Current News

Timbervest LLC, an Atlanta-based company that manages timber-related assets and investments, has announced it acquired 13,220 acres of timberland for its Timbervest Partners III, LP (TVP III) investment fund. The $400 million commingled fund consists of 250,000 acres of timberland located throughout the country, and is comprised of institutional and high-net-worth investors. The Vermont acquisition of 1,270 acres brings its holdings here to 14,220 acres.

“The acquisitions of these diverse properties provide significant value for our clients and serve as strong additions to our existing portfolio,” said Bill Boden, managing partner of Timbervest. “The purchases highlight the continued growth of the fund and our unmatched commitment to identify compelling timberland investments that benefit investors.”

Effingham, Georgia Property

Bobs Gun Shop announced Wednesday the closing of its iconic location on Ballard Road in Georgia, Vermont. Bob Letourneau founded the business in 1977 to support Sportsman and Firearms Enthusiasts throughout Vermont, New York, New Hampshire, and southeastern Canada. Letourneau, in deciding to close, said that, “It’s just not fun anymore.” He also citied the change in market from traditional long guns and handguns to the modern desire for paramilitary firearms, as well as the unavailability of reasonably priced ammunition and reloading supplies.

A new aquatic invasive species, the spiny water flea, was recently identified in Lake Champlain, but biologists with the Vermont Fish & Wildlife Department do not believe the species will have a dramatic effect on fishing opportunities in the lake, or on most of the lake’s native plants and animals. Spiny water fleas have been in the Great Lakes since the 1980s, giving researchers several decades to study what happens when this species arrives in a new water body. According to Shawn Good, fisheries biologist and head of the department’s aquatic invasive species team, while spiny water flea (a crustacean) has had some impact on the Great Lakes, it has not proven as negative to fish populations as was once anticipated.

The US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) recommends modifications to the remedy at the BFI Rockingham Landfill Superfund Site (Site) in Rockingham, VT. The remedy modifications include an increased timeframe to cleanup Site groundwater, additional groundwater restrictions to prevent exposure to contaminated groundwater, and revised cleanup levels for two Site contaminants, arsenic and lead, to ensure the remedy remains protective of human health and the environment based on changes to the federal and state standards for these metals. EPA will be accepting public comment on these recommended modifications from September 11, 2014 to September 25, 2014.

The Working Lands Enterprise Board (WLEB), in collaboration with the St. Albans-based Yellow Wood Associates (YWA), is pleased to announce the commencement of an in-depth analysis of the forestry and wood products industry in Vermont. With direction from the WLEB, YWA will engage stakeholders across all sectors of Vermont's forest and wood products economy to better understand the current state of the industry and identify opportunities for future strategic investment. The goal of the project, slated for completion by July 2015, is a comprehensive report which will establish a strong foundation for increased support and strategic growth in this important sector of Vermont’s economy.

YWA will engage stakeholders through an on-line survey, regional focus groups, value-chain mapping workshops and a statewide summit to be held in the spring of 2015. The study, which will include an exploration and analysis of forestry and wood markets, products, and services, will also:

Vermont’s loon population had a record year for nesting success, producing 65 fledglings, or chicks that survived to leave the nest, on lakes and ponds throughout the state. Loons faced dramatic declines in the 20th century mostly due to shoreline development and human disturbance of loon habitat, but were removed from Vermont’s endangered species list in 2005 following decades of recovery efforts. Peregrine falcons, which also were removed from Vermont’s endangered species list in 2005, saw similarly strong nesting success this year.

Lenny’s Shoe & Apparel in Williston has donated $4,375 worth of fall boots to Lund. The 35 pairs of red, green and black Martino boots will be distributed among young women in the residential and education programs at Lund. The integrated family support, education, treatment and adoption programs at Lund served over 3,500 women, men and children across the state last year.

“With the chilly fall weather hitting our region this week, everyone starts to look through their closets for warm jackets and boots,” said Amanda Cashin, Marketing Director at Lenny’s Shoe & Apparel. “Many of the young mothers served by Lund are concentrating on preparing their babies for the cold months ahead. This donation focuses on these moms who strive to make their children comfortable.”

Vermont Tech and the Community College of Vermont (CCV) have announced a new collaboration between the colleges. Effective immediately, students who have earned CCV’s STEM Studies associate degree will be able to transfer into Vermont Tech’s Renewable Energy Bachelor of Science degree program. The pathway guarantees admission for CCV graduates with a 2.0 or higher grade point average, provided they have completed a minimum of 60 pre-approved transfer credits. This collaboration allows students with an interest in science, technology, engineering and mathematics to make a seamless transition and further their studies in the expanding renewable energy field.

EPA will add a Bennington hazardous waste site to the National Priorities List (NPL) of Superfund sites. The Superfund program, a federal program established by Congress in 1980, investigates and cleans up the most complex, uncontrolled or abandoned hazardous waste sites in the country and converts them into productive local resources by eliminating or reducing health risks and environmental contamination associated with hazardous waste sites.

The Jard Company Site, located in Bennington formerally operated as a capacitor manufacturer in Bennington. Polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs), used in the manufacturing process, were released into the former building structure and soils on the property which contaminated area groundwater. EPA has already removed some contaminated soil from the site, but 2013 Site investigations have indicated that groundwater is contaminated with PCBs, and is potentially migrating west of the site property.

Today, Seventh Generation, based in Burlington, the nation's leading brand of non-toxic and renewable bio-based household, baby and personal care solutions, announcee the addition of a new investor, Generation Investment Management. The company said in a statement that the $30 million investment will allow Seventh Generation and its own venture arm, Seventh Generation Ventures, to accelerate the company's core growth through innovation, investment and acquisition of other mission-led brands. Seventh Generation Ventures acquired bobble in 2013 to expand its offerings and meet the growing needs of consumers who desire to live a healthy, environmentally-friendly lifestyle.

Fletcher Allen Health Care announced today that Moody’s Investors Service, one of the major New York City-based bond rating services, has upgraded the institution’s bond rating from 'Baa 1' to ‘A3’ with a “Stable” outlook. Moody’s based its decision not only on Fletcher Allen’s financial performance but also on the way that Fletcher Allen Partners was successfully able to integrate the New York-based hospitals into the system without any negative impact on the system’s operating or financial metrics.

AccuWeather reports the chilliest air of the season so far will settle over much of the NortheastThursday into Friday and will bring the threat for frost to a much larger area as compared to earlier in the week. The pattern through this week will bring cooler-than-average temperatures to the region. A reinforcing push of cool air is forecast to settle in Thursday into Friday.