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Municipal Workshop Being Offered for Emerald Ash Borer Planning
If you are a municipal staff member or volunteer in Franklin or Grand Isle county interested in learning how to prepare for and manage Emerald Ash Borer in your community, please join the Vermont Urban and Community Forestry Program and the Northwest Regional Planning Commission for a free training this spring.
Date: Thursday, April 4, 2019
Time: 4 PM to 6 PM
Location: Enosburgh Emergency Services Building,
83 Sampsonville Road, Enosburg Falls, VT
Price: FREE, but pre-registration by April 1 is required. Register
here!
EAB is now confirmed in Orange, Washington, Caledonia, Grand Isle, and Bennington Counties, and communities statewide are encouraged to prepare for the impacts of the pest. This training is intended to teach participants about EAB, introduce planning and management strategies, and to give an overview of the resources available to help towns assess risk and establish a plan. Food and drinks will be provided.
This training is intended for municipal staff and volunteers; Selectboard members; Conservation Commission, Planning Commission, and Tree Committee members; Tree Wardens; Tree Forest Pest First Detectors; and anyone else who may be engaged in planning for EAB at the local level in Franklin and Grand Isle counties. The training is free of charge, but pre-registration
(by April 1, 2019)
is required.
This training is being offered through a coordinated effort by the following organizations: the
Vermont Urban & Community Forestry Program - a partnership between Vermont Department of Forests, Parks & Recreation and UVM Extension - and the
Northwest Regional Planning Commission.
Please contact Elise Schadler, Technical Assistance Coordinator with the Vermont Urban & Community Forestry Program, with any questions.
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Route 7 Livability Study Recipient of Public Places Merit Award
The Route 7 Livability Study has been named a recipient of the 2019 Public Places Merit Award from the Vermont Urban and Community Forestry Program.
The project was a joint effort by the Town and City of Saint Albans, NRPC, RiseVT, and many volunteers that began the process of identifying a safe walking and biking route along Route 7 between the City's Downtown region and the commercial shopping area (Highgate Shopping, Walmart, Franklin Park Industrial Park, etc.)
The Northwest Regional Planning Commission's role in the project was to serve on the project steering committee and work closely with partners to ensure that the study aligned with regional plans.
The project included conceptual design plans, construction cost estimates, and implementation strategies that will guide funding efforts in the future for safe pedestrian and cyclist options along this route. The project's first phase is wrapping up after examining and making recommendations for land use regulations that would best encourage non-motorized transportation and public transit along the corridor, and alternatives and implementation plans for new pedestrian/bicyclist and public transit infrastructure along North Main Street and Swanton Road. The next phase will include researching and applying for funding for a scoping and engineering study.
The Public Places Awards program
recognizes special public spaces, the corridors that connect them, or networks of public spaces which have been defined or enriched by planning or design, as well as regulations that promote positive public uses and benefits. Projects may involve components such as community or transportation planning, historic preservation, public recreation, wildlife management, green infrastructure planning or urban and community forestry, among others.
Six Public Places Merit Award recipients were chosen for 2019. Another regional project, the Taylor Park Master Plan in Saint Albans, also received a Merit Award. The recipients were honored at a ceremony and reception on March 13 at the Vermont Statehouse in Montpelier
The biennial awards program is co-sponsored by the Vermont Chapter of the American Society of Landscape Architects, the Vermont Planners Association and the Vermont Urban and Community Forestry Program, a partnership of University of Vermont Extension and the Vermont Department of Forests, Parks and Recreation.
For more information on the Better Connections program, visit this link. More information about the Vermont Public Places Awards can be found here.
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Franklin Watershed Committee Hiring Lake Carmi Boat Stewards
The Franklin Watershed Committee is hiring boat stewards for the 2019 boating season.
Boat Launch Stewards will be trained to interact with the public, record and
electronically enter lake-user information on mobile tablets, greet visitors to Lake Carmi and familiarize the public with aquatic invasive species information. Successful stewards will be trained to conduct watercraft inspections. Stewards will be required to work at high volume launch times totaling 20 hours per week at the public boat launches on Lake Carmi from Memorial Day to Labor Day weekend; weekend work is required.
To apply, send resume and cover letter in .pdf or Microsoft
Word format to
[email protected]
by Wednesday April 25th, 2019. In the email subject line,
please reference Boat Steward Application.
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New Stormwater Permitting Rule Adopted
The new Stormwater Permitting Rule has been adopted and went into effect on 3/15/2019. The final adopted rule is available
here.
Stormwater permit application requirements don't change immediately upon the new rule going into effect. However, per statute, the Department of Environmental Conservation is now required to develop a new general permit that covers "three acre sites" by 7/15/2019. The DEC expects to have a draft of this permit out for public comment in the next few weeks.
What's New in the Permit?
"Three acre sites" or any parcel or project that has 3 acres or more impervious surface that was either never permitted or permitted before at a larger acreage threshold. Landowners will need to retrofit these sites and bring these parcels up to standards.
To receive notice of DEC permitting actions in general, including public comment periods, sign up to be notified under the Environmental Notices Bulletin at
this link.
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Steinhour Caf
é Demolished as Part of Brownfields Clean-Up
Demolition of the Steinhour Café in Highgate happened in early March. The property is part of the NRPC Brownfields program and is being included in the town's village revitalization effort
.
A brownfield is a previously developed site where former use has contaminated the soil with potentially harmful chemicals. The EPA provides funds to local agencies, such as the NRPC, to support
redevelopment of these sites.
For more information about the NRPC Brownfields program, please visit this link.
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74th Annual Town Officers Education Conferences
The annual Town Officers Education Conferences are accepting registrations now.
The conferences are organized by UVM Extension in partnership with participating organizations. They are designed to help town clerks, planners, listers, select board members and other officials do their jobs more effectively by providing updates on tax laws and regulations, municipal record keeping and effective strategies for handling planning, zoning and other town issues.
 When & Where:
More Info & Registration:
The plenary sessions this year are:
A Loose Confederation of Villages - A Historical Perspective on Vermont Democracy
Stephen Perkins (Vermont State Historical Society): Exploring the formation and implementation of Vermont's democracy from independent republic to the 21st century. What was the "mountain rule"? What was the role of the "overseer of the poor"? When did paper ballots start to supplant the voice vote? How did Vermont navigate as a single-party state for 100 years? From comical to serious, Vermont's political history informs our work today.
When Tempers Flare: Tools for Deescalating Tough Encounters
Officer Susan Roberts (UVM Police Services): Join UVM police services' seasoned community outreach expert in a discussion regarding communication and preparedness when it comes to your personal safety. Officer Roberts will offer tips on how to be aware of signs that things have gotten enough out of hand, tactics for calming angry people and de-escalating difficult situations, and when outside help should be called, drawing on her training and years of experience.
Other conference sessions include:
Agenda Building & Meeting Management
Town Clerks Forum
Community Engagement on Complex Issues
Division of Powers and Effective Collaboration between Public Library Trustees & Selectboard members
What is a Stormwater Utility and why do I want one?
The Story of Vermont's Quiet Digital Revolution- A Documentary on Front Porch Forum
To register and get more information about the conference, click
here.
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Draft Alburgh Village Master Plan Open House
Are you interested in the future of Alburgh Village?
The Alburgh Planning Commission is hosting an open house to gather public input regarding the draft Alburgh Village Master Plan. An overview of the draft Master Plan will be presented by the Northwest Regional Planning Commission at the event.
What: Draft Alburgh Village Master Plan Open House
When: April 16th, 7 p.m.
Where: Alburgh Town Office
Discussions will include:
* The proposed Illustrative Master Plan,
* new community logo,
* next steps for the project.
Additional edits to the draft may be completed based on public input. The community is encouraged to participate in this important meeting that will guide future public improvements in the Village for years to come.
A full draft of the Master Plan can be viewed at http://www.alburghvt.org/ or https://www.nrpcvt.com.
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2019 Vermont Arbor Day Conference
The Vermont Urban & Community Forestry Program is hosting a one-day conference held in honor of Arbor Day and all of the hardworking professionals and stewards that care for our community trees.
The Vermont Arbor Day Conference welcomes the stewards of Vermont's urban trees and community forests to enhance their technical skills, discuss relevant topics in urban forestry, and network with professionals and volunteers engaged in urban and community forestry.
Date:
Thursday, May 2, 2019
Time:
8:30 AM-4:30 PM
Location:
Vermont College of Fine Arts, Montpelier
Price: Registration is $40 before April 18; $55 on April 19 and after. Lunch is also included with the cost of the conference. Register here!
Workshops include:
- Invasive Pest Round Up
- Town Forest Management
- Emerald Ash Borer Round Table
- Inventory Tools
- Big Tree Preservation
- And much more!
The keynote speaker is author, mountaineer, adventurer, athlete, and Vermonter
Jan Reynolds, author of the book "The Glass Summit: One Woman's Epic Journey Breaking Through."
Using her own anecdotes from expeditions around the world, Reynolds will share stories and inspiration on motivation, teamwork, and overcoming challenges.
Some sessions will be eligible for continuing education credits. Stayed tuned for updates.
Questions? Contact Gwen Kozlowski by
email or at 802-651-8343.
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Northwest Vermont Conservation Summit
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