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Committee plans push on universal school meals, revives timber-trespass effort
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Summary
Members of the Agriculture, Food Resiliency & Forestry Committee discussed advancing universal school meals, reviving a timber-trespass bill, and coordinating on farm watershed issues and PFAS guidance while arranging speakers for upcoming meetings.
Members of the Agriculture, Food Resiliency & Forestry Committee spent a planning meeting discussing next steps on universal school meals, reviving a timber-trespass bill from the prior session, and coordinating outreach on watershed and PFAS issues.
Committee members said they will invite Representative Kimball to a future meeting to discuss universal school meals and asked Representative Black, who chairs the House Health Care Committee, to preside over the upcoming session because of the health-department connection. A committee member said staff will prepare communications for the education committee and gather additional data and testimony ahead of those conversations.
The committee revisited timber-trespass legislation that members said had unanimous support in the prior session. A committee member who attended a Vermont Forest Products Association meeting reported urging VFPA leadership to propose policy ideas to guide the attorney general’s office, saying the status quo is “not acceptable” for landowners who have experienced timber trespass. The committee recorded a request to continue work on that bill in a future agenda.
Senator Pat Brennan and other legislators attended a Farmers Watershed Alliance event that committee members described as covering erosion control and phosphorus-reduction practices used by farmers in Grand Isle, Franklin and Orleans counties. Committee members said those topics mirror testimony earlier provided to the committee and suggested continuing coordination with the Agency of Natural Resources and the Agency of Agriculture.
Several members described local outreach efforts: one member said they plan a community “vegetable celebration” potluck during National Nutrition Month to promote healthy eating and local produce; another said they have been meeting with school principals to track concerns about school funding and the governor’s plan for education. The committee also noted a planned short-form filing date of Feb. 15 for an unspecified item discussed by staff.
Committee members asked whether PFAS guidance related to agriculture is coming from state agencies and noted EBS staff member Lori and Dr. Levine would be available at the upcoming meeting for technical questions. The committee set a goal of giving members time to meet informally and to reconvene downstairs for the next session with Representative Black presiding.
No formal motions or votes were recorded in the transcript provided.
