Please share with your landowners that May 14, 2021, is the deadline to apply for CAP 106 Forest Management Plans (FMPs) through NRCS in Vermont. This will be the ONLY sign-up prior to the UVA (Use Value Appraisal) April 1 deadline for plan updates in 2022. Please note that NRCS will not issue early start waivers for forest management plans. There are
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MORE INFORMATION ON UNEMPLOYMENT INSURANCE S.10 We are attaching a graph courtesy of the Lake Champlain Chamber of Commerce as well as a letter from Associated Industries of Vermont that sets out more data regarding the proposed 20% increase in Unemployment Insurance benefits in S.10. If you have employees and are paying UI benefits, please
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CROSSOVER UPDATES FOR COMMITTEES Friday, March 12, is the deadline for bills containing no budget issues (that is, no tax, fees or charges that would affect the budget) to be voted on the floor and moved to the other body. Here is a review of what has gotten out of the Agriculture Committees: Voted out
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Elisabeth McLane, who goes by “Tii,” operates a small consulting business out of Strafford, VT. Tii provides consulting forestry services, as well as contract work in wildlife habitat, botany, and natural community mapping. Tii first became interested in forestry when in high school, and after graduating she worked for the Forest Service in California. She
Read More...The Northeast-Midwest State Foresters Alliance, Forest Markets & Utilization Committee, in cooperation with the state forestry agencies in 20 Northeast and Mid-Western states, recently released a series of reports characterizing the economic contributions of the forest and wood products industries in the individual states and the region. The reports were produced as part of a
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The Vermont Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC) is asking Vermonters to report when lakes and ponds lose their ice cover, also known as the “ice-out date.” Once a lake or pond is completely free of ice from shore to shore, DEC scientists can begin their spring water quality sampling efforts. The ice-out data also helps scientists
Read More...Agricultural producers wanting to enhance current conservation efforts are encouraged to apply for the Conservation Stewardship Program (CSP). While applications for CSP are accepted year-round, applications must be received by April 23, 2021, to be considered for this funding period. Through CSP, USDA’s Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) helps private landowners build their business while implementing conservation practices that
Read More...A new rule went into effect January 1st 2021 now stating that “More than one dwelling may share the same house site, provided the dwellings are contained within a two-acre area.” Prior to January 1st 2021, if you had a house with an apartment, or two dwellings close together you had to exclude 4.00 acres, regardless
Read More...Is your home or business ready for a heating update in 2021? Ready to opt out of oil and do your part to help the state meet its goal of 90 percent renewable energy by 2050? Many rebates and incentives are available to Vermonters interested in switching to wood heat this year. Heating homes or
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Vermont Agency of Natural Resources staff scientists were alerted last week that an aquarium plant sold within Vermont and throughout the country may contain an invasive aquatic animal species, zebra mussels (Dreissena polymorpha). The aquarium plant commonly known as moss balls, may be sold under names including “Beta Buddy Marimo Balls,” “Mini Marimo Moss Balls,” and
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