The following is an update related to bills and conversations that have an impact on our Agricultural Landscape. ACT 155 (S.161) An act relating to extending the baseload renewable power portfolio requirement Although VTFB was not tracking this bill, it does contain information for our forestry sector: the Act will require three reports back to the
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Despite unanimous support from the Senate Judiciary Committee, S.166 (a bill focusing on utility worksite cleanup and consumer protection) did not make it out of the Senate Finance Committee intact. Introduced by Senators Hardy, Pearson, MacDonald and Starr, the language would have required the Public Utility Commission to revise its rules to include enhanced consumer
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Vermont farmers who withdraw any surface waters (definition 10 V.S.A. Section 1002(20)) for farming are advised to begin keeping records of irrigation events this summer if a farm does not already do so. A new state law went into effect on July 1, 2022, which requires annual reporting of surface water withdrawals used for farming
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Click here to read the White Paper on Act 145 (H.626)
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A WHITE PAPER ON THE SENATE AND HOUSE AGRICULTURE COMMITTEES HOUSEKEEPING BILLS Every year, the Agency of Agriculture, Food & Markets reviews legislation previously passed and requests changes from the two Agriculture Committees to either update or clarify existing statute. These are known as the “housekeeping” bills and are often used to attach some language which
Read More...As you may know, the Governor signed H.697 into law – now Act 146. Act 146 changes Vermont’s Use Value Appraisal (UVA) Program by adding a subcategory to Managed Forestland called ‘Reserve Forestland.’ Appropriately, folks have questions. I’m writing to provide an overview of the law to help you respond to questions from landowners, understand the timeline and
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Governor Scott vetoes S.234 A WHITE PAPER FOR ACCESSORY ON FARM BUSINESSES S.234 was another attempt by the Legislature to make major changes to the Act 250 language currently in statute, based on a year long process of public hearings by the Act 250 Commission two years ago. VTFB was following changes to the forest
Read More...ADDITIONALITY To avoid giving credits to projects that would have happened anyway, rules have been specified to ensure additionality of the project i.e. to ensure the project reduces emissions more than would have occurred in the absence of the project. A project is additional if its proponents can document that realistic alternative scenarios to the
Read More...What to consider when choosing a carbon program Carbon projects are now accessible to small landowners in Vermont and neighboring states. As more options become available, it is important for both landowners and their foresters to explore the array of opportunities, including commitment, pricing, and quality associated with each project and developer. Additionally, compatibility with
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Read the Under the Golden Dome May 13, 2022 edition here.
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