Julie Moore, ANR Secretary, Reviews Priorities: Climate, Water Quality, Infrastructure

Julie Moore, secretary of the Agency of Natural Resources, told the Natural Resources & Energy committee on Thursday that she has led the Agency of Natural Resources (ANR) for “just over 8 years” and that the agency’s most pressing work includes climate action, water quality, emerging contaminants and conservation.

Moore said infrastructure underpins those priorities, noting ANR “owns several billion dollars worth of stuff” including flood-control dams, state parks and access areas and that many drinking-water and wastewater systems are reaching the ends of their useful life. “I would say infrastructure may underpin a bunch of those and has a bunch of different facets,” she said.

The hearing began with a committee member asking Moore to explain why she described her job as the best in state government, and Moore attributed it to mission and staff. “We have this incredible mission of stewarding Vermont’s natural resources,” she said, and added that ANR’s “650 brilliant, passionate scientists and engineers” make the work rewarding.

In outlining priorities, Moore listed climate action and water quality first. “I would say that the key issues in front of us right now, are obviously climate action and and water quality continue to be 2 really big bodies of work that touch on virtually everything the agency does,” she said, and added that ANR is addressing emerging contaminants such as PFAS and PCBs and broader conservation goals including biodiversity, habitat connectivity and public access.

On customer service and permitting, Moore said staff should provide timely responses and be empowered to give a quick “no” when a project cannot meet statutory or regulatory standards. “A quick no is important if we don't see a path forward for a project,” she said, adding she tries to ensure staff know they will be supported when they make well‑justified denials and also that the agency aims to provide specific guidance on how projects could meet requirements.

Moore discussed funding for water infrastructure, describing a prior internal estimate of investment needs that she summarized in the hearing as “about, dollars 2,000,000,000” (transcript phrasing unclear). She said recent federal resources — the American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) funds and the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law — have greatly increased available funding in the past five years but warned those flows are time-limited. “We're about to tip-off the cliff,” she said, noting some federal programs are slated to end and that ANR is exploring financing strategies with the Vermont Bond Bank and nonprofit partners to sustain investment.

Moore described the interplay of federal and state resources, saying ANR uses the state revolving fund and that the agency recently set aside “14 and a half million dollars right now in our reserve account to allow us to have that match to pull down those remaining federal dollars.” She also noted targeted federal funding for specific needs, for example lead service line replacement, and said the agency is evaluating more flexible cash‑flow strategies for revolving funds.

On combined sewer systems and aging treatment plants, Moore said communities such as Rutland, Montpelier and Burlington have long-term control plans and that federal and state revolving funds are important financing tools. She described EPA Region 1 as a “force multiplier” in emergencies and said ANR’s relationship with EPA is largely collaborative even if at times the federal-state dynamic can be challenging.

Committee members asked about Moore’s leadership style and customer-service philosophy; Moore described a collegial approach that emphasizes name‑level familiarity, approachability and a leadership team that challenges ideas. When asked to grade herself, she said she would give herself “a B plus,” citing continued opportunities to improve ANR’s work and responsiveness.

The committee did not take a vote during the recorded portion of the hearing and deferred additional appointments until a later meeting because another senator had not yet arrived. The session closed with committee members thanking Moore for her remarks.

Ending: Moore said she remains focused on using scientific and engineering expertise at ANR to tackle long‑term work on water, climate and conservation while seeking new financing approaches for infrastructure needs.