Public comments are being accepted by the Watershed Management Division for the issues listed below.
Comments must be received by 4:30 p.m. on the date in which comments are due.
September 28, 2018: DRAFT Winooski River Tactical Basin Plan is now available for download!
The draft Winooski River Tactical Basin Plan outlines a series of actions the State, towns, and local organizations will take to improve the Winooski River watershed. It also provides information about how landowners, organizations, and communities can access clean water funding and technical assistance.
The central component of the Tactical Basin Plan is an implementation table summary with targeted actions to protect high-quality waters and to address the water quality issues in the watershed. Individual projects are included in the VT Watershed Projects database (https://anrweb.vt.gov/DEC/IWIS/ARK/ProjectSearch.aspx).
One of the most important pieces of the plan are the Basin’s phosphorus reduction targets across landuse types over the next 20 years. At the upcoming public meetings, DEC staff will share targets as well as regulatory and non-regulatory actions to achieve them. This reduction will translate to fewer algal blooms in the Basin as well as Lake Champlain. The plan also addresses other high-priority stressors like channel erosion and invasive species such as Eurasian water milfoil.
These plans are the result of collaboration with local, State, federal and non-profit partners
2018 DRAFT Winooski River Tactical Basin Plan Public Meetings:
The Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC) invites residents with connections to Vermont’s waterways to attend public meetings to weigh in on water quality improvement projects and hear updates on the overall restoration plans.
Between September 25 and October 17th, DEC and associated Regional Planning Commissions will host four public meetings to provide updates and gather feedback on the Draft Winooski River Tactical Basin Plan.
“Using this plan as our guide, we’ll be able to protect and restore water quality throughout the entire Winooski watershed – from the lakes and ponds to the rivers and wetlands,” said Karen Bates, DEC watershed planner. “The Plan lets us get a pulse on the current health of the Winooski River Basin and allows us to determine which actions will deliver the greatest return on our investments.”
These plans are the result of collaboration with local, State, federal and non-profit partners. Public meetings over the next two months will bring these and other key watershed partners together with members of the public to discuss clean water implementation plans. Meetings will take place in the evening at the following locations:
Williston | October 2 at 6:00-7:30pm
Williston Police Department Conference Room
7928 Williston Road
Berlin | October 9th at 7:00-9:00 pm
the Central Vermont Chamber of Commerce Main Conference Room
33 Stewart Rd.
Essex Junction | October 17th 5:00 -6:30 pm
Agency of Natural Resources Regional Office
Act 250 conference room in the Fish and Wildlife Building
111 West Street
Copies of the draft plan may be obtained by clicking here or by requesting a copy from Karen Bates by email at Karen.Bates@vermont.gov or (802) 490-6144. Comments can be submitted to : ANR.basin8comments@vermont.gov. or by mail at 1 National Life Drive, Main 2, Montpelier VT 05620-3522. Comments will be accepted through end of business day (4:30 pm) on October 31, 2018. Comments received by this date will be addressed in a responsiveness summary.
2018 DRAFT White River Tactical Basin Plan Public Meetings:
The 2018 DRAFT White River Tactical Basin Plan (TBP) is now available for public comment. The Plan provides an overall assessment of the health of the White River basin and defines on-going and future actions and strategies to address high-priority stressors such as encroachment, stream channel erosion, land erosion, and pathogens. The Plan presents the recommendations of State and Federal resource agencies, watershed partner organizations, planning commissions, municipalities, and individual citizens.
A series of public comment meetings are being held in October to gather feedback on the TBP presented by the VT Agency of Natural Resources in partnership with Two-Rivers Ottauquechee Regional Commission, White River Natural Resource Conservation District, White River Partnership, Central Vermont Regional Planning Commission (CVRPC) and the Rutland Regional Planning Commission.
The public is encouraged to attend the meetings, hear a presentation and offer their comments and suggestions. Meetings will take place in the evening in the following locations:
- October 3rd Randolph, Randolph Town Hall, 7 Summer Street, 6:30-8PM
- October 9th Berlin, Central Vermont Chamber of Commerce Building, 33 Stewart Lane, 7-9PM
- October 11th Royalton, Royalton Academy Building, 4266 Route 14, 6:30-8PM
If you are unable to attend a meeting, you can access the interactive White River Tactical Basin Plan Story Map, which provides a summary of the plan and the remediation and protection priorities.
Copies of the 2018 DRAFT White River Tactical Basin Plan may be obtained on-line on October 1st, 2018 or by requesting a copy from Danielle Owczarski by email or by phone at (802) 490-6176.
Comments should be directed by email to anr.basin9comments@vermont.gov or by mail to Danielle Owczarski, Basin 9 Comments, 1 National Life Drive, Main 2, Montpelier VT 05620-3522. Comments should be postmarked or sent through email by the end of the business day (4:30 pm) on October 31, 2018. Comments received by this date will be addressed in a responsiveness summary.
Documents
| Deadline for Comment Submittal | Basin or Study Subject | Documents |
|---|---|---|
| October 31, 2018 | DRAFT Winooski River Tactical Basin Plan (Basin 8) | |
| October 31, 2018 | DRAFT White River Tactical Basin Plan (Basin 9) |
Timely comments will be considered in the formulation of a final decision. Paper copies are available for a fee. During this notice period, a person may request a public informational meeting regarding any draft decision. Any meeting request must state the person’s interest and the reasons why a meeting is warranted. Such a meeting will be held if there is sufficient interest. Be certain your name and mailing address are included in the e-mail message.
Alternatively, you may submit comments via US Mail to:
Public Comment
Monitoring, Assessment, and Planning Program
Watershed Management Division
1 National Life Drive, Main 2
Montpelier, VT 05620-3522
The GIS-based interactive Natural Resources Atlas provides geographic information about environmental features and sites that the Vermont Agency of Natural Resources manages, monitors, permits, or regulates.