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Western Hardrock Watershed Team

WHWT

Sponsor

Becoming an OSM/VISTA Watershed Sponsor

Could your organization use some extra support? Are you addressing issues related to watershed health, community revitalization, and the environmental and economic legacies of historic mining in your area? The Western Hardrock Watershed Team provides communities in the Hardrock mining region with OSM/VISTA Volunteers to support local watershed efforts and build capacity.

The Hardrock Team functions as an umbrella organization under the AmeriCorps*VISTA program to provide OSM/VISTA volunteers to watershed-oriented community groups (please visit the AmeriCorps web site to learn more about the basic nature of the VISTA program). Local organizations that partner with the Watershed Team not only receive an OSM/VISTA volunteer for a total of three years, but also enjoy the additional capacity-building support that the Team provides: training, informational resources, access to a network of peer organizations, and more.

To sponsor a Watershed Team OSM/VISTA, an organization must:

  • Be a 501 (c) 3 non-profit organization (or have the sponsorship of a non-profit or other local agency — such as a Soil & Water Conservation District, County Commission, a local RC&D, etc).
  • Demonstrate the capacity for effective supervision and support for an OSM/VISTA member.
  • Develop a project work plan that reflects the Watershed Team's Core Goals
  • Sign a Memorandum of Agreement.
  • Be able and willing to pay a yearly cost-share match to support the volunteer position.
  • Be able and willing to pay the fringe cost of hosting an OSM/VISTA volunteer (travel, office, mailing, printing, etc).
Abandoned Tipple near Lake City, CO © Barbara Hite
Abandoned Tipple near Lake City, CO © Barbara Hite

Interested groups are encouraged to contact us to discuss whether or not this opportunity is right for their communities! To initiate the process of applying for an OSM/VISTA as part of the ACCWT, contact:

WHWT Coordinator: Dr. T. Allan Comp
tcomp AT osmre DOT gov
202.208.2836

Or

WHWT VISTA Support Coordinator
support AT hardrockteam DOT org
970.872.3411