunteer organization. Project 3: Community Open Space and Recreation Plans for Washington and Windsor. Cities and Towns that have developed these plans and have them approved by the state are eligible to apply for various sources of funds to protect open space within their community. Project 4: Support for the Westfield River Watershed Symposium. This symposium has become a major venue for sharing environmental information throughout the watershed. Funds are needed to provide the logistical support for the event. Project 5: Stream Team Development and Implementation. Support for this project gets us access to a staff person from the Riverways Program to help interested folks in the watershed put together a Stream Team. The Stream Team would focus on a stream or segment of the Westfield River that they have a particular interest in. They would survey the stream, report on their findings and develop a plan of future work to address problems they identified. Project 6: Support for the Western Massachusetts Water Resources Symposium. The Westfield River Watershed Team would join with the Farmington River, Hudson and Housatonic River Watershed Teams in providing funding for the logistical support to hold this annual event. This meeting brings together Lake and Pond Associations, Watershed Associations, other nonprofit resource groups along with the state and federal resource agencies to share information through formal presentations and poster sessions. If you have any questions or comments please feel free to contact me.