[{"_1":2,"_124":-5,"_125":-5},"loaderData",{"_3":4,"_26":27},"root",{"_5":6,"_17":10,"_18":19,"_20":21,"_22":10,"_23":-5,"_24":-5,"_25":10},"user",{"_7":8,"_9":10,"_11":10,"_12":-5,"_13":-5,"_14":15,"_16":-5},"roles",[],"isAuthenticated",false,"isPremium","planName","subscriptionStatus","featureFlags",{},"insightsBudget","isDevelopmentHost","userPreferences",{},"recaptchaSiteKey","6LcvOJcUAAAAAHsB-gPGfGktcRlKpH7OTIU_dMTD","isImpersonating","impersonation","affiliateStatus","isFreedomPortal","routes/v2/article/layout",{"_28":29,"_30":31},"notFound",true,"relatedArticles",[32,76,88,100,112],{"_33":34,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":40,"_41":42,"_43":44,"_45":46,"_47":48,"_49":50,"_51":52,"_53":54,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":60,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":66,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":74,"_75":74},"mediaId",6387843,"mediaKeyId","2115732-bebb39da2d6272785d85253a3e8e12af","parentId",2115732,"title","Forest and parks commissioners outline recreation economy, forest health and wildfire readiness","audioSeconds",244,"startMs",3451000,"endMs",3695000,"viewUrl","/Search/View?dp=1&key=2115732-bebb39da2d6272785d85253a3e8e12af&start=3451&end=3695","thumbnailUrl","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2115732-bebb39da2d6272785d85253a3e8e12af/thumbnail_3451000.jpg","articleUrl","/articles/6387843/Vermont/Forest-and-parks-commissioners-outline-recreation-economy-forest-health-and-wildfire-readiness","mediaUrl","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6387843-6210db015d29d5e0c3d67a8bd2dd356e/orig.mp4?Expires=1775601783&Signature=jaNZtjj1OgM2Bg3MpARPPiqgbHaU8~QR3qoI~ZYge3TL4I5wvZzulGb31AVD0OadeNH08j4ak6WD1Rtdjb835muHaqpmv7Gk5wAw745w53ah7Dh0o6e012~XTu69oByZFogK8DRQvi~Lmu4Be419hLOHFEHj4wMkbkhpgeL89dJfvrR~12rZ3CQqf-8RNv0EHNhs0lt91DJDI-90m2ptXYVD8MNPdT~qxOAZKhmQKfVeVktPi5-LP67Rw-M-Ep4rUqi8B7lwV2HsSqyAoKS1uC6TKYnsvzLyItLsA~usSYmIyrwRiKxzkP0FAzyovwCmauID5t1BS4S0Ws9~0YfuUA__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","author","Vermont House Energy and Digital Infrastructure","date","2025-01-15T15:32:14Z","article","Danielle Fitsko, commissioner of Forests, Parks and Recreation, told the committee that Vermont is about 76% forested and that the state’s forests are growing biomass at roughly a 3-to-1 ratio compared with removals and mortality.

Fitsko said the agency manages or supports forest health programs, private-landowner assistance, urban and community forestry, and grant programs that support outdoor recreation. She said Vermont State Parks welcomed more than 1,000,000 visitors last year and that parks contributed an estimated $100,000,000 in economic activity.

On wildfire preparedness, Fitsko said the department has increased wildland-fire capacity and now maintains three full‑time wildland fire staff, in addition to training local fire departments and participating in a regional mutual‑aid compact with New England states and Quebec. She said staff monitors fire danger during the active season and that the department helped municipal responders on nine fires in the prior year; the agency issued a temporary statewide ban on open-burning permits during an elevated-risk period.

Fitsko asked the committee to consider follow-up briefings with technical staff, and members signaled interest in receiving more detailed presentations about forest management, recreation grants managed through VOREC (the Vermont Outdoor Recreation Economic Collaborative) and wildfire response planning.

Committee members thanked the commissioner and asked for additional materials and potential future testimony on forest inventories and planning.","mediaType","Video","parentTitle","House Energy and Digital Infrastructure- 2025-01-15- 10:30am","oneSentenceSummary","The Department of Forests, Parks and Recreation described the state’s forest coverage, economic impact of recreation, forest-management metrics and recent steps to expand wildland-fire capacity and training.","taxTitle","Environment & Energy, HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES, Committees, Legislative , Vermont","taxId",30749,"location","Vermont","headline","","shortSummary",{"_33":77,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":78,"_41":79,"_43":80,"_45":81,"_47":82,"_49":83,"_51":84,"_53":85,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":86,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":87,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":74,"_75":74},6387847,"ANR describes dam-safety work and FERC-linked hydroelectric permitting under flood-resilience law",2765,496000,3261000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=2115732-bebb39da2d6272785d85253a3e8e12af&start=496&end=3261","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2115732-bebb39da2d6272785d85253a3e8e12af/thumbnail_496000.jpg","/articles/6387847/Vermont/ANR-describes-dam-safety-work-and-FERC-linked-hydroelectric-permitting-under-flood-resilience-law","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6387847-e334dbc311a05a7e481a398adbd2d809/orig.mp4?Expires=1775601783&Signature=QX7N1v1WRA~ginNZsM8ko13Jr5eBaVaOmtFRsj74tmSONb4hfVY3Js~GcvCIjHMyWH6obGnufH6Drx~0xfcHdSEB4NnuRWlij5OXpes3YSxpsRxXVnEeKMOsihzrtd-oH~5nAgJs5bWrDsPk~9k4xpR5HJPaRJieliyktA3ZjTIam~K3pxasWxXekIqgky2RTssnXJkB6ZFJN3bTtAJBNEEzdO4uVJg7O~dQx5Hy9S~hQGdO1UKskOR8XnE77bMBRvUKCnxfkaC2~XjCvKJ0qEGIhP9TD0Xk2fBXl-RHU9VyK6OPxSBvQic0PGwg8PNMDc0rurvaDcYalxcX6--EGQ__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","Jason Batchelder, commissioner of the Department of Environmental Conservation, and Julie Moore described state efforts on dam safety and flood resilience that follow last year’s Flood Resilience Act.

Batchelder said DEC’s work includes dam-safety oversight and coordination on dams that generate hydropower; Moore added that federal licensing through FERC complicates relicensing and modernization of many older hydroelectric facilities. Moore said those facilities often were constructed before current environmental expectations and that relicensing can require significant environmental improvements.

The officials told the committee that the administration added staff in response to the Flood Resilience Act but that funding did not cover every authorized position. Batchelder said the department had funding to fill 11 of 15 positions in the act and that several roles were either recently filled or under recruitment. The administration set a hiring goal into 2027 for remaining positions.

Committee members asked about coordination with utilities such as Green Mountain Power on dam work; Batchelder and Moore described joint teams that work on safety, flow and habitat protections. They also noted that relicensing timelines for some projects can span decades and that environmental standards and expectations have changed since older permits were issued.

No formal votes were taken. Committee members asked for follow-up materials on hires, program timelines and FERC-related permitting processes.","Committee heard that dam safety, river-corridor regulation and hydroelectric relicensing are active areas under the Flood Resilience Act; ANR said hires continue and coordination with utilities and federal FERC processes is required.",{"_33":89,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":90,"_41":91,"_43":92,"_45":93,"_47":94,"_49":95,"_51":96,"_53":97,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":98,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":99,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":74,"_75":74},6387850,"ANR officials outline regulatory roles as lawmakers press on net metering and economic transition",192,813000,1005000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=2115732-bebb39da2d6272785d85253a3e8e12af&start=813&end=1005","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2115732-bebb39da2d6272785d85253a3e8e12af/thumbnail_813000.jpg","/articles/6387850/Vermont/ANR-officials-outline-regulatory-roles-as-lawmakers-press-on-net-metering-and-economic-transition","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6387850-a78f939385342bf54467d4005efe2049/orig.mp4?Expires=1775601783&Signature=RSW6qsYDf0qvXZdjR460sprTERG6cYP8WahEh8uhdtJT20UEpaTOo26izwUbwuTYQZA3qpIaIN~i-68YbOZ-TK~eHRdKF71s6Jf3lJgwEYuzLksqM8L3XKV0HJv6F6QPFRozivYoRnRPeSiPIlb4MPigDIbKScxYYAFuB-byUOaRPhXrpJqUW0fYQIGQq6kXqua2JQAaPNJSsXhOTeQMpHBO02NOjJXZPr9Fm5t9Hd-bhvy3zWC5n~DbQ3VosvcNAHphBM-Mfb0yUFn-RqOuudLRfE8HPwDGaVj5NNBkgpK0hSaNktU9SOm23Q7nM0D5TFQgPGVINP83sP-PuEVGYw__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","Billy Koster, ANR director of planning and policy, told the committee that the agency participates as a statutory party in both Act 250 land-use reviews and the Public Utility Commission’s Section 248 proceedings that oversee larger energy generation and transmission projects.

Koster described the PUC as a “quasi-judicial tribunal” that issues certificates of public good under Section 248 after contested cases and said Act 250 applies a different standard: projects reviewed under Act 250 are judged against a “no undue adverse impact” standard that does not weigh offsetting public benefits in the same way the PUC may consider benefits and impacts.

Representative Chris Morrow and other members asked whether state policy encourages distributed solar and how changes at the PUC—specifically reductions in net-metering compensation—fit with state goals. ANR staff said the updated renewable energy standard sets clear goals for more in‑state renewable generation but suggested the public-service department is the primary agency to testify on net-metering policy. ANR staff described net metering historically as a subsidy to jump-start distributed generation and noted the argument that utility-scale renewables may deliver lower-cost renewable power as the industry matures.

Lawmakers also pressed ANR officials about who is tracking economic transitions driven by climate policy—such as closures or consolidation among fuel dealers and gas stations and potential impacts in rural areas. Moore and deputy secretary Charles Martin said ANR has relevant datasets (for example, permitted underground storage tanks tracked by the waste‑management division and refined fuel-delivery reporting that comes through tax forms) but that those data were not originally collected specifically to analyze economic transition. They suggested a shared effort—including tax and commerce departments—would best assess macroeconomic shifts.

Committee members flagged the question as a continuing priority and asked ANR to follow up on cross-agency data uses and potential studies of sectoral impacts in rural communities.","Agency staff explained how Act 250 and PUC Section 248 differ, described state goals for in‑state renewable generation, and acknowledged tension between net‑metering changes and renewable deployment goals; lawmakers asked about economic impacts of the energy transition on fuel infrastructure and businesses.",{"_33":101,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":102,"_41":103,"_43":104,"_45":105,"_47":106,"_49":107,"_51":108,"_53":109,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":110,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":111,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":74,"_75":74},6387856,"ANR raises need for agency-wide asset and licensing IT systems",1335,616000,1951000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=2115732-bebb39da2d6272785d85253a3e8e12af&start=616&end=1951","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2115732-bebb39da2d6272785d85253a3e8e12af/thumbnail_616000.jpg","/articles/6387856/Vermont/ANR-raises-need-for-agency-wide-asset-and-licensing-IT-systems","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6387856-9b7e7f3847c25fe3f5e3c180285404e0/orig.mp4?Expires=1775601783&Signature=R~hF~XuMzSl9w7z9Mx4C4JTPghCelQQIbGp3Tlu1kkDn3K-rsD9UoWTJzDwyW6uInmfTFAfsSY86gMILcX6UrZwPT2uly7-pmyWhQg5eFYHEXbMvAOS~64tpDvYEUMCaDT02xPcUdy3yrOJMRKhyv21TFoKj6M7ao3BVVhEqPn9h43vH8NepuLUcWffnopfXbm1NKc1N1LsSIcw6LyVLmCQavJ3T1WjMOojYEzXEG19jIqBjd6FFprn2pq5iNiMXl5CB9Kgp2m9mElXzDOgUQ-2s8FtxoQO5sQFyj~g4oZBD9Tuge5TnmdVTzT3~ELnpscIlPXzngi-G74xHeJDa4g__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","Julie Moore, secretary of the Agency of Natural Resources, told the committee that ANR manages a large portfolio of infrastructure and needs a consolidated asset-management system.

Moore said ANR owns “upwards of $2,000,000,000 worth of infrastructure” across state parks, fishing access areas, hatcheries and major dams and that much of that information is currently tracked within individual program silos. She said ANR has been studying whether to link to the Agency of Transportation’s existing asset-management platform or to build a department-level system and that the agency has proposed funding for scoping in its budget request.

Commissioners representing Fish and Wildlife, Forests, Parks and Recreation and the Department of Environmental Conservation described other near-term IT needs. Andrea Shortleaf, interim commissioner of the Department of Fish and Wildlife, said the agency anticipates replacing its license‑sales point‑of‑sale system within three years; she told the committee the current infrastructure is “out of date” and limits the types of licenses the department can offer.

Jason Batchelder, commissioner of the Department of Environmental Conservation, identified an internal administration and innovation division that handles records and some IT support; he noted the department has dedicated staff (Kim McKee) who manage systems and hiring and that IT capacity is an ongoing administrative challenge.

Committee members requested follow-up testimony focused on state IT systems, interoperability and staffing. Several members said they plan extended hearings to examine whether state agency systems are siloed, how systems communicate across departments and how to prioritize upgrades.

Committee chair and members also discussed vacancies and hiring in ANR divisions: Batchelder said DEC’s recent vacancy rate hovered around 11% at his most recent check and that hiring and resignations are an ongoing administrative reality. Several committee members asked staff to prepare subject-matter experts for detailed testimony on IT integration next week.","ANR officials told the committee the agency needs a comprehensive asset-management system to track parks, dams and other infrastructure and that several ANR divisions will need modern licensing and point-of-sale systems.",{"_33":113,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":114,"_41":115,"_43":116,"_45":117,"_47":118,"_49":119,"_51":120,"_53":121,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":122,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":123,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":74,"_75":74},6387861,"State natural-resources agency outlines surge in federal funds, climate and water priorities",566,97000,663000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=2115732-bebb39da2d6272785d85253a3e8e12af&start=97&end=663","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2115732-bebb39da2d6272785d85253a3e8e12af/thumbnail_97000.jpg","/articles/6387861/Vermont/State-natural-resources-agency-outlines-surge-in-federal-funds-climate-and-water-priorities","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6387861-19b119e61341d490a16e2cac162e7b9c/orig.mp4?Expires=1775601783&Signature=PFvRp4xghN~nOHfXRT7pD11QoPJSYX53EUOW-qpNGPufk1DsI06IG73j3r~p6EEC1n-~JUXjJqYkx5P-nEXiVAWVpn8emVYIB9Ux4XfJKYpPRcAvNjiLaiNTWy6DrvpTPSA2vQbJPFk9do0FxLHOCVY6LFu6dETgQEpN35EpROSbSudNC8Uhesww5x-AYSEvQln54V9YUXZbBymLcw0dG5EjO0pPJWvlCoi7bjEMZs32kEChlEeHCjhVYiL6Hyrfprslt6ODUf-CsAJ-1N2IJeCkm01LlOJErcgbPMjuvXNfvHj9gc5piUg19jmvsvKqJVxAJhOKaUSlr4r7-TbqXA__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","Julie Moore, secretary of the Agency of Natural Resources, told the House Energy and Digital Infrastructure Committee on Jan. 15 that ANR’s budget and program priorities have shifted sharply because of large federal grants and recently enacted federal laws.

Moore said ANR’s full-time staff is about 650 and that the agency’s FY26 budget is expected to be “north of $330,000,000,” up from roughly $125,000,000 in FY18. She said much of the growth reflects federal sources, including nearly $200 million from the American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA), roughly $450 million from the bipartisan infrastructure law and new amounts from the Inflation Reduction Act.

The agency’s federal funding, Moore said, has allowed large-scale investment in drinking- and wastewater projects, replacement of failed private wells and septic systems, combined-sewer-overflow remediation and lead-service-line replacement. The secretary added that ANR has received a climate pollution reduction grant and IRA funding for conservation work administered by the Department of Forests, Parks and Recreation.

The nuts and bolts: Moore said many water infrastructure allocations are structured as revolving loan funds and will return to ANR for reinvestment over time. She also warned that the federal funding spike is likely temporary and that the agency’s historic funding mix—roughly one-third federal, one-third general, one-third special funds—has shifted heavily toward federal dollars.

Moore highlighted several ongoing, statutory and programmatic priorities ANR will press this session: developing a resilience implementation strategy tied to the revised climate action plan due July 1; implementing the state’s environmental-justice law and expanding public engagement; work under the Flood Resilience Act on dam safety, river-corridor development rules and wetlands protections; and ongoing efforts to address emerging contaminants, especially PFAS and PCBs.

On conservation, Moore said ANR submitted a plan under Act 59 that inventories conserved lands and that the state has achieved about 26–27% permanent protection to date. The plan, she said, lays groundwork to pursue permanent protection of 30% of the state’s lands and to consider tools to reach up to 50% by 2050.

In response to committee questions, Moore and deputy secretary Charles Martin said ANR will deliver a joint report with the treasurer later that day on the climate super fund act and recommendations for next steps. Moore also described an annual clean-water performance report documenting roughly $600,000,000 invested over the past eight years through the Clean Water Fund.

The session closed with Moore asking the committee to allow follow-up testimony on specific programs; she emphasized the challenge of deploying large, time-limited federal grants efficiently and the administrative effort required to convert available funding into on-the-ground projects.

Moore said the agency plans to deliver the resilience implementation strategy and expects continued committee engagement as the administration refines proposals and program details.","Agency of Natural Resources officials briefed the House Energy and Digital Infrastructure Committee on a large increase in federal funding, priorities for climate resilience and water projects, and ongoing programs including PFAS monitoring, the clean water fund and Act 59 conservation goals.","actionData","errors"]

Article not found

Forest and parks commissioners outline recreation economy, forest health and wildfire readiness

ANR describes dam-safety work and FERC-linked hydroelectric permitting under flood-resilience law

ANR officials outline regulatory roles as lawmakers press on net metering and economic transition

ANR raises need for agency-wide asset and licensing IT systems

State natural-resources agency outlines surge in federal funds, climate and water priorities