General
We were pleased with the cooperation and support of the several agencies this past year. The National Marine Fisheries Service and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service provided aid and information. The Maine Department of Environmental Protection continued to work on NPS sites. The Maine Atlantic Salmon Commission continued their support.

February
Pat Keliher, Executive Director of ASC, spoke at our annual meeting in February. Representatives from the Hampden Conservation Committee attended.

May
The Cove Brook Watershed Council monitored activities and identified several problems in the Watershed. An inadequate culvert under the Back Winterport Road was identified. With the help of the DEP and MDOT, a plan was developed to find funding to restore the culvert. We also called DEP’s attention to the washout of a driveway crossing of Baker Brook and are pleased to report an appropriate culvert is now in place.

July
Members of the council placed signs on Cove Brook notifying anglers that salmon are in the stream.

August - November
We worked to make developers and planners aware of the watershed’s values. Several housing developments were proposed in Hampden last year that included parts of the watershed. Several members of the council walked various tributaries of Baker Brook to establish the relation between the Oldfield Estates and the watershed.

Donna Gilbert was a member of the delegation from Maine to visit the Pacific Northwest to learn about their recovery efforts. Donna also represented the council at the Gulf of Maine Summit in St. Andrews in the fall. Four members participated in the Salmon Summit.

October
The Council participated in the planning efforts initiated in the “Salmon Summit” held in September by the Eight Rivers Roundtable. With the help of Dumont and Associates of Portland we are attempting to develop the “best possibilities” for Atlantic Salmon in our watershed.
The Council commented on the Draft Recovery Plan for the Gulf of Maine Atlantic Salmon.

December
Peter Ruksznis, ASC Biologist, monitored the brook and supported other activities. He found no young-of-the-year salmon in August, and no salmon redds in December.
On December 3, we sold the property at 150 Baker Road after we attached a Conservation Easement to protect habitat along the Brook. Funds from the sale of the property will be used for additional conservation easements along the brook.

January
• Coordinator met with the Winterport snowmobile club to initiate discussions on how the watershed council and the club could work together on mutually beneficial projects;
• Coordinator attended an all day education workshop “Healthy Water, Healthy People” sponsored by the UM Mitchell Center;
• Coordinator attended the first meeting of the newly revitalized Eight Rivers Roundtable.
February
• Held a public dinner with guest speaker presenting talk on the history of Atlantic salmon;
March
• Coordinator initiated and facilitated bug identification classes with Hampden Academy Advanced Placement biology class and entomologist;
April
• Coordinated a “Lawns & Gardens for a Healthy Coastal Watershed” fair;
• Coordinator attended the Maine Water Conference;
• Coordinator met with representative of the Waldo County Soil & Conservation District to discuss erosion issues on Cove Brook;
• Awarded a NWFW NOAA Salmon Fund award for community outreach and education on salmon issues;
May
• Coordinator met with School District #22’s curriculum coordinator to plan for salmon/watershed education in the district;
June
• Coordinator met with teachers at Leroy Smith school to plan for salmon/watershed education in the school;
July
• Coordinator facilitated two Steering Committee meetings at which members edited the Cove Brook Watershed Management Plan;
• Coordinator attended an intense one week workshop sponsored by the League of Conservation Voters in which she acquired hand-on experience with strategic planning, message development, media relations, consensus building, and fundraising, among other skills.

January
• Completed a cursory geometric assessment of Cove Brook with Woodlot Alternatives, through a grant from the New England Grassroots Environment Fund;
• Affiliated with the Maine Council of the Atlantic Salmon Federation;
• Applied for two grants with the Coastal Watersheds Grants Program through the Maine State Planning Office - one for education and outreach, the other for watershed inventory and assessment;

February
• Received 501 (c) 3 non-profit status from the IRS;
• Hired a consultant from the UM George Mitchell Center to write a watershed management plan for the Cove Brook watershed;
March
• Coordinator attended “Building Sustainable Organizations for the Protection of Maine’s Environment” all day workshop;
• Coordinator participated, with a display, in the Maine Sportsman Show in Orono, Maine;

April
• Was awarded a grant from the Maine State Planning Office for a watershed inventory and assessment, the results of which will be incorporated in the watershed management plan due in 2003;
• Applied for a National Fish & Wildlife Foundation (NFWF) Grant for the purchase of a parcel of land on Cove Brook bordering prime salmon spawning and rearing habitat;
• Coordinator participated, with a display, in the HOPE Festival in Brewer, Maine;
May
• Coordinator plus one member attended the Maine Land Conservation Conference;
• Was awarded a grant from the Maine Atlantic Salmon Commission (MASC) to write a watershed management plan;
• Received funding from the National Marine Fisheries Service to fund 12 hours/week council coordinator’s position;
June
• Coordinator gave a presentation to the Winterport Board of Selectmen on who the council was and what its goals were;
July
• Was awarded grant from NFWF for the purchase of Cove Brook property;
• Coordinator gave a presentation to the Winterport Planning Board on the goals of the CBWC and discussed how the two groups could work together;
• Coordinator compiled a list of names and addresses of all property owners bordering Cove Brook and sent out a letter in which the mission and goals of the council were explained. In this letter, permission for access was also solicited.
August
• With the Maine Department of Environmental Protection and the Maine Atlantic Salmon Commission, coordinator facilitated water quality monitoring, nonpoint source identification, and embeddedness training, for CBWC volunteers;
September
• With the Maine DEP and the Maine ASC, coordinator initiated a long term monitoring project with Hampden Academy Advanced Placement Biology students;
• Participated in the Craig Brook Fish Hatchery Open House;
• Initiated development of a Cove Brook webpage;
October
• Received from the Maine ASC funding for development of a Strategic Plan for the council.
• Coordinator and DEP representative initiated nonpoint source identification survey in watershed to continue through following summer;
November
• Coordinator plus one member attended the STEP Institute (Strengthening Environmental Group Process) in Augusta;
• Coordinator plus one member attended the New England Grassroots Environment Fund retreat in Worchester, MA;
December
• Purchased key property on Cove Brook with funds from the NFWF grant;

List of Funding Received by the Cove Brook Watershed Council

Maine Atlantic Salmon Commission 3/2001 $2,000 Startup Funds for Council Operation

National Marine Fisheries Service 8/2002 $10,000 Salary for Watershed Coordinator

National Fish and Wildlife Foundation 3/2001 $30,000 Purchase Land to Protect Salmon Habitat from Development

New England Grassroots Environment Fund 12/2001 $1,200 Cursory Geomorphic Assessment of Cove Brook

National Fish and Wildlife Foundation 8/2002 $65,000 Purchase Land and House at 150 Baker Road to Protect Salmon Habitat

Maine State Planning Office 3/2001 $18,500 Assessment of Cove Brook Watershed

Maine Atlantic Salmon Commission 7/2001 $8,000 Develop a Watershed Management Plan for Cove Brook

MBNA 3/2002 $550 Costs of Speaker at Lawns and Gardens Fair

Atlantic Salmon Federation 3/2002 $900 Costs of Brochure Printing

Maine Atlantic Salmon Commission 10/2002 $5,000 Develop a Strategic Plan for Cove Brook Watershed Council

National Fish and Wildlife Foundation 5/2003 $14,000 Educational Initiative for Cove Brook Watershed

Project Share 7/2003 $2,000 Habitat Restoration Grant