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by Jared Duval One thing nearly all Vermonters seem to agree on is that we want living in our state to be more affordable. When it comes to energy, continued dependence on high-cost and price-volatile fossil fuels like gasoline, fuel oil, and propane is not a path to affordability. In 2023, $2.2 billion was spent on fossil fuels for transportation and heating in Vermont. The average Vermont household spent between $5,000 - $8,000 on combined transportation, heating, and electricity costs (and that’s just for fuel, not including equipment or maintenance costs), with the highest amounts spent on gasoline, fuel oil, and propane.  

Vermont Business Magazine The Vermont Attorney General’s Office and the Vermont Human Rights Commission issued the following joint statement today affirming their commitment to enforcement of laws protecting Vermonters against discrimination on the basis of gender identity: “Vermont’s motto, “freedom and unity,” reflects our values. This is a place where people can live freely and openly, and where we stand together to defend our neighbors. That’s why Vermont has long been a leader in protecting and advancing the rights of the LGBTQIA+ community. Vermonters are protected against discrimination on the basis of gender identity, including at work and in places of public accommodations, under Vermont law. The Vermont Attorney General’s Office and the Vermont Human Rights Commission will continue to enforce these laws and others protecting Vermonters against unlawful discrimination."

Vermont Business Magazine On January 21, The Nature Conservancy (TNC) in Vermont launched the Vermont Biodiversity Protection Fund, a new grant program created to support land protection projects in priority regions across the state. This initiative will help fund projects that maintain regional forest connectivity, support biodiversity, and grow Vermont’s climate resilience. TNC is aiming to award $1 million in grant funding to projects in Vermont in the first year of this newly established fund. Vermont is the crossroads for wildlife movement in the northern Appalachian Mountains. 

Vermont Business Magazine Waterfowl hunters who did not remove their hunting blind from the waters of the state earlier must do so before February 15 on Lake Champlain or May 15 on inland waters according to a reminder from the Vermont Fish and Wildlife Department. State law requires removal of the blind together with its contents and any surrounding debris located on or in the water before these deadlines to protect natural areas and to prevent boating accidents after the ice melts. 

Vermont Business Magazine The Vermont Agency of Agriculture, Food and Markets has announced that Brooke Decker has been elected President of the Apiary Inspectors of America (AIA), a non-profit organization established with a mission to promote sustainable and healthy honey beekeeping conditions in North America.  Decker, the Pollinator Health Specialist and State Apiculturist for the state of Vermont, was elected to a one-year term at the AIA 2025 annual meeting in Reno, Nevada last week. The mission of the AIA is to support the work of apiary inspectors mainly through the detection, mitigation and ultimate suppression of bee pests, parasites and pathogens.

Vermont Business Magazine Fidium and Chittenden County Communications Union District (CCCUD) have finalized a partnership agreement that will bring Fidium’s multi-gig speed all-fiber network to more than 150 unserved and underserved locations in Essex, Jericho, Shelburne, Westford and Williston. Funding for fiber expansion will be supported through a grant from the Vermont Community Broadband Board to CCCUD, with additional investment provided by Fidium. Fidium's network construction is scheduled to begin in the coming months, with multi-gig speed fiber access anticipated by the end of 2025. With fiber broadband access comes economic growth, in particular for rural areas, as fiber access increases business growth by 213% and leads to a 44% higher GDP. 

Vermont Business Magazine Senator Bernie Sanders (I-Vermont), Ranking Member of the Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions (HELP), today held a roundtable discussion with leading medical professionals on the importance of vaccines in America and their impact on public health. Senator Sanders: "Let me thank our distinguished guests who are with us today, the Senators who are here and all of those who might be watching virtually. As the Ranking Member of the Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee, I have convened this roundtable today to get a better understanding about the importance of vaccines and the role they have played, decade after decade, in improving the public health of our nation and the world we live in."

Vermont Business Magazine VT Helplink, Vermont’s statewide resource for alcohol and drug use support services, is now available to connect with people in Vermont 24/7. For nearly five years, VT Helplink resource specialists have been available by phone and through chat at VTHelplink.org to provide information and referrals to people seeking substance use information and support services. New this year, VT Helplink supports the option to text “LINK” to 802-565-LINK (5465) — the same number as the live call service — to connect with a resource specialist. People in Vermont can now reach out for help with alcohol and drug use anytime, day or night, in the format that is most accessible to them. 

Vermont Business Magazine Attorney General Charity Clark today announced the release of the Domestic Violence Fatality Review Commission’s annual report, including statistics, trends, and recommendations. The Commission, housed within the Attorney General’s Office, found that in 2023, seven of Vermont’s 29 homicides were related to domestic violence. Included in the Commission’s report are key recommendations, including addressing access to firearms, funding victim service positions for local law enforcement agencies, and expanding the use of lethality assessments statewide. 

Vermont Business Magazine Vermont Secretary of State Sarah Copeland Hanzas held the first meeting of the 2025 Town Clerk Advisory Committee (TCAC) at the Thetford town offices on Tuesday. This is the second iteration of the advisory group, which Copeland Hanzas reconvened after a decade-long hiatus upon taking office in 2023. The Committee will meet monthly to discuss and address the interests of Vermont’s town clerks, who play an essential role in the functioning of Vermont’s municipalities.

Vermont Business Magazine The Vermont Afghan Alliance released the following statement in response to the Trump Executive Order suspending the U.S. Refugee Admissions Program: “All of us at the Vermont Afghan Alliance are devastated to learn of the Executive Order suspending entry of refugees into the United States under the U.S. Refugee Admissions Program (USRAP), including Afghan refugees awaiting relocation to the United States. It has been nearly 3.5 years since the U.S. withdrawal from Afghanistan, and thousands of Afghans have continued to wait, often in hiding, to evacuate to safety in the United States. Those affected include former Afghan government officials who supported the U.S. government, Afghan prosecutors and judges, family members of U.S. Service members, and more."

Vermont Business Magazine The Shelburne Selectboard approved on January 21 the formation of an economic and community development commission tasked with preserving, promoting and enhancing the town’s economic, historic and social vibrancy. Experience Shelburne, the non-profit entity associated with the commission, also seeks to foster and support community infrastructure investment and development for the benefit of residents, businesses and visitors. The initiative was recommended by a recent economic development study and informed by extensive community input.