Current News

Vermont Business Magazine In collaboration with the Vermont Community Foundation, the High Meadows Fund is putting $218,000 into action over the next two years to launch a new initiative supporting statewide and local efforts to improve forest health and integrity in Vermont. In this first year, High Meadows is awarding grants to nine projects around the state that foster collaborative approaches to creating resilient, adaptable forests. Healthy forests protect wildlife and contribute to the quality of life of all Vermonters, including those who depend on the forests for their livelihoods.

Some projects are grounded in specific regions of Vermont and seek to strengthen the connectivity between forest parcels, landowners, and other community stakeholders tied to a region’s forested landscape. Others take a statewide approach, focusing on specific opportunities, like bird-friendly maple production, or targeted audiences, like women landowners.

by Michael Pieciak, Commissioner of the Vermont Department of Financial Regulation There is growing consensus that paid family and medical leave (FML) is a valuable program that benefits individuals, families, and businesses alike. Generally, paid FML provides an individual with income replacement while away from work to bond with a new child, recover from a serious medical condition, or care for a sick relative.

Research suggests children and parents experience better health outcomes if they have access to paid FML. Businesses can experience a more productive workforce with higher morale and measurable improvements in retaining employees and recruiting new talent. This last point is particularly relevant when considering Vermont’s pressing need to grow the workforce.

Vermont Business Magazine Burlngton-based CashorTrade, a social network where fans buy, sell and trade tickets at face value, announced a partnership with Osiris, a network of music and culture podcasts. Born from the same love and passion for music, the ticketing site and media company both dedicate themselves to enriching the live music experience for their fans.  “Osiris provides a new level of depth for fans,” says Jonny Adler, Director of Business Development at CashorTrade. “The same fans who are committed to the face value movement— the ones who want to share experiences, not make profit on tickets -- are the same fans interested in diving deep into Osiris podcasts.”

Vermont Business Magazine The Vermont House gave preliminary approval to the $6.1 billion Fiscal Year 2020 Budget, H.542, today on a vote of 139-1. The House also gave preliminary approval to the Revenue Bill, H.541, today on a voice vote. 

by C.B. Hall, Vermont Business Magazine Montpelier gave the possibility of more passenger rail service in Vermont a small boost on March 26, when House legislators voted to instruct the Agency of Transportation (VTrans) to conduct a technical analysis of a commuter rail system that would serve the Burlington-St Albans and Burlington-Montpelier corridors. The action came during consideration of the pending transportation bill, which would mandate the analysis as well as authorizing VTrans appropriations and providing other guidance to the agency. In a voice vote, the chamber rejected an amendment advanced by Representative Pat Brennan (R-Colchester) that would have deleted the technical analysis provision from the measure.

Vermont Business Magazine The Vermont Agricultural Hall of Fame is now accepting nominations for the 2019 inductees. All nominations must be submitted by May 15^th.

Vermont Business Magazine Governor Phil Scott today announced that the Department of Financial Regulation (DFR) has released 443,070 pages of records related to the EB-5 and Jay Peak fraud, which occurred between 2008-2016. These newly-released documents are available for download at eb5.vermont.gov/public-records. Additionally, approximately 250,000 more pages of DFR records will be released and made available on the EB-5 website in the coming weeks.

Vermont Business Magazine The leaders of the Distributed Ledger Governance Association (DLGA), have announced the founding members and partners of the DLGA to help drive commercialization of blockchain applications and work with the various State of Vermont agencies to explore the productive uses of distributed ledgers in Vermont business and government.

by John Pelletier, Director of the Center for Financial Literacy at Champlain College For several years now, there has been discussion regarding the impact of the migration of Vermont’s citizens to other states on Vermont’s tax revenues. For the most part, we have been reassured that nearly as many taxpayers leave Vermont as relocate here. And we have been told that the dollars involved are about the same especially for high income individuals. So, it looks like we have nothing to worry about. Or do we?

Vermont Business Magazine Senator Bernie Sanders (I-Vermont) and House Majority Whip James E. Clyburn (D-SC) announced legislation Thursday to extend and expand funding for community health centers and the National Health Service Corps. If Congress doesn’t act by September 30th, community health centers will lose the federal funding they need to keep their doors open. Community health centers provide high-quality primary medical, dental, mental health care, substance use disorder treatment, and low-cost prescription drugs to 28 million people in 11,000 communities in every state in the country.

Vermont Business Magazine Every year, Vermonters throw away 200 million pounds of food and yard debris that could have been composted instead. This unnecessary waste adds up at landfills, contributing to massive greenhouse gas emissions. At the 2019 Vermont Organics Recycling Summit on April 11 in Randolph, leaders and learners from across the state will come together to discuss creative ways to keep food scraps and other organics out of the trash and to transform them into valuable products. The summit, organized by the Composting Association of Vermont (CAV) and the Vermont Agency of Natural Resources, is open to all.

Vermont Business Magazine After a decade operating some of its summer Language Schools at Mills College in Oakland, CA, Middlebury will consolidate all 11 of its schools in Vermont beginning with the 2020 summer session. The change was made possible by a new agreement between Middlebury and Bennington College, which will host several of the Middlebury Language Schools starting next year. Middlebury President Laurie Patton and Bennington College President Mariko Silver announced the agreement today on the Bennington campus.