A Two-Pronged Assault on Vermont's Environment: Take Action!

UPDATED: March 3, 2009

There are efforts afoot by the Douglas administration and some members of the Legislature to roll back laws that have kept Vermont’s environment healthy and our economy strong. 

The assault is coming in two forms:
1)    Under the auspices of Governor Douglas’ so-called ‘Permit Reform.’
2)    Under the umbrella of supposedly readying Vermont to accept the millions coming our way from the federal ‘economic stimulus’ package.

VNRC and others contend that, in both cases, weakening our environmental laws is unnecessary and could damage our landscapes and communities. Quickly, however, these issues are being rolled together. And they are culminating into one big attack on Vermont’s environment.

Here’s a little more context, some facts on these two fronts and tips for how you can help:

ENVIRONMENTAL ASSAULT UNDER THE GUISE OF “PERMIT REFORM:”
By calling Act 250 and other environmental permitting a hindrance to economic development — when leading economists and the state’s own facts say otherwise — the Governor is urging the Legislature to weaken the state’s best tools to protect the environment.

The Governor has asserted that “we have a culture of ‘no’ in permitting to a great extent.” (VPR, Jan. 2009). According to the state’s Natural Resources Board, however, District Environmental Commissions approved 99.1 percent of development applications in 2007. A culture of no?

Simultaneously, VNRC and others contend that environmental laws like Act 250 have helped insulate Vermont from the more drastic economic woes befalling other states. Some, including Vermont bankers, have noted that Act 250 has helped buffer Vermont from the sharp peaks and valleys of economic cycles by curbing the excesses of poorly planned, under-capitalized projects during economic booms and avoiding the subsequent sharp declines during busts.

ENVIRONMENTAL ASSAULT UNDER THE GUISE OF “ECONOMIC STIMULUS:”
The Governor and some legislators contend that Vermont must ‘streamline’ its permitting processes to accept federal ‘economic stimulus’ dollars. The truth is Vermont is ready, right now, with important environmental safeguards in place, to accept every dollar coming our way for the millions of much-needed investment in the state’s roads, bridges and other infrastructure.

Vermont must NOT roll back environmental laws to spend stimulus money because:

It’s not necessary. It is anticipated that the dollar value of projects on tap exceeds by millions the amount of money we will get in the stimulus package.

It could hold up projects. Rolling back environmental protections could jeopardize federal funding because money can’t be spent if basic environmental review is undercut.  Further, many of these regulations are federally mandated, and the federal government has made it clear that the stimulus should not result in any reduction in environmental protections.

It’s shortsighted. Vermont appears to be the only state in New England considering rolling back environmental laws in the name of stimulus. New Hampshire, in contrast, is taking a proactive approach. Our neighboring state has reached out to would-be developers (including setting up a special web page for stimulus permitting) to assure the projects are ready, but not at the expense of environmental safeguards.

It would hurt Vermont’s economy as well as the environment. Lake Champlain alone represents a half-billion dollar economic engine for Vermont. Stripping away environmental protections that safeguard our trademark waters, green mountains, working landscapes and tight-knit communities would not only create more pollution but undermine the very resources that draw people and dollars here.

HERE’S HOW YOU CAN HELP STOP THE ASSAULT!
1)    Contact your senator. (The bills are currently in the Senate)
2)    Spread the word with a letter to the editor.

Contact Your Senator:   
Ask he or she not to undermine Vermont’s environment - the engine of our economy - for no reason. Tell them to keep Vermont’s important environmental safeguards strong and intact.
1.    Write a note. The most powerful message you can send comes in the form of a hand-written note! Send a short note to:
Honorable Senator ____________
Vermont Statehouse
115 State Street
Montpelier, VT  05633
2.    Call. Leave a message with your Senator at 802-828-2228 and leave your name, where you’re from and your number with a short, concise message, like “don’t roll back environmental laws. It’s not necessary and endangers Vermont’s economy and environment.”
3.    Send an email. Write a quick email to your lawmaker. Let them know you are concerned.

[Find your legislator and their contact info here.

Write a Letter to the Editor:
Issues of this magnitude need all hands on deck. Help spread the word and let other Vermonters know this assault is happening – and that they can do something about it.

Find out much more about this issue and information about writing letters to the editor here. Visit the ‘Permitting Truth’ link on our site for the facts and more context. And click on the ‘Take Action’ link to get to our ‘Activist Toolkit.’

For more information, questions or to learn how else you can help, contact Brian Shupe or Johanna Miller at VNRC at 802-223-2328.