by Mike Bielawski
A bill passed by the Senate and before a House committee this week would require the State of Vermont to add two acres of wetlands under state management to every one disturbed by development.
S.213 will be discussed Thursday by the House Committee on Environment and Energy. It’s sponsored by Sen. Chris Bray, D-Addison, and others.
The bill would “establish as State policy that wetlands shall be regulated and managed to produce a net gain of wetlands acreage. The Secretary of Natural Resources would be required to amend wetlands rules to incorporate the net gain policy.”
It’s going to cost at least a million dollars next year, if it passes. The bill states, “In addition to other funds appropriated to the Agency of Natural Resources in fiscal year 2025, the amount of $1,000,000 shall be appropriated from the General Fund, of which $500,000 shall be used to fund wetlands mapping required under this act, and $500,000 shall be used to hire additional Agency of Natural Resources staff as necessary to comply with the requirements of Secs.1–4 of this act.”
The bill states that wetlands must always be gained at a 2:1 ratio – meaning for every one acre disturbed by development two more must be restored.
It states, “At a minimum, the Wetlands Rules shall be revised to (1) Require an applicant for a wetlands permit to restore and enhance any loss of wetlands caused by the project that is subject to the permit application. (2) Incorporate the net gain rule into existing general permits and into requirements for permits issued after July 1, 2025. (3) Establish a set of parameters and ratios for the permittee-designed restored wetlands, at not less than a 2:1 ratio.”
The United Nations also pushes hard for the protection of wetlands. Their website states, “The current trends in human settlement potentially pose major threats for wetland conservation and wise use. As cities grow, development increases, driving the demand for land and the tendency to encroach on wetlands. In many instances, wetlands have been viewed as wastelands and are thus converted for other purposes, including their use as dumping grounds.”
Land use policy continues to be controversial as the state pursues conserving up to 30% of all land from development by 2030 and 50% by 2050.