Partnerships
We move forward more efficiently and effectively when we work together. Photo: LCBP
The CVNHP is the only NHA that uses “partnership” in its name. Prior to the establishment of the CVNHP, the LCBP had a long history of collaboration with and grant support for scores of partners ranging from small historical societies to world-class museums. The LCBP was instrumental in developing region-wide efforts to encourage cooperation among diverse communities, organizations, and heritage sites. In addition to fostering teamwork among stakeholders and local organizations, the LCBP supported hundreds of local recreation and cultural heritage projects through technical assistance and small grants programs. This approach to developing meaningful and productive partnerships continues and is significantly expanded through implementation of the CVNHP Management Plan.
The CVNHP relies on partnerships ranging from formal agreements with major stakeholders to simple grant award contracts. The LCBP has identified three types of partnerships for the purpose of CVNHP Management Plan implementation: 1) Key Partnerships, 2) State and Federal Agency Partnerships, and 3) Collaborative Partnerships.
Key Partnerships
Key Partnerships are described in formal, mutually beneficial agreements between the LCBP Steering Committee and major stakeholder organizations, reflecting a joint commitment to achieve the stated vision for the CVNHP. These organizations will work in close cooperation with the CVNHP to provide resources and staff to assist in achieving selected goals, objectives, and specific actions described in the CVNHP Management Plan.
Due to the limitations in NPS funding, the Lake Champlain Maritime Museum (LCMM) remains the sole key partner of the CVNHP. Over the years, the LCMM has supported the CVNHP not only in their high-quality projects and programs funded by the national heritage area, but by providing $1.4 million in matching funds for the CVNHP. The LCMM also hosts a CVNHP/NPS passport stamp station at its campus in Ferrisburgh, Vermont.
Federal and State Agency Partnerships
State and Federal Agency Partnerships reflect the common interests and goals shared by the CVNHP and established state and federal heritage programs. These partnerships establish working relationships that include commitments to specific shared programs. They may include written cooperative agreements, or simply a mutual commitment by staff to collaborate on a task or program. While some new partnerships were developed during the reporting period, several existing relationships were maintained.
In addition to the state and federal partners listed within the LCBP Steering Committee above, the LCBP worked on specific tasks with the following state and federal partners to carry out actions in the CVNHP Management Plan:
National Park Service
In addition to the strong relationship between Marsh-Billings-Rockefeller National Historic Park and the CVNHP, the NPS provides technical assistance, training and networking opportunities through workshops offered by the Northeast Region.
Great Lakes Fishery Commission
The Lake Champlain Steering Committee has allocated more than $250,000 of Great Lakes Fishery Commission (GLFC) since 2018 for the management of the CVNHP. These funds allow the LCBP to support national heritage area programs in Québec.
Saratoga National Historical Park
The Saratoga National Historical Park hosts a CVNHP/NPS passport stamp station at its visitor center.
U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service
A representative of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service is a member of the LCBP Steering Committee, the managing entity of the CVNHP. In addition, the Missisquoi National Wildlife Refuge hosts a CVNHP/NPS passport stamp station at its visitor center.
U.S. Forest Service
The Supervisor’s Office of the Green Mountain National Forest in Rutland, Vermont hosts a CVNHP/NPS passport stamp station.
New York State Department of Environmental Conservation
The Lake Champlain Visitors Center in Crown Point, New York, hosts CVNHP interpretive displays and promotional items. Located at the western edge of the new Lake Champlain Bridge, the visitor center is a prime location for showcasing the CVNHP interpretive themes and the environmental health of Lake Champlain. The New York State Department of Environmental Conservation (NYSDEC) owns and maintains the Lake Champlain Visitors Center, which is managed by the Essex County Regional Office of Sustainable Tourism. The visitor’s center also hosts a CVNHP/NPS passport stamp station and is the ending point for the popular Lake Champlain Bridge Quest. The Director of NYSDEC Region 5 serves as a co-chair of the LCBP Steering Committee, the managing entity of the CVNHP.
New York State Department of Transportation
The Valcour Rest Area on I-87 in Peru, New York—managed by the New York Department of Transportation (NYDOT)—displays four interpretive panels that focus on the agricultural heritage of Clinton County and highlight the Conservation and Community interpretive theme of the CVNHP. The NYDOT also permits the distribution of CVNHP interpretive and promotional materials.
New York State Office of Parks, Recreation and Historic Preservation (NYSOPRHP)
Crown Point State Historic Site, managed by the NYSOPRHP, distributes Lake Champlain Bridge Quest maps, and is a passport stamp location for the terminus of the North Country National Scenic Trail. The New York State Historic Preservation Officer represents the NYSOPRHP on the LCBP Steering Committee, the managing entity of the CVNHP.
Plattsburgh State Art Museum, State University of New York (SUNY)
The art museum at SUNY-Plattsburgh hosts a CVNHP/NPS passport stamp station at its Rockwell Kent Gallery and Collection facility.
Upper Housatonic River National Heritage Area (UHRNHA)
The CVNHP and the UHRNHA are leading efforts among stakeholders in Connecticut, Massachusetts, Vermont and Québec to promote the Western New England Greenway (WNEG), a contiguous network of bike routes that connect New York City with Montreal. The WNEG route meets the East Coast Greenway in Norwalk, Connecticut and connects with Québec’s Route Verte at the Canada border. The CVNHP and UNRNHA collaborate with partners to develop programs and implement projects along the route.
Vermont Agency of Commerce and Community Development (VTACCD)
The Vermont Agency of Commerce and Community Development (VTACCD) is represented on the LCBP Steering Committee. The Vermont State Historic Preservation Officer, who also manages the Vermont Division for Historic Preservation, represents the VTACCD on the LCBP Steering Committee. Managed by the VDHP, the Chimney Point State Historic Site is a focal point for the Lake Champlain Bridge Quest and hosts other CVNHP interpretive materials and displays.
Vermont Department of Fish and Wildlife
The headquarters of the CVNHP and LCBP are in the historic Gordon-Center House in Grand Isle, Vermont. Located near the Grand Isle/Cumberland Head ferry landing, the building, constructed in 1824 using locally quarried Isle La Motte limestone, is owned by the Vermont Department of Fish and Wildlife. The facility’s conference room hosts many CVNHP meetings throughout the year. The CVNHP uses the ground floor of the Gordon-Center House as an interpretation and information center, which features a NPS/CVNHP passport stamp station.
Collaborative Partnerships
Collaborative Partnerships are developed between the LCBP and stakeholder organizations that wish to focus on specific portions of the CVNHP Management Plan that are supportive of their own missions. Agreements between the Collaborative Partners and the LCBP identify partner roles and responsibilities, may be formal, or informal and may last for a single year or span several years. To learn more about the hundreds of CVNHP projects partners have successfully completed, please visit the Grant Results page. Some of the continuing collaborative partnerships include:
American Museum of Fly Fishing
Located in Manchester, Vermont, the American Museum of Fly Fishing hosts a CVNHP/NPS passport stamp station.
The Champlain Valley International Wine Trail
The Champlain Valley International Wine Trail was inaugurated in 2012 at Snow Farm Vineyards in South Hero, Vermont. Linking wineries from Middlebury, Vermont, to Plattsburgh, New York to Dunham, Québec, the Champlain Valley International Wine Trail provides information to casual travelers, wine aficionados, and agritourists through a website that hosts an interactive map. A promotional rack card with a QR code directs people to the website.
Clinton County Historical Association
The Clinton County Historical Association (CCHA) distributes the Valcour Island Heritage Trail. Using the guide, visitors can follow a heritage trail that interprets the rich history of a vibrant camp culture that spanned most of the 20th century. Valcour Island, home to the Bluff Point Lighthouse and several farms, became a summer destination for people trying to escape the heat in the days before air conditioning in the early 1900s. A 7.5-mile loop trail guides hikers to 14 historic and archeologic sites across the island.
ECHO, Leahy Center for Lake Champlain
The LCBP Resource Room at the ECHO, Leahy Center for Lake Champlain on the Burlington Waterfront welcomes more than 25,000 annual visitors who learn more about the natural and cultural resources of Lake Champlain. The knowledgeable Resource Room staff distribute CVNHP materials and answer questions about the national heritage area. A CVNHP/NPS passport stamp station is located at the ECHO front desk.
Essex County Regional Office of Sustainable Tourism (ROOST)
The Essex County Regional office of Sustainable Tourism ROOST maintains Lake Champlain Visitors Center in Crown Point, New York, which maintains interpretive displays for the CNVHP and distributes the Lake Champlain Bridge Quest Map. ROOST staff member Suzanne May serves on the HAPAC.
Lake Champlain Bikeways
LCBP staff continues to serve as an advisor to the Lake Champlain Bikeways Board of Directors and its chairman, Lou Bresee, serves on the HAPAC.
Lake George Historical Association and Museum
The Lake George Historical Association and Museum serves as a CVNHP/NPS passport stamp station.
Pember Museum of Natural History
A CVNHP/NPS passport stamp station is housed at Pember Museum of Natural History located in Granville, NY.