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Lake Champlain partners propose unified stormwater technical‑assistance program for private properties
Summary
Presenters proposed a basinwide Stormwater Site Assessment Program to coordinate non‑regulatory technical assistance for private property owners, with goals to educate landowners, boost partner capacity and offer 1–3 year grants up to $40,000; staff urged focusing on residential properties to avoid confusion with MS4 outreach.
Jill Sarazen, Green Infrastructure Collaborative Coordinator, and Lauren Jenness Kneen of the Lake Champlain Basin Program presented a proposal Sept. 3 to unify stormwater technical assistance for private properties across the Lake Champlain Basin.
The presenters said the initiative aims to educate and engage landowners, increase practitioners’ skills and expand program capacity and funding across Vermont and New York partners. One proposed outcome is a standard program name and protocol — presented as the potential “Stormwater Site Assessment Program” (SSAP) — to make assistance more consistent for private property owners.
The proposal includes a grant structure to fund entities that would perform non‑regulatory site assessments on private properties. Meeting minutes record planners are considering 1–3 year grants of up to $40,000 to support assessments and local technical assistance. Sarazen and Jenness Kneen framed the funding as intended to strengthen local partners’ ability to deliver assessments rather than to impose regulatory requirements.
CCRPC board representative Bruce Wilson said he supports the project’s branding and marketing work and asked to be added to outreach lists. Dan Albrecht, CCRPC staff, said he hopes the project remains focused on residential properties because municipal MS4 outreach (through programs such as Rethink Runoff and Stream Team) already covers general stormwater awareness and some best management practices. Albrecht cautioned that mixed messaging could confuse landowners and that careful coordination with existing MS4 efforts will be important.
The minutes record program timing items: an initial quarterly SSAP meeting is scheduled for Oct. 2 via Teams and the presenters stated an intent to release the program in October 2026. The minutes contain a time string that appears to be a transcription error; the meeting record does not provide a definitive funding source or additional implementation dates.
Next steps recorded in the minutes: staff will share SSAP information by listserv if provided; project partners plan further planning meetings and will continue developing grant details and branding.
