Current News

Vermont Business Magazine Today Senator Peter Welch (D-VT) introduced the Opportunities in Organic Act, legislation designed to help farmers and other agricultural producers transition to organic practices and build successful and sustainable businesses. Organic agriculture enriches rural economies, protects biodiversity and soil health, and supports public health, but farmers face steep barriers to entry, including high certification costs and insufficient technical assistance from existing United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) programs. The Opportunities in Organic Act helps mitigate these challenges by modernizing reimbursements for organic certification and expanding available technical expertise for organic agriculture within USDA.

Vermont Business Magazine Today, in a vote of 107-42, the Vermont House of Representatives voted to override Governor Phil Scott’s veto of S.5, the Affordable Heat Act. The veto override vote comes on the heels of the Vermont Senate’s 20-10 vote to override the veto, meaning the bill will now become law despite the governor’s efforts to rally Vermonters to oppose the bill and the fact-finding process it would initiate.

Vermont Business Magazine A coalition of organizations led by the Northern Forest Center has been awarded $1 million from the U.S. National Science Foundation's (NSF) Regional Innovation Engines program. The coalition is among more than 40 unique teams that received one of the first-ever NSF Engines Development Awards, which aim to help partners collaborate to create economic, societal, and technological opportunities for their regions. Composed of leading forest institutions across Maine, New Hampshire, and Vermont, the new Coalition of Northern Forest Innovation and Research aims to accelerate innovations in forest ecosystem management and forest products and open new markets that depend on thriving forests in northern New England. The NSF Engines Development Awards will help support the coalition in creating regional connections and local forest innovation ecosystems within two years to prepare strong proposals for becoming future NSF Engines, which will each have the opportunity to receive up to $160 million.

Vermont Business Magazine The University of Vermont Health Network – Home Health & Hospice announced Christine Werneke, MS, has been selected as President and Chief Operating Officer of the organization. Werneke has served as interim president during the search for a permanent replacement for Adrianne Johnson Ross, who stepped down from the role in January. Werneke previously served Home Health & Hospice for six years in various leadership roles prior to the organization’s affiliation with the UVM Health Network, and is committed to supporting the team’s social mission. She was chosen for her leadership and commitment to Home Health & Hospice and the community.

Vermont Business Magazine The US Department of Agriculture (USDA) Wildlife Services, in coordination with the Vermont Department of Health, has scheduled a special bait drop this month to address a local wildlife rabies outbreak in Chittenden County. This effort is in addition to the statewide bait drop that occurs annually in August. Beginning today, May 11, rabies vaccine – in the form of a sweet-smelling oral bait that is attractive to raccoons and skunks – will be dropped from a low-flying helicopter and placed by hand in residential areas. Rabies is a deadly viral disease of the brain that infects mammals and without post-exposure treatment is fatal to both humans and animals. In Vermont, rabies is most often seen in raccoons, skunks, foxes, bats and woodchucks, but pets and livestock can also get the disease if they have not been vaccinated for rabies. The virus is spread primarily through the bite of an infected animal.

Vermont Business Magazine Senator Peter Welch’s (D-Vermont) Testing, Rapid Analysis, and Narcotic Quality (TRANQ) Research Act advanced out of the United States Senate Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation today with bipartisan support, a significant step forward in enacting this important bill to expand our understanding of xylazine, a sedative also known as Tranq, and other novel synthetic drugs now present in the illicit drug supply. This follows a Monday roundtable discussion hosted by Senator Welch in Burlington on the growing number of overdoses in Vermont and the increased presence of fentanyl, xylazine, and other synthetic opioids in the local supply of many illicit drugs.

Vermont Business Magazine The Vermont Habitat Stamp raised $221,337 in 2022 and leveraged a $228,567 federal match, totaling just under $450,000 for the Vermont Fish and Wildlife Department’s land conservation and habitat improvement efforts. The Vermont Habitat Stamp is designed to allow anyone who cares about conservation to help improve habitat for species as diverse as pollinators, songbirds, migratory fish, and large mammals. Habitat Stamp funds go towards both land acquisitions adding to the department’s more than 130,000 acres of Wildlife Management Area (WMA) properties, and implementing habitat improvement projects across the state. In 2022, the department spent $168,532 from the Habitat Stamp Fund. These dollars contributed to removing dams to increase stream connectivity for brook trout, controlling the spread of invasive plants that diminish the quality of shelter and forage for native insects and birds, and expanding the Otter Creek WMA in Wallingford.

Vermont Business Magazine Senator Peter Welch (D-VT) and Senator Roger Marshall (R-KS) on Monday introduced the Heat pump Energy Assistance and Training (HEAT) Act, legislation to support the use of industrial heat pumps in rural areas. Industrial heat pumps can help farmers, ranchers, and other rural businesses save money on energy bills while reducing greenhouse gas emissions, but they are not widely used in the United States. The HEAT Act would create a program within the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) to help deploy heat pumps in rural communities across the country, cut energy bills, and reduce greenhouse gas emissions.

Vermont Business Magazine LaunchVT, a division of the Lake Champlain Chamber, together with its partner, Rho Impact, a leading environmental, social, and governance (ESG) software and advisory firm headquartered in Charlottesville, VA, and Burlington, VT, provided foundational training in ESG strategy and materiality assessment to its current cohort of eight high-growth startups. The partnership was made possible by a grant provided by BTV Ignite, a local nonprofit organization that helps to launch entrepreneurs, grow businesses, and spur economic growth. In collaboration with LaunchVT leadership, Rho Impact designed a two-part, cutting-edge learning module delivered to startups in LaunchVT’s flagship accelerator program. Through tailored and co-branded content, LaunchVT’s members of the 2023 cohort benefitted from direct instruction from Noah Miller, co-Founder of Rho Impact and Chief Advisory Officer, and Gal Shargil-Yaari, Senior ESG Advisor.

Vermont Business Magazine Vermont Federal Credit Union has partnered with Spectrum Youth and Family Services to support its Empty Bowl Dinner and Sleep Out fundraising events. Vermont Federal Credit Union is now the presenting sponsor for both events. Spectrum Youth and Family Services is an incredibly important contributor to our community,” said Jean Giard, CEO at Vermont Federal Credit Union. “They play a vital role in the Burlington and St. Albans community by empowering and supporting our youth and young adults. We are delighted to support our community by partnering with Spectrum”.

Vermont Business Magazine NorthStar Group Services, Inc. (NorthStar) today announced an agreement to accept transfer of ownership of the 1600-acre GEH Vallecitos Nuclear Center, in Sunol, CA, from GE Hitachi Nuclear Energy (GEH) for nuclear decontamination, decommissioning, and environmental site restoration. The deal is anticipated to close following US Nuclear Regulatory Commission approvals—including license transfer from GEH to NorthStar—and satisfaction of all other closing conditions. NorthStar is currently decommissioning the former Vermont Yankee nuclear power station in Vernon.

Vermont Business Magazine The Vermont Senate today gave its preliminary approval to legislation that would update and substantially expand the scope of the state’s popular beverage redemption program, commonly known as the Bottle Bill. The vote in favor of H.158 was 19-11. The bill is expected to win final approval in the Senate tomorrow. The bill is intended to modernize a law that has been on the books for more than 50 years. A key feature of the bill is to expand the scope of the program beginning in 2027 to cover more beverages such as water, sports drinks, hard cider, and wine.