Vermont Fish and Wildlife and Lake Champlain Islands Chamber of Commerce Celebrate New Projects in the Islands
OutdoorHub 05.16.12
South Hero at the Causeway has gained two major improvements to benefit the angling community as well as visitors travelling through the Islands. On Tuesday, May 22nd, at 1 p.m. there will be a ribbon-cutting to celebrate VT Fish & Wildlife’s acquisition of the new John Guilmette Fishing Access Area, as well as the Chamber‘s new Portalet shelter building with visitor information and ADA-compliant parking and Portalets. Fish & Wildlife Commissioner Patrick Berry, Grand Isle Senator Dick Mazza and Program Manager for State Byways John LaBarge will attend the celebration.
“The new ‘John Guilmette Fishing Access Area’ will serve a large group of anglers and boaters by providing year-round access at a key location on northern Lake Champlain,” said Fish & Wildlife Commissioner Patrick Berry. According to Mike Wichrowski, Land and Facilities Coordinator, anyone will be able to use the site this summer, while site improvements are scheduled for next year.
The Lake Champlain Islands Chamber of Commerce is inaugurating the new Portalet shelter on land purchased by Fish & Wildlife. The shelters were designed specifically for the Champlain Islands, and contain two Portalets, one ADA-compliant, a bulletin board with maps of destinations in the Lake Champlain Valley, and brochure racks for local and regional information. Funded by the Scenic Byway program of the Federal Highway Authority five years ago, the shelters fill the gaps in available facilities in the Islands. The buildings require no electricity or plumbing, and are a potential prototype for other regions lacking in septic capacity. . The project was managed by the Chittenden County Regional Planning Commission. Jeff Schneider, AIA along with Studio 19 Design Group designed the shelters.
“We are pleased that our partners in the public and private sectors, Vermont Department of Fish & Wildlife, the town of South Hero, A&B Beverage owners Bill and JoAnne Champagne and the town of Grand Isle, have made it possible for us to provide these services to the traveling public,” says Ruth Wallman, Executive Director of the Chamber. The Scenic Byway program was created to entice travelers off the Interstates and into the towns of America so that they can appreciate the intrinsic values of each region.
