Our vision is of a network of well maintained river access points, primitive campsites, and portage trails from the river’s headwaters west to Lake Champlain.  We recognize the region’s rich ecology and productive working landscape and seek to facilitate recreational use compatible with the river valley’s natural, social, and historic character. Our evolving, guiding principles include:

Encourage Connections, Stewardship, and Public Safety: 
We seek to use the trail as a tool for engendering safe and responsible use of the river.. We hope to open up new opportunities for low-impact, water based recreation for locals and visitors. And through hands-on stewardship projects, volunteer programs, group paddlers, river clean-ups, we seek to nurture a community passionate about the river we share

Fostering Collaborative Trail Management:
A loose group of organizations and individuals will assist with trail planning, development, and stewardship. A steering committee will oversee this partnership. Periodic e-newsletter updates will aid in information sharing and planning. Collaborating organizations will form partnerships to carry out specific projects and river events. Annual meetings provide opportunities for planning, reflection on trail successes, and discussions on new challenges.

Supporting Working Forests and Farms:
We seek to foster an appropriate users ethic respectful of landowners and the working landscape through which the river passes. We strive to engender cooperative relationships with landowners to ensure river use does not negatively impact private use of the land.

Minimizing Wildlife Impacts and User Conflicts:
New access points and campsites will be located to minimize disturbance to nesting birds and other wildlife. Promotion will be coordinated and carefully managed, recognizing that overuse could degrade the river’s ecology and the scenic experience visitors seek. Maps and resources for users will stress proper user etiquette. Trail promotion will be coordinated and carefully managed, recognizing that overuse could create user conflicts, degrade campsites and spoil the scenic experience visitors seek.

Fostering Riparian Lands Conservation:
We seek to use the trail as a mechanism for supporting efforts to conserve riparian lands and restore their unique ecology.

A steering committee has been assembled to coordinate this effort. Members include Eric Nuse, Doug Molde, Kim Komer, Jim Ryan and Noah Pollock.