The Department administers an Unsafe Dam Revolving Fund, a special fund, pursuant to adopted Rules to provide funding to municipalities, nonprofit entities, and private individuals, for the reconstruction, repair, removal, breaching, draining, or other action necessary to reduce the threat of a dam or portion of a dam determined to be unsafe pursuant to section 1095 of 10 VSA Chapter 43. The dam must first be found to be unsafe via the process laid out in statute in order for an owner to qualify for funding.
Financing from the Fund is in the form of a 100% loan, or a 25% grant together with a 75% loan based on the type of actions that will be taken by the owner. Actions that include breaching or removal are eligible for 25% grant and 75% loan funding. Actions that include draining, repair, reconstruction, or other action are eligible for 100% loan funding. The total eligible costs per project that may be financed under these Rules is limited to a maximum of $50,000 except that the $50,000 cap may be increased for all projects, at the discretion of the Commissioner, based on accepted construction cost indexes. Changes to the cap will be posted on the Agency of Natural Resources website. Work required by an unsafe dam order is an eligible cost, including services provided by an engineer. No other work will constitute an eligible cost.