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Clean Water Service Provider: two forest‑road projects approved; program targets $1 million annual disbursement
Summary
Commissioners heard that two of three forest-road projects were approved for funding through the Clean Water Service Provider program, which prioritizes voluntary phosphorus-removal work and has a regional target of about $1 million per year.
Commission staff reported on the Clean Water Service Provider program and recent approvals of forest-road projects intended to reduce phosphorus loading to Lake Champlain.
Adam and committee members said the commission approved two of three forest-road projects they reviewed and will bring the third back when additional information is available. The three projects together total roughly $80,000 in approved funding, and staff said the program aims to get roughly $1 million in projects funded each year.
Staff explained the program focuses on voluntary, nonpermitted activities: required agricultural practices and projects covered by three-acre stormwater permits are handled through permitting and therefore are not eligible for this voluntary funding. Dam removal can be an eligible activity if a phosphorus benefit can be documented, but the Clean Water Service Provider typically partners with FEMA and other funders on large dam removals because those projects address multiple objectives beyond phosphorus removal.
Commission staff asked members to help identify candidate sites and municipal partners to get more projects into the pipeline so allocated funds are fully used.
