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	Westfield River Watershed Team, Massachusetts Watershed Initiative Michael Parker, Team Leader As most of you know, the Westfield River Watershed Team brings together people from the federal, state, and local agencies to work with citizen groups (like the WRWA), businesses, and others to identify environmental issues and solve problems on a watershed basis. This four-year-old program has been very successful in increasing the flow of information between groups and providing the means for good cooperative problem solving to take place. An example is the severe erosion at Robinson State Park that had been identified by the Department of Environmental Management many years ago but had not been able to be addressed because of the lack of outside pressure. The Watershed Team got involved, helped fund a detailed evaluation and study of the problem, and supported the statešs efforts to remedy the situation. Today, a contractor is working on the site to correct this problem. In Fiscal year 2002 (July 1, 2001 to June 30, 2002) the Team has been able to fund a study of the Pequot Pond subwatershed in Westfield, begin to implement a vegetated buffer project on Pond Brook in Westfield, provide funding for Open Space Plans for communities in the Wild and Scenic River designation, begin a two-year study of Blueback Herring reproduction in the Westfield River, and undertake a trails inventory and evaluation in the lower Westfield River watershed through Westfield State College. All of these projects are completed or expected to be completed soon. For Fiscal Year 2003 (July 1, 2002 to June 30, 2003) the Team has requested funds to continue the Blueback Herring study, provide assistance to the Wild and Scenic Committee, develop a marketing and management study for forest landowners in the watershed, conduct a mussel survey in parts of the Westfield River, and promote public education through symposiums and other outreach efforts. This cooperative approach to identifying issues and solving problems in our watershed is working very well. The WRWA has been an excellent partner on the Team and, through membership in this citizenšs organization, you are helping to set environmental priorities and protect our valuable natural resources.