Solar installation at Vermont Air Guard (left) Johns River in Derby.

The Memphremagog Watershed Association has completed its fourth conservation acquisition along the Johns River in Derby, protecting 6.7 acres of prime trout habitat and expanding public access for outdoor recreation, the Newport Dispatch reports.

The newly conserved property, located near the river’s headwaters, includes the confluence of two cold-water tributaries valuable for Brook and Rainbow Trout spawning. The area features dense riparian forest, cold groundwater seeps, and natural fish habitats.

The land, which connects to the Derby Fish & Game Club Kid’s Pond and town property, will be managed by Vermont Fish & Wildlife’s Fisheries Division. The site will remain open for public hunting, fishing, trapping, and wildlife viewing.

MWA plans to seek funding to remove a breached millpond dam and replace a failing culvert to improve fish passage and flood resilience.

MWA acted as the landowner liaison through this process, which spanned several years and required coordination with multiple agencies and partners. The project received funding through the Great Lakes Fisheries Commission, with grants administered by Vermont Fish & Wildlife and the Vermont Housing & Conservation Board.

Welch introduces federal Renewable Energy Standard bill

On Wednesday, November 20, U.S. Senators Peter Welch (D-Vt.), Chris Van Hollen (D-Md.) and U.S. Representative Yvette Clarke (D-NY-09) introduced the bicameral American Renewable Energy Act (AREA), legislation to establish a 70% renewable energy resource standard by 2034 and up to 100% by 2044 to drastically reduce emissions, decrease pollution, and promote community resilience. In order to achieve this goal, AREA prioritizes the development and implementation of solar, wind, and geothermal energy, as well as marine energy, limited hydropower, and methane digesters for smaller farms and wastewater plants.

The bill also seeks to ensure the equitable distribution of economic, health, and resiliency benefits and investments reaped from renewable energy deployment by establishing an enforcement mechanism that requires at least 50% of collected funds be spent on renewable energy, energy efficiency, and storage projects in impacted communities.

Air Guard expands solar array

The Vermont Air National Guard began the third and final phase of a photovoltaic power project, an ambitious solar energy initiative aimed at bolstering energy resilience, reducing carbon emissions, and enhancing emergency readiness. The initial solar array was made possible through an $8.8 million grant facilitated by U.S. Senator Bernie Sanders, while the nearly $2.8 million expansion is funded by the Energy Resilience & Conservation Investment Program, a subsection of the Defense-Wide Military Construction Program specifically intended to fund projects designed to provide energy resilience to critical electrical loads, implement energy and water conservation measures and renewable energy technologies at military installations.

Northern border protection hours to be reduced Jan. 6

U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP), in collaboration with Canada Border Services Agency (CBSA), will adjust hours of operation for 38 ports of entry (POEs) along the U.S. northern border, beginning at midnight, Jan. 6, 2025. Most of the border crossings in Vermont and the New York North Country that are being affected will see their hours reduced. The CBP said these changes will allow it to increase border security while facilitating legitimate cross-border trade and travel. CBP officers will be deployed to busier ports of entry, enabling the agency to use its resources most effectively for its critical national security and border security missions.

Vermont gets $5 mil for ‘digital equity’

The U.S. Department of Commerce’s National Telecommunications and Information Administration (NTIA) Nov. 21 approved and recommended for award an application from Vermont, allowing the state to request access to more than $5 million to implement its Digital Equity Plan.

This funding comes from the $1.44 billion State Digital Equity Capacity Grant Program, one of three Digital Equity Act grant programs created by the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law.

This funding is part of the “Internet for All” initiative, a key component of President Biden’s “Investing in America” agenda. For a variety of reasons, many Americans struggle to use the Internet connection available to them—for example, some lack the skills to navigate online resources and protect their personal and financial information online; others cannot afford a computer or tablet at home.

Vermont will use this funding to implement its digital equity plan, which outlines how the state will empower individuals and communities with the tools and skills necessary to benefit from meaningful access to affordable, reliable, high-speed Internet service.