Resource conservation, development good for business

CONSERVE AND PROTECT: R.I. Resource Conservation and Development Council President Harriet Powell says that the council is always looking for programs that could help underserved people in the state. / COURTESY HARRIET POWELL
CONSERVE AND PROTECT: R.I. Resource Conservation and Development Council President Harriet Powell says that the council is always looking for programs that could help underserved people in the state. / COURTESY HARRIET POWELL

Harriet Powell was walking the trails near her North Kingstown home one day when she came across signs urging people not to swim or fish in a pond not far from a town well. When she enquired about the problem, she learned pesticides had been dumped there but because local regulations didn’t require it, no one had notified the town water department of the problem.
So began her involvement in state and local environmental issues. For the past nine years she’s served as president of the R.I. Resource Conservation and Development Council, a state-funded organization that develops programs that promote protection of natural resources.
At their summer convention, the National Association of Resource Conservation and Development Councils recognized Powell as the Outstanding Council Member for 2014, an award given to someone who exemplifies a making-things-happen spirit.

PBN: For those unfamiliar with the R.I. Resource Conservation and Development Council, can you tell us about it?
POWELL: I recently heard someone call it “the least-known organization that does a lot of good work.” The name goes back to the era when the federal government used a lot of acronyms that made everybody yawn.
We look for ways to help the environment, as well as farmers, foresters and anyone else who comes to us. We have a board of directors from different organizations and state agencies, and a part-time executive director, Paul Dolan. There are probably 300 councils around the country, including seven in New England.

PBN: This past summer the National Association of Resource Conservation and Development Council named you the Outstanding Council Member of 2014. How did that come about?
POWELL: Our organization hosted the New England regional meeting in 2013, and those who attended were asked to propose nominations. Paul Dolan and Chris Modisette [former council coordinator] nominated several people, including me. The names were sent to the national organization, and they picked me as their council member of the year. It was a very nice thing for them to do, but now I have to live up to it.

PBN: Can you tell us how you first became involved in environmental issues?
POWELL: I live near the Gilbert Stuart Museum and a Girl Scout camp, and I used to walk the trails there. One day I came across a pond, and there were signs reading “No swimming” and “No fishing.” It turned out someone had put pesticides in the water. I knew there was a town well nearby, so I called the North Kingstown water department to see if they were aware of the situation. They weren’t. Because the pond was not within 500 feet of the wells or any homes, there was no requirement that anyone be informed.
That prompted me to get involved. In 1995, I was appointed to the town groundwater committee. We were charged with educating people about water quality and water conservation. We had issues with drought in North Kingstown, yet people were watering their lawns with automatic sprinkler systems that could use up to 22,000 gallons in a week. There was one property in town where the monthly water bill came to $1,200.
The town now limits watering to two days a week, and it appears everyone still has a green lawn.

PBN: You’ve described the council as “job creators” and “small-business supporters.” Can you explain that?
POWELL: One of best programs is called Rhody Warm. We have people raising sheep in Rhode Island, mainly as a labor of love, and because the textile mills are gone, they had trouble selling the wool. Sometimes it was thrown away. Sometimes it was burned. We helped them put together a business plan. The wool is now made into blankets, which are marketed as Rhody Warm blankets. They’re being sold at fairs up and down the Eastern Seaboard. We’re always looking for programs that could help underserved people in the state, people who have a passion for an activity, but don’t realize they could benefit from having a business plan. One group we’d like to help are maple syrup producers. Bee keepers are another example. And goat farmers. We’re looking into crowd funding as a way to help them develop marketing programs.

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PBN: And you’ve done things to boost STEM education.
POWELL: We launched an event we called the Envirothon. It’s a contest among high school students to determine who knows the most about environmental issues. It’s set up something like a spelling bee, but the goal is to encourage students to learn about science and technology.
We’re now doing it in four public schools in Rhode Island. The contest takes place outdoors in a wooded setting, with experts questioning the students about a particular subject.

PBN: Your organization is also known for drafting volunteers for various projects. Tell us about that.
POWELL: We have a stream continuity program that enlists volunteers from all over the state to check culverts beneath roads to see how well water is passing through. Sometimes they’re overgrown with weeds, or crushed by the weight of the road. It’s important because in Rhode Island we have fish that swim upstream to spawn.
One of our partners, the sportsman’s organization Trout Unlimited, sent out volunteers to check every crossing on Beaver Brook. •

INTERVIEW
Harriet Powell
POSITION: R.I. Resource Conservation and Development Council president
BACKGROUND: After raising a family, Harriet Powell became involved in North Kingstown government and environmental issues, beginning in 1993. In addition to her work with the council, she serves on the town Planning Commission and has served on the town Asset Management Commission. She is on the board of trustees of the Gilbert Stuart Birthplace and Museum in North Kingstown, and was instrumental in creating the museum’s nature walk.
EDUCATION: Bachelor of science degree, University of Rhode Island, 1976; master’s degree in geology, University of Rhode Island, 1984
AGE: 87
RESIDENCE: North Kingstown
FIRST JOB: Shepard Co. department store, Providence, selling sportswear as a teenager

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