Vermont establishes the Mollie Beattie Award for conservation contributions starting July 1, 2025.

Vermont faces funding disruptions impacting conservation projects and services for farmers.

The Vermont Association of Conservation Districts told the Natural Resources & Energy committee Feb. 13 it seeks $948,200 in state support (including prior one‑time funds) to sustain staff and locally led projects that leverage federal NRCS funding and enable dam removals, stormwater work and septic assistance.

A joint conference committee agreed to narrow a proposed study tied to decommissioning language to the past two years and projects of 1 megawatt or greater, and to incorporate more detailed forest-habitat data recommended by the Nature Conservancy; staff expect a workable draft by January.

Molly Flanagan, director of land conservation at the Green Mountain Club, told the Senate Institutions committee the 272-mile Long Trail is now 98% legally protected after four decades of work; roughly 4.5 miles across about 14 private parcels remain without formal protection. GMC reported recent project completions and said it has no funding request this session.

Kate Gluckman of Vermont Works for Women and coalition partners (Audubon Vermont, VYCC/Vermont Youth Conservation Corps) told the committee Serve Learn Earn served nearly 550 participants last year and requested an additional $500,000 in base funding (to total $1 million) to sustain training, stipends and service projects across forestry, habitat and food-security programs.

Michelle Monroe and county conservation district managers told the Agriculture, Food Resiliency, & Forestry panel that $948,200 in state support would sustain operations that historically help districts leverage roughly $9 in federal or project funding per state dollar; they described projects from veterans incubator farms to chestnut agroforestry and an EPA PFOA proposal.

Hannah Regier told the committee a three‑year Bull Creek Headwaters project conserved 341 acres, cost $950,000, and received about $315,000 from VHCB; the trust emphasized public access, wetland protection and local restoration work with NRCS.

Representatives of regional planning commissions and conservation organizations told lawmakers they support extensions to interim exemptions and recommended statutory tweaks—faster amendment authority, clearer mapping criteria, and more public outreach—to keep Act 181 implementation responsive.

Regional planners, municipal leaders and conservation groups told the Natural Resources & Energy committee that implementing Act 181 now risks regulatory gaps and stranded housing projects; they urged extensions to interim Act 250 exemptions and a pause on the road rule and Tier 3 until rulemaking and outreach are complete.

An Audubon Vermont representative told a committee the permitting report offers useful reforms for forestry processing but warned against automatically applying the report's recommended "Stony Brook" screening to all projects, urging front-end guidance and technical assistance instead.

Jennifer Byrne of the White River Natural Resources Conservation District told the committee that Vermont should examine public‑banking models in parallel with green banks, explaining how public banks can keep deposits local and create revolving credit to support long‑term conservation and agricultural investments.

Vermont conservation district leaders told lawmakers that NRCS staffing fell by nearly half this year, hobbling engineering, wetlands and watershed projects; districts have repurposed staff but estimate roughly $2 million in state funding will be needed in FY27 to restore essential planning and engineering capacity.

Vermont organizations face potential $2 million loss in AmeriCorps funding for youth services.

Council members debate revisions to language about partnerships in conservation efforts.

Local officials push for higher base funding to enhance Orleans County conservation projects.

Town discusses pilot payments and land valuation discrepancies during community meeting.

New legislation permits seamless land donations for forest management without land use tax penalties.