Lawmakers discuss bill to create Molly Beattie Distinguished Service Award for state parks ambassadors

Former Representative Peter Anthony and Representative Kate Logan outlined a bill April 29 before the Senate Natural Resources and Energy committee that would establish a Molly Beattie Distinguished Service Award to recognize current or former state employees or partners who "advance the conservation, accessibility, quality of recreational experience, or sustainability" of Vermont public lands and state parks.

The bill, sponsors said, is intended to honor employees and outside partners who serve as ambassadors for Vermont state parks. "I was struck by the incredibly important role that the ambassadors for the state parks ... play in, I think, underappreciated, tourism and visitor ambassadorship," Former Representative Peter Anthony said, describing his motivation after attending the centennial celebration for state parks.

Representative Kate Logan, who identified herself as representing the Chittenden-16 District and who sponsored the bill in the House, told the committee the measure grew from collaboration with the Agency of Natural Resources and the Department of Forests, Parks and Recreation. Logan said the bill passed the House unanimously and that the award is meant to recognize the service of Molly Beattie, noting Beattie’s state service and later federal role. "She served as the deputy secretary for ANR and later as the first female director of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service," Logan said, adding that Beattie oversaw a major reintroduction effort while at the federal agency.

Committee members and legislative counsel discussed wording. Michael Chernick, legislative counsel, read proposed language changes aloud and asked whether the committee preferred the award to be presented to "a current or former state employee or partner." Committee members agreed that phrasing would avoid confusion about who could be honored. Logan said the committee had intentionally left the term "partner" broad so it could cover either an organization or an individual, but members agreed clarifying that the recipient could be a current or former state employee or partner would reduce ambiguity.

Committee members also confirmed that the bill does not include a cash appropriation. "There's not any financial — it's just an honor," Peter Anthony said when asked whether the measure carried fiscal consequences.

Staff and sponsors said they would submit a short amendment to tweak the statutory language and bring the bill back for a markup later in the week. Committee staff also said they would post written testimony submitted by Commissioner Fisco about Molly Beattie on the committee website.

Discussion-only items recorded in the committee record included the bill’s purpose, stakeholder input from the Agency of Natural Resources and the Department of Forests, Parks and Recreation, and planned technical edits; no formal committee vote was taken during the April 29 hearing.

The committee scheduled follow-up action: legislative counsel will prepare an amendment to the bill language, sponsors will submit any additional written testimony, and the bill will be placed on a future markup schedule.