Citizen Access Strengthened on Various Fronts

Preserving and improving citizen access to environmental decision-making was a bright spot this year. Early in the year, the legislature gave final approval, and Gov. Shumlin signed, a bill giving citizens more of a say in how the state enforces its environmental laws.

VNRC Endorses the 2012 Genuine Progress Indicator Bill

VNRC endorses “An act relating to the genuine progress indicator” (H.541/S.237) which proposes to develop and adopt an alternative way to measure economic progress and well- being. The genuine progress indicator (GPI) incorporates the diverse factors – social, economic, and environmental – that contribute to people’s overall well-being and quality of life. Adopting a GPI for the state of Vermont will create a decision-making framework that measures not only economic well- being, but also healthy ecosystems and healthy communities.

The Vermont Working Landscapes Partnership

The Vermont Council on Rural Development brought together a diverse group of stakeholders, including VNRC, around shared goals of supporting local agriculture and forestry, growing and attracting farm and forest entrepreneurs, and conserving Vermont’s working landscape far into the future. The bipartisan initiative was officially launched at a January 11, 2012 press event where they announced legislation aimed at achieving those goals.

I Believe: 'Place matters, but it also perplexes'

This essay was written by VNRC's sustainable communities program director, Kate McCarthy and was published in the Green Mountain section of the Burlington Free Press on December 4, 2011.
Caring deeply about where we live means the stakes are high — and highly personal — as we make choices about how to use our land, develop our economies and interact with our environment.

Kate McCarthy to Join VNRC

Most recently, Kate worked as a Regional Planner for the Windham Regional Commission in Brattleboro, where she provided technical assistance on a variety of community planning issues to member towns. She also coordinated the commission’s energy programs and helped manage their Brownfields redevelopment program.

VNRC, Smart Growth Vermont Announce Merger

VNRC and Smart Growth Vermont recently announced a strategic merger to more efficiently and effectively promote land use and community development policies that best serve the state’s ecological, economic and social needs.

“The merger is a logical integration of two organizations that have been working side-by-side for years

VNRC and Fish & Wildlife Issue Report - A Decade of Progress: Wildlife Considerations in Local Planning

Vermonters overwhelmingly want to conserve wildlife habitat such as deeryards, trout streams, and bear habitat. Cities and towns have made noticeable strides in improving attention to wildlife habitat and natural resource conservation, and nearly every municipality recognizes wildlife habitat as an important local resource, according to a recent report issued by the Vermont Fish and Wildlife Department and the Vermont Natural Resources Council.

The report, Wildlife Considerations in Local Planning – An Evaluation of a Decade of Progress in Vermont, was based on a detailed assessment of all municipal plans and related zoning bylaws and subdivision regulations adopted by Vermont communities.

Stop the Circ Highway!

Remember the “Circ?” Well, that high-cost highway project in Chittenden County (which Bill McKibben calls a “global warming machine”) is back in the limelight at a critical stage of review. The Vermont Agency of Transportation (VTrans) needs to hear from as many Vermonters as possible by August 27 on the project. Our view? It’s a bad idea. It would destroy wetlands, waste money, and promote sprawl – all to save 4 minutes of travel time for the average commuter.

Vermont Senate Approves Changes to Growth Centers Program

Despite the recent success with the Hartford Growth Center, there are several problems with the growth centers program that need fixing.

State Gets it Right in Designating Hartford Growth Center

The Expanded Downtown Board – the entity responsible for administering Vermont’s Growth Centers Program – has struggled with how to apply the standards that communities must meet to achieve growth center designation.