Committee signals support for creating Molly Beattie Distinguished Service Award in straw poll

The Agriculture, Food Resiliency, & Forestry committee signaled support for a bill to create the Molly Beattie Distinguished Service Award, with a straw poll by show of hands resulting in a 7-0-1 tally; committee members did not take a formal vote at the meeting.

Committee Commissioner Daniel Fitsko, Commissioner of Forest, Parks and Recreation, introduced the item and said the award “potentially would be administered by the Department of Forest, Parks, and Recreation.” He told the committee, “I wanted to be here to just share my enthusiasm about the opportunity to lift up an award like this.”

The measure would name an award for Molly Beattie, a conservation and natural‑resources leader whom presenters said was notable for public service and leadership. Peter Anthony, a former state representative who described himself as a champion behind the bill’s development, said the bill grew out of commemoration events and public testimony at the department’s centennial celebration: “What triggered my passion about the bill and the legacy was the celebration in the Cedar Creek Room about a year and a half ago for the hundredth anniversary of Forest Parks and Recreation.”

Anthony and other committee members noted existing recognitions tied to Beattie’s name. According to comments in the meeting, there is a scholarship in her name at one of the state universities and a Vermont Historical Society prize awarded to high‑school students for environmental projects. Committee members also referenced a wilderness area in Alaska and other memorial namings attributed to Beattie’s legacy. Representative Boston noted publicly available records that indicate people with the Beatty family name remain in the Newfane area.

Committee members discussed notifying family and local contacts. A committee member said they would ask Emily Long, who lives in Newfane, to contact family members so they are aware of the bill and may attend if a vote is scheduled. The committee chair said members preferred not to take a formal vote at that meeting but conducted a straw poll by show of hands; the chair said, “I think we can just do a straw poll and make sure it's, those in favor just wanna show by show of hands here. Okay, good.” Later the chair said, “It'll be a 7 0 1 vote,” and reiterated that a formal committee vote was not on that day’s agenda.

Committee members placed the measure on the committee’s follow‑up list for further action in this session and discussed scheduling. The chair noted additional items on the morning agenda, including legislative counsel Michael Grady at 11 a.m. to discuss a miscellaneous agriculture bill and a separate draft at 11:30 a.m. related to abatement timing tied to concerns raised by Jill Remick.

Because the committee did not take a formal recorded vote at the meeting, the straw poll reflects member sentiment but is not a binding committee action. The bill’s next steps and any formal vote were left to subsequent meetings and scheduling decisions.