Agency of Agriculture reviews decade of water-quality work, funding and enforcement since Act 64

Laura DiPietro, Agency of Agriculture Water Quality Division, summarized a decade of activity since Act 64 (the Vermont Clean Water Act of 2015) and described the agency's mix of education, technical assistance, financial grants and regulation to reduce agricultural nutrient runoff.

DiPietro told the committee that the agency has increased grant-making and federal partnerships and now tracks detailed project and funding data in a Power BI dashboard intended for public use. "We educate, we help implement projects, we provide financial assistance, and we regulate," she said, summarizing the division's roles.

The presentation outlined funding sources and trends. DiPietro said the agency has pursued federal grants and other funding in addition to the state Clean Water Fund, and cited a cumulative funding figure she described as about $18,400,000 for programs directed to farmers (figure given in the presentation). She identified specific federal sources including USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) grants and funds tied to the federal Farm Bill and noted that American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) and capital funding affected year-to-year totals.

DiPietro described the agency's emphasis on…