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Bennington County and DEC outline 'Whisper' program to help towns add conservation work to SRF projects
Summary
Regional and state staff presented the Water Infrastructure Sponsorship Program ("Whisper"), which can attach eligible natural-resource restoration work—up to 10% of a Clean Water SRF project cost—to a town's SRF-funded treatment project at no additional net cost to the sponsoring municipality.
Dara Zane of the Bennington County Regional Commission brought Department of Environmental Conservation staff to the Pownall select board to explain the Water Infrastructure Sponsorship Program, commonly called "Whisper," and how it could help the town pair its infrastructure loans with natural-resource restoration projects.
The program "is meant to be able to pair water treatment facility projects that are funded through the Clean Water State Revolving Fund with eligible natural resource restoration and protection projects for water quality at no additional cost to the sponsoring town," Angie Allen, watershed planner for DEC, told the board. She said Whisper can support natural-resource projects such as land conservation, wetland restoration, floodplain and stream restoration, lakeshore erosion repairs, woody buffer plantings and dam removals at up to 10% of an SRF project's original construction cost.
Why it matters: towns that borrow through the Clean Water SRF for treatment-plant or transfer-station improvements can potentially add restoration work—improving water quality and habitat—without increasing net costs to taxpayers because the added principal is offset by a reduced administrative rate over the life of the loan.
DEC staff and BCRC representatives highlighted several local candidates that might qualify. Angie Allen identified the Barber Pond boat-launch shoreline stabilization and a vegetated settling area as a Whisper-eligible lakeshore project; the board already has about 30% design work for that site and the implementation estimate discussed by DEC staff was roughly $29,000. DEC staff also discussed dam‑removal candidates in the region and a possible floodplain-restoration or land‑conservation project at the Green Mountain Racetrack site. Dara Zane said she continues to track funding opportunities for the Snake Hill project and encouraged the town to "marinate" on which project to prioritize.
Board members asked about ownership and implementation logistics; DEC staff said Whisper projects can be implemented by partner organizations (conservation districts, nonprofits or a town planning commission) to limit local administrative burden. The presenters offered to circulate the stormwater master-plan files and to provide additional materials to the board.
Next steps: Board members were asked to consider candidate projects and to contact DEC or BCRC staff if they want Whisper funding pursued when the town reaches the SRF implementation phase. DEC staff invited board members to the BCRC meeting in July for a deeper review of basin projects.
