This is a virtual meeting held annually to prepare partners for the upcoming water quality monitoring and sampling season.
Topics to be discussed:
The public is invited to learn more about clean water funding and the budget process and comment on State Fiscal Year 2022 clean water funding priorities at the Clean Water Budget Public Hearing on Thursday, October 22, 2020, at 12:00 pm.
Sign-up to Comment: Please indicate, using the above-linked RSVP form, if you wish to comment during the hearing. Commenters are encouraged to submit verbal comments in written form to ANR.CleanWaterVT@vermont.gov to ensure accuracy in public hearing minutes.
Attend Remotely: The hearing will be held remotely via Microsoft Teams due to COVID-19 social distancing. Join Microsoft Teams Meeting for full meeting audio and visual. If you require a call-in option to participate (e.g., computer does not have a microphone), RSVP using the above-linked form and call-in details will be sent to you directly.
Agenda and Materials: To be posted on the Clean Water Board Meetings webpage in advance.
Curious about compost, anaerobic digestion, or building healthy soils? Interested in how Vermont communities and organizations manage their food scraps successfully and overcome challenges? Then the Vermont Organics Recycling Summit (VORS) is for you.
The free, online Summit runs from May 3-7, 2021, during International Compost Awareness Week.
Learn more or register online at www.compostingvermont.org/vors-2021, or contact Natasha Duarte at info@compostingvermont.org or 802-373-6499.
Hosted by the Composting Association of Vermont and the Agency of Natural Resources, the Summit gathers leaders and learners from across the state to discuss creative ways to keep organics out of the trash and transform organics into valuable products. The theme of this year’s Summit is Grow, Eat…COMPOST…Repeat! Dr. David Montgomery will present this year's keynote, "Bringing Our Soil Back to Life.”
The DEC is now accepting applications for the Aquatic Nuisance Control Grant-in-Aid program for 2020. Application materials can be found at https://dec.vermont.gov/watershed/lakes-ponds/aquatic-invasives/funding under the “Application Information” section. Please note that all application materials are due by February 14th, 2020. This year, it is expected that at least $400,000 will be available through this program for projects aimed at managing or preventing the proliferation of aquatic invasive species in Vermont. In 2019, we received a total request for $2.1 million and $435,000 was awarded. As we have done so in the past, we anticipate funding a portion of all the requests, rather than choosing select projects for awards. Knowing this, please plan projects accordingly.
Each applicant is expected to fill out a single Application Cover Sheet, Project Sheet, and Budget for each specific project within the overall program. There are project sheets available for 3 distinct categories, each with a short set of questions. Those looking to start or maintain a Public Access Greeter Program should use the Greeter Program Project Sheet, while those planning to conduct aquatic vegetation management should use the Management Project Sheet. Other projects, including outreach or monitoring projects, should use the Education, Outreach, or Survey Project Sheet.
Each complete application will consist of one Application Cover Sheet, Project Sheet, and Budget although some applications are expected to contain several Project Sheets and Budgets (a Greeter Program and a Management Harvesting Project on Lake Elmore, for example). We do ask that those that have multiple projects provide one Cover Sheet, and a Project Sheet and Budget for each project category. Please be sure to indicate the value of the in-kind/match respective to each project. Each project is reviewed and evaluated in comparison to others within the same category. We also anticipate that different funding sources may target specific categories.
As we are attempting to target federal funds to cover some of the costs of the program, we will be adhering to federal guidelines for eligible in-kind/match requirements. Ineligible expenses include fundraising events and/or fundraising supplies, grant writing, expenses incurred outside of the award duration, fees associated to secure permits, office supplies, and food/beverage/event space costs. In addition, please include in-kind services occurring for the intended project but not for the administrative duties of an association. Budgets that contain ineligible expenses will be considered at a reduced Total Project Cost.
The application is to be completed electronically on fillable pdfs. We hope that everyone can take advantage of the many free pdf programs that are available to upload to computers to be able to fill out the form. For those unable to do so please contact me for a Word document. Assistance in filling out the application materials is provided in the Application Manual, and I encourage you to consult this document before filling out the application. As noted on the last page of the Manual, applications should be submitted electronically to Lindsay Carey, lindsay.carey@vermont.gov, by February 14, 2020.
We also encourage potential applicants (towns, lake associations) to partner with regional groups, such as Conservation Districts and regional watershed associations, when submitting applications. To alleviate the administrative burden on some municipalities, Towns and lake associations may file their project sheets with a regional applicant that will be able to provide administrative and technical support, and can work directly with the State to meet project deliverables, invoice for funds, etc. The individual sub-projects are still evaluated independently and scored/funded as such, but the Regional Partner is responsible for invoicing and administrative paperwork. Basically, the resources spent on administration of this grant program statewide, both at the State level and the municipal level, will be substantially reduced. This will allow all of us to put more time, energy, and money into the implementation of our spread prevention and management projects. There are no drawbacks for Towns/lake associations to applying through a regional partner.
If you have any questions or concerns regarding the grant program as a whole, the application materials, or potential regional partners, please do not hesitate to contact me, Kim Jensen at Kimberly.jensen@vermont.gov. Our goal is make the Grant-in-Aid application process as easy as possible so that we can all focus on protecting the aquatic resources of Vermont.
Wolcott Wastewater Committee Meeting was held to discuss the workplan, review the old report findings, and discuss potential new sites to investigation for wastewater disposal.
The Clean Water Fund Board will discuss and approve the Clean Water Capital Fund report that lists projects funded with capital dollars in FY2018, due to the General Assembly on November 1, 2017.
The meeting will be held via conference call. Join the meeting by phone (dial 1-802-552-8456, access code 23951660) or Skype for Business.
The Department is pleased to announce that the proposed 2017 Vermont Stormwater Management Manual Rule was filed with the Secretary of State on Friday, September 16th, 2016.
The Department has scheduled a public meeting to solicit comment on the proposed rule on Tuesday, October 25th, 2016 from 9:00 AM until 12:00 PM, at the Pavilion Building Auditorium, located at 109 State Street in Montpelier. The Department will begin accepting public comment on the proposed 2017 VSMM Rule of Friday, September 16, 2016 through 4:30 PM on November 1, 2016. Comments may be provided in person at the public meeting or in writing to Kevin Burke.
For more information on the update of the Vermont Stormwater Management Manual (VSMM), see the VSMM update page.
Vermont Days June 13 - 14
Are you ready for some FREE time? This weekend, June 13 - 14 is Vermont Days Weekend. What does that mean for you? Free Day Use entry at all State Parks, free fishing (no license required) on Saturday, free entry to all Vermont Historic Sites -- and more! Check out the action at vermontdays.com
Also check out the many great events happening in the parks. This weekend, Nature Reflection Series at Niquette Bay, Be Nice to Spiders at Stillwater, Learn About Hydropower with GMP at Branbury, Saturday Nature Program at Woodford, Introduction to Family Camping at Quechee, Life-sized Jenga & Smoothie bike at Lake Carmi, Let's Go Fishing at Boulder Beach, Green Mountain Brass Band at Sand Bar.
