Current News

Vermont Business Magazine The Vermont Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC) is pleased to announce that a sixth and seventh lake have achieved the Gold Lake Wise Award. Halls Lake in Newbury and Little Averill Lake in Averill join Echo Lake, Seymour Lake, Lake Iroquois, Lake Raponda, and Lake Morey in reaching this accomplishment. The Gold Lake Wise Award is granted to lake associations when 15% of the properties surrounding a lake have received an individual Lake Wise Award.

Vermont Business Magazine As spring approaches, it brings the possibility of flooding and the opportunity for spring cleaning. During the floods of 2023 and 2024, dangerous items like batteries, broken lamps, paint, and old oil and gasoline containers were found buried in muddy basements or scattered in flooded fields. The Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC) encourages Vermonters to responsibly dispose of unwanted items frequently to minimize the amount of debris and potential damage during a flood.

by Timothy McQuiston, Vermont Business Magazine Average gasoline prices in Vermont are $3.11 per gallon, down 1 cent/g from last week, as there has been little movement the last couple of weeks. Prices are down 4 cents/g from last month and down 27 cents/g from last year. The lowest price in the state this week was $2.82/g while the highest was $3.27/g. The lowest prices in the state are in Rutland ($2.98/g) and Windham ($3.01/g) counties. The highest prices are in Essex ($3.38/g), Grand Isle ($3.22/g) and Lamoille ($3.20/g) counties. Prices are generally lowest in the southern part of the state and rise as you go north.

Vermont Business Magazine Encore Renewable Energy, a leading renewable energy developer and operator, delivered a $10,000 donation to Barre Unified Union School District (BUUSD) earlier today. The company co-hosted a small event with BUUSD at Spaulding Educational Alternatives (SEA), a school adjacent to Encore’s I Love Cows Solar array, which will be energized later this year. The donation will be directed toward workforce education programs for SEA, an alternative school within the school district that supports students with tailored educational plans that address their academic and social/emotional needs. This can include vocational learning opportunities for fields directly supporting the energy transition.

Vermont Business Magazine The Vermont Department of Forests, Parks and Recreation (FPR) has amended the Willoughby State Forest Long-Range Management Plan to allow expanded equestrian use in Willoughby State Forest. Developed collaboratively with the Vermont Horse Council (VHC), the amendment is intended to enhance equestrian opportunities while ensuring sustainable land management and recreation practices. The amendment authorizes equestrian use of approximately 14.5 miles of existing roads and trails and establishes a new overnight parking area in the southern portion of Willoughby State Forest.

Vermont Business Magazine Brightwater Tools, a pioneering Vermont-based company, is making a national wave with its groundbreaking approach to sustainability and resource recovery. The company is turning human urine into a viable and environmentally friendly fertilizer alternative—helping to combat soaring fertilizer prices and worsening water pollution while strengthening Vermont’s reputation as a hub for innovative startups. A spin-off of the Rich Earth Institute, Brightwater Tools is scaling up technology that has already proven successful in addressing key agricultural and environmental challenges. With nitrogen fertilizer prices up 300% since 2021 and over 15,000 U.S. bodies of water contaminated by nutrient pollution, the need for alternatives is more urgent than ever.

Vermont Business Magazine The Vermont Woodlands Association (VWA) is pleased to announce that it will be hosting its annual Vermont Woodlands Conference on April 12, 2025 at Vermont State University in Randolph, Vermont.  This year’s conference theme is “A Century and Beyond of Woodland Stewardship,” celebrating Vermont Woodlands Association’s 110-year legacy of promoting healthy, thriving forests, educational programs and resources for woodland property owners in the state. The event brings together landowners, forestry professionals, and forest stewards for educational sessions, policy updates, hands-on resources, and meaningful conversations. Whether you’re a seasoned steward or just starting out, you’ll leave with new knowledge, useful resources, and connections to support each participant’s journey in woodland stewardship.

by Noah Diedrich, Community News Service Two of a group of three data privacy-centric bills in the Legislature advanced past the crossover date, with the third remaining grounded in committee until next year. Each bill in the triplet focuses on a different aspect of online privacy protections for Vermonters: age-appropriate design, more guards on consumer data and stricter regulations for data brokers operating in Vermont. All three bills are remnants of H.121, a bill that was initially vetoed by Gov. Phil Scott in 2024. House lawmakers overrode the veto, but their colleagues in the Senate didn’t. 

Vermont Business Magazine NBT Bank expanded its presence in greater Burlington with the opening of a new retail office at 1330 Shelburne Road in South Burlington. NBT Bank of South Burlington is a 2,000-square-foot full-service branch that features drive-up banking, a 24-hour ATM, night drop services and ample parking. Other local NBT offices are located in Burlington, Williston and Essex. 

Vermont Business Magazine On Tuesday, March 25th President Donald Trump issued an Executive Order on “Preserving and Protecting the Integrity of American Elections.” The order promotes baseless myths about elections, proposes significant barriers to voting access, and constitutes an unprecedented overreach of Federal authority. Vermont Secretary of State Sarah Copeland Hanzas has issued the following statement in response: “This executive order is a thinly veiled attempt to disenfranchise wide swaths of the American electorate and would fundamentally degrade the integrity of American elections."

by Timothy McQuiston, Vermont Business Magazine At today’s weekly press conference, Governor Phil Scott, Human Services Secretary Jenney Samuelson, and Commerce and Community Development Secretary Lindsay Kurrle highlighted the need to continue to limit eligibility for the Hotel/Motel program while protecting the most vulnerable – children and those with severe medical conditions, in addition to also addressing the underlying need for more affordable housing across Vermont. The governor vetoed the original Budget Adjustment Act bill on March 14 largely, but not entirely, because of the Hotel/Motel program line item. The House then passed a second, revised BAA last Friday (March 21), which Scott said today did not satisfy his initial objections. Scott said he would wait on how the Senate handled the new BAA before casting judgment on it. 

Vermont Business Magazine After years of work, the Food Hub, a new facility in Hardwick that will expand markets for local farms and food producers, has opened. The Food Hub is operated by Hardwick-based nonprofit, the Center for an Agricultural Economy (CAE). Now products from over 100 local farms and food businesses will pass through the Food Hub each week on their way from farms to markets across Vermont and beyond. CAE operates several programs aimed at increasing the accessibility of local food, increasing the viability of local agriculture, and expanding connections between the community and agriculture. In addition to programs, CAE provides infrastructure at both the Food Hub (at 325 VT Rt 15 in the Yellow Barn complex) and the Vermont Food Venture Center (140 Junction Rd).