THE WATERWHEEL FOUNDATION

WaterWheel Donates $40,000 To Environmental Organizations

June 30, 1999

The WaterWheel Foundation is pleased to announce four grants, totaling $40,000, to organizations working on Lake Champlain environmental issues. The recipients are the Lewis Creek Association, the Vermont Natural Resource Council, and Rural Vermont. These are the second series of grants made by the WaterWheel Foundation to groups helping Lake Champlain and its watershed. WaterWheel oversees the philanthropic activities of the Vermont-based band Phish. Funding for its Lake Champlain initiative comes from royalties earned from the sale of Ben & Jerry's Phish Food ice cream.

The Lewis Creek Association (LCA) received an unrestricted grant of $2,500 from WaterWheel. Based in Charlotte, VT and founded in 1990, the LCA is a watershed advocacy group that seeks to protect water quality through a holistic approach linking volunteers, the environment, and the local economy. LCA operates a number of programs including community outreach, wildlife tracking, stream bank restoration, and land preservation. It is also a member of the Addison County River Watch Collaborative, which last year published a comprehensive report on the Countyıs water quality. "These funds will enable the LCA to continue our citizen-based program for cleaner water and improved wildlife habitat," stated Linda Henzel, LCA's Coordinator, "both important contributions to a healthier Lake Champlain."

The Vermont Natural Resource Council (VNRC) received two grants from the WaterWheel Foundation: $20,000 to establish a Lake Champlain Watershed Protection Program that concentrates on pollution runoff from farms and urban areas, and $7,500 to study agricultural pollution and its effect on water quality. VNRCıs mission is to protect the stateıs environment for present and future generations through research, education, and advocacy.

According to Kim Kendall, VNRC Water Program Director, "VNRC has developed a plan for Lake clean up that focuses on the most significant pollution sources and involves people through a community-based approach addressing problems at their source in the rivers that flow into the Lake." VNRC was instrumental in convincing Vermont to enact the Mercury Bill requiring labeling and recycling of products containing mercury. The organization was founded in 1963 and is based in Montpelier, VT.

Rural Vermont received $10,000 to study the environmental and economic impact of factory farms and to recommend how they should be regulated. Rural Vermont's mission is to bring economic justice, sustainability, and prosperity to the farms and rural communities of Vermont. It supports a strong rural economy that is environmentally sound, economically just, and based on traditional family farms.

Ellen Taggart, Executive Director of Rural Vermont, explains the need to rethink Vermont's agricultural policies: "Farm size is growing dramatically and with it the impact agriculture has on rural communities and water quality, especially in the Lake Champlain Basin. The legislature must act to curb those impacts. Even more so, policy makers must understand that what's needed most is a comprehensive state farm policy that builds opportunities for sustainable agriculture to flourish." The nonprofit is based in Montpelier and is a member of the Clean Water Network.

Over $1 billion in tourism is generated from Lake-related activities every year. The Basin is home to 600,000 people, one-third of whom depend on the Lake for their drinking water. Most of the water that flows into the Lake does so via its watershed. According to the Vermont Agency of Natural Resources, more than half the area of Lake Champlain is impaired from its full use due to pollution. Christopher Kilian, VNRC General Counsel described the situation as this: "If Vermonters are serious about correcting the Lake's pollution problems then we all have to start making some difficult choices."

The WaterWheel Foundation was established by Phish in 1997 to oversee the band's philanthropic activities. Phish has been together for over fifteen years, growing from their Vermont origins to become one of the most successful concert attractions in North America. All royalties due Phish from the sale of Phish Food and related merchandise plus a portion of Ben & Jerry's revenue are being used to improve the environmental well-being of Lake Champlain and its watershed. For more information about The WaterWheel Foundation email waterwheel@phish.com or write to PO Box 4120, Burlington VT 05406.

Other press releases from WaterWheel are listed below.