Tour de Greensboro 2026 Registration is now open!
Click here for information and to register.
There will be no on-site registration on event day, and the event is limited to 140 participants.
Click here for information and to register.
There will be no on-site registration on event day, and the event is limited to 140 participants.
In May, the Orleans County Natural Resources Conservation District (OCNRCD) was awarded a State grant to continue our work on a Clean Water Project for the Caspian Lake Public Beach. Since then, OCNRCD has contracted with FluidState Consulting to produce the designs. FluidState and OCNRCD have extensive experience within the Caspian watershed, which was largely gained through creating the Lake Watershed Action Plan in 2023. This project was prioritized through that planning process. The project is being designed by Dana Allen, FluidState’s Principal, and managed by Will Marlier, OCNRCD’s Lake Watershed Program Specialist, and a Greensboro resident.
The project aims to improve the beach’s water quality, shoreland habitat, and public enjoyment through practices like rain gardens, shoreland buffers, and stormwater management. It will not address the dam.
Any practices that are eventually designed and implemented will first be considered through a robust stakeholder engagement process. Anyone, regardless of residency, is encouraged to participate and share their voice. Community members can complete an electronic survey and attend a Community Forum at the Highland Center for the Arts on Thursday, September 25th from 6:30 – 8:00 PM. Will Marlier and Dana Allen will present the project’s status, objectives, and limitations, followed by a Q&A. The focus will be on water quality and wildlife habitat, with recreation and public access considered through an ecological lens.
Thank you for your interest in protecting Lake Caspian. We hope to receive your survey response and to see you at the Community Forum on September 25th. Contact Will Marlier at [email protected] or (802) 624-7023 with questions. Learn more about OCNRCD’s lake work here and sign up for our newsletter here .”
Further to recent discussions on the level of Caspian Lake this message is intended to help clarify how the lake level is currently managed.
The Greensboro Association (GA), which was formed over 90 years ago with a goal of protecting Caspian Lake, comprises a group of volunteer members – the Watershed Stewards – that take a stewardship role in monitoring the lake level and making emergency requests regarding the lake level, acting as liaisons with the State (who controls the level), and Hardwick Electric (who owns the dam), as well as with other local entities and state agencies.
Over the past 10 years, the GA has requested greater control of Caspian’s lake level management on the basis that the shoreline is stressed by human impact, the dam is stressed (currently rated poor in reports), and the extreme highs and recent lows of the lake level may be adversely affecting the health of the lake. This conversation is ongoing regarding lake level management practices with the state and dam repairs with Hardwick Electric. We welcome interested parties to join us in conversation about ways to improve the stewardship of Caspian Lake and its surrounding environment.
CASPIAN LAKE DAM AND LAKE LEVEL FAQ’S
Who makes the decision as to what the lake level should be?
How often are levels checked, and who makes requests to increase or lower levels, and why has the level been so low this summer?
What requests were made in 2023 and 2024 following heavy rain events and flooding?
What requests have been made this summer to increase lake levels?
How often is the lake water tested and who does that testing?
Who are the Watershed Stewards and what is their role with Caspian Lake? Who in town can I contact if I have questions about lake level or water quality?
Caspian Lake Sunfish Regatta, Saturday, August 16.
All welcome! All encouraged!
Plan is for 5 races beginning at 10 a.m. Registration fee includes lunch and t-shirt. Contact John Jacobs at 617-504-9203 with any questions.
Skippers Meeting by Zoom on Friday, August 15 at 5 p.m. All registrants will receive an invite. Alternatively, meet at the public beach on Saturday at 9 a.m.
Thanks in advance to John Stone and Burr Gray for serving as race committee.
REMINDER:
Greensboro Association
Annual Meeting and Member Gathering
Snacks & Beverages provided
Thursday, August 7th at 4:00 pm
Turning Stone Farm 491 Country Club Road, Greensboro, VT
The proposed new slate of trustees is
available in the report on page 12.
If you are not planning to attend the annual meeting, please consider sending a signed proxy form, which can be found here. This document can be given to any member of the current board or can be emailed to membership@
The 2025 Annual Meeting of the Greensboro Association and Member Gathering will be held on Thursday, August 7th at 4:00 pm at Turning Stone Farm (491 Country Club Road Greensboro, VT). All members of the Association are invited and encouraged to attend. We will have a short business meeting with the below agenda items followed by a gathering of friends, lawn games, and snacks!
At the meeting, our membership will be asked to vote on (i) the approval of the minutes of the 2024 Annual Meeting, (ii) the approval of an updated set of bylaws for the Association that have been prepared by our Governance Committee and approved by the Board, and (iii) the election of the slate of new trustees and officers. Note: One vote per membership. If you are not planning to attend the annual meeting, please consider sending a signed form of proxy, found here. This document can be given to any member of the current board or to someone who plans to attend the meeting.
A draft Agenda for the business meeting portion can be found here.
The minutes of the 2024 Annual Meeting are available here. A summary of the proposed major changes to be made by the new bylaws as well as a redlined and clean copy of the proposed new set of bylaws are available here.
The proposed new slate of trustees will be distributed prior to the meeting.
REGISTRATION ONLINE STARTING MAY 1 ($15)
DAY OF RACE REGISTRATION $20 (CASH ONLY)
The 14th Annual Caspian Challenge Road Race is scheduled for Sunday, July 27, 2025 at the Ballfield in Greensboro, the corner of Lake Shore Road and Breezy Avenue. The race consists of the classic 6.8 mile loop around Caspian Lake and an out and back 5K Walk/Race. Prizes for both races and refreshments for all.
Join us for a morning of fun, exercise and community support. All proceeds from the event go to the Greensboro Community Meals program. The registration fee online is $15 through July 26, and $20 on day of race. Day of race registration begins at 7:15 a.m. and ends at 8:15 a.m. sharp. No fee for those under 13. Minimum age to participate in the 5K is 7.
Eric Hanson, Race Director – [email protected].
Freedom and Unity
Greensboro’s Funky Fourth Celebration
The Parade. 10 A.M on Saturday, July 5th.
This year’s theme and the Vermont’s motto is Freedom
& Unity. Uncle Sam, Grand Marshal Clive Gray’s Pierce Arrow(No breaks) and our Ladies Walking
Society will set the pace leading the menagerie down Breezy Avenue. The parade will feature:
Bread and Puppet Theater,
Small and big-time politicians,
Greensboro’s Lawn Mower Brigade,
Cows, horses, dogs(no Cats),
Eclectic organizational floats,
Mega farm equipment and
Greensboro’s Road Crew and Fire Department.
At press time, Oscar Mayer has yet to confirm its Wienermobile. But, overhead, capping off the parade
and in lieu of an F35 fly-over, the Beta Air Force will buzz the town trailing appropriate banners and
doing non-death-defying aerial stunts.
Bring Your Appetite
The parade will transition into a free community picnic on the lawn of the Town
Hall. Sandwiches, grilled sausages /hot dogs and Kingdom Creamery cones (food sponsored by the
Greensboro Association) will be served. Additional home-made delights (for a small fee)will be
available at the accompanying Farmers’ Market.
Silent Charity Auction
Dessert and Vermont art contributions will be open for bidding on the
accompanying Silent Auction tables. All auction proceeds will flow to the Area Food Shelf.
So, bring your wallets and support a good cause. Dessert Donations should be delivered to Town Hall
Saturday morning prior to the of the parade. Vermont art contributions may be left the week prior at
Town Hall.
Dunk Tank.
Yes, you can pay to have a chance to dunk your favorite politician, family member or
local personality. 5 bucks for three throws. Targets who refuse sitting in the dunk chair will be fined
$50. Barker Tim Nisbet will run the show during the picnic. All fees go to the Area Food Shelf.
Greensboro Activities Options (during and after the Picnic)
Farmers’ Market on the Green
Art Show at the Grange
Library Book Sale
Open House at the Historical Society
Swimming at Caspian Beach
Paddling on Caspian Lake
Biking on the Rail Trail at Greensboro Bend
Hiking at Barr Hill Nature Preserve
Beer at Hill Farmstead
Golf, tennis & pickleball at Mt. View CC
Free Vermont Philharmonic Orchestra Concert at Highland Center for the Arts.
At 6:30, capping off Greensboro’s “Freedom and Unity” celebration will be the 75 member Vermont
Philharmonic Orchestra playing lively and appropriate music to celebrate the occasion. Outdoor
games and picnic at 5:30 will precede the concert. Food and libations will be available for purchase.
Over the last two weeks the Upper Lamoille Streamwise team led by Jed Feffer has planted over 500 trees along the Lamoille River in East Hardwick at the properties of David and Gail O’Brian, Lanny and Mary Jane Hill and Zack and Bridget Hoppe. The trees were purchased with funding provided by the Greensboro Association. The trees planted, Silky Dogwood, Red Osier Dogwood, Cottonwood, Elderberry, Winterberry, Chokecherry, Speckled Alder and Willow, are all good options for protecting river buffers. Property owner Zack Hoppe said “It was great to be able to bring local community members together to help protect our land from future flood events and at the same time improve the water quality of the Lamoille River for the benefit of all”. Planting volunteers included Lucy Zendzian, Liz Baum, Bill Berman, Jed Feffer, Dede Stabler, Stew Arnold, JoAnn Hanowski, Liz Hatch, Lucy Mitchell, Dave Kelley, Sawyer Waite, Gavin Waite and Chris Steel. If you are interested in having the Streamwise team support you with your property in a similar way please contact Liza Kiesler at [email protected].
A Letter from Orleans County Natural Resources Conservation District’s Lake Watershed Program Specialist
—
Will Marlier
Spring 2025
For many, Spring is a time of new beginnings. The snow melts, the ice recedes, crocuses bloom, and peepers fill the air with their cacophonous song. Lakes across the state shake the lethargy from their shores as both natural and human systems prepare for the hustle and bustle of summer.
For me, this spring brought new employment and an opportunity to connect more deeply with the thawing lakes of the Northeast Kingdom. The Orleans County Natural Resources Conservation District had been advertising for a Lake Watershed Program Specialist over the course of the winter. For a young local man looking to dedicate his life to the stewardship of Vermont’s natural resources, it felt like the perfect opportunity. I was happy to apply, and even happier to be offered the position. I bring with me to this work an undergraduate degree from Temple University, and a session working in the State House with the House Environment & Energy Committee. I moved to Greensboro in 2020, and have spent much of my time since then volunteering with the Greensboro Conservation Commission and Greensboro Land Trust.
In the Lake Watershed Program Specialist role I will support lakeshore communities across Orleans County in managing their watersheds to improve water quality and restore natural ecosystems. The bulk of my work will be focused on collaborating with lake associations, landowners, and other partners to implement recently completed Lake Watershed Action Plans (or LWAP’s). I will accomplish this by interfacing with landowners to develop projects, secure grant funding for project implementation, and coordinating community outreach efforts. I will serve as a resource for landowners with questions about Best Management Practices, and will make myself available to conduct Lake Wise Assessments for those that are interested.
My efforts in community outreach will sometimes manifest as written articles (like this one) and other times manifest as in-person educational workshops. This spring I supported our partner organizations, the Memphremagog Watershed Association and Northwoods Stewardship Center, in developing a program on Lake Seymour. The workshop is designed to showcase practical and manageable projects that lake association members and lakeshore landowners could implement independently. It will be held on Sunday, April 27th from 10:00 AM to 2:00 PM, and will feature three stations, each exploring a different type of water quality improvement. If you are interested in attending this workshop, please contact MWA’s Gabryel Gianoni at [email protected] for more information and to RSVP.
Station One:
Culvert Installation and Driveway Drainage
With the help of an excavator operator, this crew will install a cross culvert that redirects stormwater drainage under an existing driveway and reconnects it to a marshy field it has historically hydrated. Culvert installation requires the careful consideration of multiple points.
1. Is the culvert properly sized to accommodate high flow events?
2. Is the culvert properly pitched to facilitate drainage and natural flow?
3. Are both the inlet and outlet set in such a way that future erosion will be minimized?
Workshop facilitator, MWA’s Patrick Hurley, will lay out the details of how he determined the culvert’s ideal size and pitch to the day’s attendees. If you (or a neighbor) are considering replacing or adding a culvert, it is always a good idea to get a professional’s opinion before moving forward to implementation. After the culvert is in the ground, the day’s volunteers will set about stabilizing the outlet. This will be done with loose stone and a handful of willow stakes. Stone at the outlet helps to slow and disperse the water as it exits the pipe while also protecting the soil from unnecessary erosion. The value of the willow stakes and other plantings are explored even more thoroughly at the next station.
Station Two:
Riparian Buffer Planting
The second station focuses on planting a riparian vegetative buffer alongside Cranberry Brook. There, facilitator Ted Sedell and myself will lead volunteers through the planting of a wide range of wet-loving plant species. The following table provides a list of the species that will be used, as well as some information worth considering before planting.
Establishing buffers on the banks of streams and lakes serve a critical role in protecting water quality. Growing roots work to stabilize and hold the soil, prevent erosion from high-flow events, armor banks against ice push, and slow and filter water draining down the bank and into the body of water. Planting vegetative buffers is a wonderful and accessible way for lakeshore property owners to get involved on their own properties. While this management practice is relatively straightforward, most plant vendors and landscapers are also available to answer questions about the specifics.
Station Three:
Lakeshore Erosion
The third station will be located directly at the lakeshore, by the mouth of a drainage area. This station will serve as an informational station, with less hands-on involvement from volunteers. The site showcases examples of lawn-to-lake mowing, which creates a weaker bank that is prone to erosion, and does little to filter the water entering the lake. Significant ice push at this site has managed to create large berms of soil along the bank and push very large stones up and onto the lawn, threatening the structure of the cabin. At this point, facilitators of the workshop recommend leaving the berms in place to act as natural bank armor against future ice. Volunteers will add willow stakes along the shore to help stabilize the soil there. Willows are incredibly hardy plants, and can often withstand being flattened by ice. This site also observes an erosive gully that is threatening to destroy a portion of the driveway. Due to its proximity to the lakeshore, any excavation work to correct the bank of this drainage is potentially subject to permitting. It is a good reminder that work done by heavy machinery in the vicinity of a lakeshore should go through the proper regulatory channels, even if you are unsure if a permit is required.
Collaborating organizations are hopeful that this workshop will be a huge success. It will engage local lakeshore advocates and community members, and I hope that many attendees will walk away with useful information that they will be able to put into action on their own lakes. Again, if you are interested in the workshop, please contact MWA’s Gabryel Gianoni at [email protected] for more information and to RSVP. Remember, each of us are capable of effecting real positive change for the environment on our own properties and in our own communities.
As we look to the summer ahead of us, I hope to work closely with all of you to further protect our lakes, their shores, and the water and life that they hold. I am currently working on several potential workshops and projects for this summer, so make sure you are subscribed to the
OCNRCD newsletter for updates!
Please feel free to reach out to me by email
([email protected]) or phone (802-595-4538) if you have any questions or ideas regarding this work.
Stewards of the Greensboro watersheds partnered with the Orleans County Natural Resources Conservation Service to complete a Lake Watershed Action Plan for the Caspian Lake Watershed. A Lake Watershed Action Plan is an assessment and planning tool which identifies the greatest threats to the lake ecosystem, including impacts on water quality and wildlife habitat from stormwater runoff and from altered, cleared, or converted shorelands. The assessment combines a lake’s condition of shoreland, tributaries, drainage ditches, wetlands, hydrologically connected roads, and working landscapes in an individual planning guide that prioritizes restoration and protection actions for that specific region.
The Caspian Lake LWAP information is available for your viewing on the Storymap site. This story identifies individual properties within the watershed where a stream, wetland, road or shore project could be completed to reduce phosphorus input to the watershed. If you see your property in the storymap (by location identification only) and would like to pursue a project, please contact [email protected]
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The Orleans County Conservation District Vermont invites you to a Community Meeting at Irasburg Town Hall on Feb 10th. There will be short presentations on Memphremagog and Champlain watershed water quality, forests and agriculture and a discussion on natural resource priorities, needs, gaps and future solutions. To find out more and RSVP follow the link below.
https://www.orleanscountynrcd.org/2025-locally-led-conservation-community-meeting
The public meeting for the Caspian petition to ban wake boats and wake sports will be held on December 12th. The Caspian team will present a summary of its petition and will have time to present supporting evidence. The evidence that we provide in this step in the process will determine whether Caspian will be included in the next step of rule-making.
WHAT CAN YOU DO?
1) write a letter (see instructions below) in support of the ban on Caspian. We collected over 1200 signatures that were submitted along with the petition and we need to prove that this support is still relevant. Make your letter personal, how would wake boat use on Caspian impact your use of the Lake, your safety, and your ability to enjoy the quiet Lake culture.
2). attend the meeting to show support for the Caspian ban. You can sign up to speak at the link below.
3). Spread the word and encourage your friends to submit letters or attend in person or via zoom.
WHAT: Public Meeting to receive comment on three petitions proposing amendments for lake-specific changes to the Use of Public Waters Rules governing wakesports on Waterbury Reservoir, Lake Fairlee, and Caspian Lake.
WHERE: National Life Dewey Conference Room, 3 National Life Dr., Montpelier, VT, 05620 (in person)
OR online via Microsoft Teams, using the link at the meeting time: Join the meeting now
Meeting ID: 268 492 569 354 Passcode: EExYY3
OR: Dial in by phone
WHEN: December 12, 2024 from 4:30pm to 7:00pm
To submit a comment:
Written and verbal comments will be accepted.
Equal weight is given to comments that are made in person, virtually, or in writing.
As we look back on this year’s events and activities, we are deeply appreciative of our members’ collective impact throughout the greater Greensboro community. Your ideas, connections, time, and donations make a big difference in the lives of many. Last winter, in recognition of the GA’s 90 years, the Board engaged in a strategic review of priorities and updated our Mission and Vision statements to guide our commitment to this community as we approach our century mark.
Together, we are finding creative ways to celebrate the arts and culture, steward our lakes and natural environment, strengthen emergency and medical services, address unmet needs and food security, and enhance educational and recreation opportunities for all. We value our relationships with our neighbors and are inspired by all that our partnerships make possible – whether responding quickly to disasters or investing in long-range plans. This report includes a sampling of some of the initiatives the GA membership has helped make possible this past year.
If you are able, we hope you will consider a year-end gift to the Fund for Greensboro (FFG) in your annual giving or estate plans. Gifts of any amount to the Unrestricted, Lake Reserve or Endowment Fund will help advance our mission of connecting and enhancing our greater Greensboro community, protecting our lakes and environment, and supporting a vibrant local economy now and for years to come. Donate here.
We welcome your energy, interests, and perspectives on any of our committees or working groups. Thank you for joining us,
Naomi Ranz-Schleifer, President and Cathy Irwin, FFG Chair
Click here to read the full report.
The Tour de Greensboro is a non-competitive classic style ski tour event located in the beautiful town of Greensboro Vermont. The course is a 25 km single loop starting and ending at the Highland Lodge with a 15 km cutoff for those who prefer not to ski the entire distance. Participants will experience some of the best classic skiing in NE with spectacular views along the course incorporating the Greensboro Trail System and private trails. The course will be professionally groomed by the Craftsbury Outdoor Center and private landowners. Please note that this event is not for beginner skiers. You must know the basic classic techniques needed for skiing uphills and downhills and the fitness required to ski 25km or 15km. For event registration, go to: https://www.skireg.com/tour-de-greensboro

