Vermont Lake Champlain
Byways Partnership

Vermont Contributions for Célébration Champlain Strategic Plan

Overview of Key Features

Célébration Champlain embraces the idea that we are building a great place to live — which is also a great place to locate a business, invest money, and to visit.

Célébration Champlain is much more than commemorative events, it is the preparation for the anniversary that will leave behind a legacy of physical improvements, regional activities, and a multi-national identity that is known throughout the world.

The strategy will utilize public sector improvements to generate private sector investments and viable businesses to establish an outstanding quality-of-life within our communities. The strategy utilizes the region’s cultural heritage resources, recreation opportunities and public interest in environmental stewardship as the basis for an economic engine for the region.

Célébration Champlain utilizes a multi-modal approach for tourism development, and a network of Waypoint Communities to "meet and greet" visitors to the region. Each community has identified a unique theme based upon their resources and heritage. The goal of the planning work for Célébration Champlain is to help these communities assess their resources and limitations, and craft a plan for infrastructure improvements, programs and events, and marketing and promotion to unify and rejuvenate the region.

The strategy has identified seven areas for regional coordination: education, recreation, transportation, agriculture, tourism, environment, and historical/cultural resource management. The plan defines a structure for implementation:

• organization and management,
• community revitalization and infrastructure improvements,
• programs and events, and
• marketing and promotion.

Specific Vermont Components of the Strategic Plan for Célébration Champlain

• Strategies for the key "market leaders" that provide the impetus for expanding the diversity of the economy for the region, prioritize needs for public sector improvements — feature case studies of Poultney (slate), Middlebury (agriculture), and Vergennes (Otter Creek).

• A detailed list of specific actions, responsible parties, budget, funding sources and prioritization for implementation of Célébration Champlain.

• Regional strategies for unification and community revitalization: Interpretation, Marketing, Bikeways, Walkways, Waterways, Birding Trail, Underwater Preserves, "Cultures in Contact" and Ag-viability.