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Rep. Molly Burke urges $20 million for farm and forestry disaster fund in H.229
Summary
Representative Molly Burke asked the House Appropriations Committee to fund $20 million for a new Farm and Forestry Operations Security Special Fund (bill H.229) to reimburse up to 50% of uninsured weather losses, with expedited application review.
Representative Molly Burke of Brattleboro asked the House Appropriations Committee on Feb. 19 for $20 million to start a Farm and Forestry Operations Security Special Fund tied to bill H.229. The fund would provide financial assistance to farms and forestry operations that experienced uninsured losses from eligible weather events, Burke said.
Burke said the proposal would reimburse up to 50% of uninsured or uncovered losses with a maximum award of $150,000 per applicant and that the application review process would be rapid: an internal review within one week and awards issued within two weeks if approved. She said farming organizations including the Vermont Farm Bureau, the Center for an Agricultural Economy, and NOFA backed the idea following the 2023–24 floods.
Burke framed the fund as part of climate adaptation for Vermont agriculture: “we all know that we need just to help start adapting to the climate crisis and ensuring our farms can continue producing,” she said. She asked the committee to consider the $20 million as a start and described a formula for subsequent years tying annual appropriations to a three‑year rolling average of documented losses.
The committee did not take action during the hearing; Burke submitted the request as testimony to be considered during budget deliberations.
