Current News

Vermont Business Magazine The Vermont Arts Council announces $3,692,500 in awards to 49 creative sector organizations and businesses in its first round of funding through the Creative Futures program. Round two opens for applications today, January 5. Supported by $9 million from Vermont’s share of the American Rescue Plan Act, the program aims to provide relief to one of the state’s economic sectors hit hardest by the Covid-19 pandemic. Funding of up to $200,000 is available to Vermont-based creative economy nonprofits and for-profit entities, including sole proprietors, that can demonstrate economic harm caused by or exacerbated by the pandemic. This marks the first time that the Council has the ability to grant funds to the full creative sector, including for-profit businesses.

Vermont Business Magazine Vermont Fish & Wildlife is offering shooting range improvement grants to create more access to safe places to shoot. Developed to encourage upgrades of shooting ranges to enhance their safety and operation, the Shooting Range Improvement Grant Program seeks grant applications from shooting clubs, sportsmen's groups and government agencies involved in the operation of shooting ranges, including archery ranges until 4:30 pm on March 15. The grant period begins July 1, 2017.

Eligible projects include shooting range re-development, noise abatement structures, safety berms, shooting pads and stations, and the construction or improvement of access roads and parking lots. Grant money can be also used for lead mitigation, such as recycling, reducing range floor surface drainage or liming range property.

Vermont Business Magazine In response to recent recommendations from Vermont’s Cannabis Control Board (CCB), physicians from the Vermont Medical Society (VMS), the American Academy of Pediatrics Vermont Chapter (AAPVT), the Vermont Psychiatric Association (VPA) and the Vermont Academy of Family Physicians (VTAFP) urge the Vermont legislature to maintain the current statutory THC potency limits for the retail sale of cannabis flower and solid cannabis concentrate as an important factor in protecting public health. During the last legislative session, our organizations were successful in defeating a similar proposal, when lawmakers voted to support the retention of the 60% THC cap on solid concentrates and 30% THC cap on cannabis flower.

Vermont Business Magazine The Agency of Agriculture, Food and Markets (VAAFM) is pleased to announce that applications are now open for the Vermont Pay for Performance (VPFP) program. VPFP is a new and innovative program that uses environmental modeling to provide performance-based payments to Vermont farmers for reducing phosphorus (P) losses from their agricultural fields. Applications for the 2023 VPFP Program are due by January 20, 2023. All applications will be competitively ranked and reviewed.

Vermont Business Magazine In an amicus brief filed yesterday, the ACLU of Vermont urges the dismissal of criminal charges against Montpelier resident Stephen Whitaker, who was arrested after exceeding the allotted two minutes for making public comments at a Montpelier City Council meeting in June 2022. The ACLU’s brief asserts that Whitaker cannot be held criminally liable for this constitutionally protected First Amendment activity.

Vermont Business Magazine For more than 35 years, it has been my great honor to serve the People of Vermont as a public servant as: Secretary of State (12-years), State Senator (8 years), and South Burlington City Councilor (18 years). During this time, I have always worked hard to serve Vermont’s citizens in a professional and respectful manner -- striving to make our government more efficient, accessible, and transparent. In addition to my elected positions, my decades of business experience allowed me to understand and evaluate policies and proposed legislation with a wide lens, examining how they would translate in reality and how it may affect Vermonters.

Vermont Business Magazine Vermont’s Pico Mountain, part of the POWDR adventure lifestyle company, announces major snowmaking upgrades on A Slope ski trail. This project is part of continued improvements to the snowmaking system at Pico Mountain and was made possible in large part by community contributions facilitated by the Pico Ski Education Foundation, a nonprofit with a goal to help maintain an affordable organized ski racing program for community families and athletes.  The project includes 2,800 feet of air and water pipe, and 45 hydrants on A Slope trail. It was completed in October 2022, in time for the 2022/23 season. The project represents a $440,000 capital investment in the facility, including a $125,000 donation from POWDR and Killington Resort.

Vermont Business Magazine The 2023 Vermont Watershed Grants Program is now accepting applications for projects that protect, restore and enhance the state's lakes, streams, rivers, and ponds, including Vermonters’ ability to understand and enjoy these treasures. Applications are due no later than Wednesday February 8, 2023. Program grants are available to municipalities, local and regional government agencies, sporting clubs, non-profit organizations, and water-related citizen groups. Projects that seek to directly protect or restore fish and aquatic wildlife habitat are strongly encouraged. Examples of past funded projects include streamside vegetation restoration the removal of old dams and replacement of culverts to improve fish passage. For 2023, $70,000 is available to fund three categories of projects.

Vermont Business Magazine A keystone parcel along the Windmill Ridge in Putney and Brookline has been protected for wildlife, climate, recreation and clean water, the Putney Mountain Association (PMA) and the Vermont Land Trust (VLT) announced Monday. The two organizations worked together to conserve one of the few remaining gaps in protected land along the Windmill Hill–Putney Mountain ridgeline. The 140 acres connect trails and other public lands, including the Silvio O. Conte National Fish and Wildlife Refuge (Conte Refuge) to the south and the Putney Town Forest to the north. In addition, the newly protected land expands a contiguous block of protected or public woods and wetlands, now totaling over 1,000 acres.

by John McClaughry Disreputable politicians all too often assign deceptive labels to legislation to mislead voters who don’t pay close attention. A deplorable example of such mislabeling is the forthcoming Affordable Heating Act. “Affordable Heating” is the new label applied by the climateers to replace the “Clean Heat Standard” bill that Governor Scott vetoed last May. Now, with a veto-proof and disciplined 104-38 majority in the House, the Democrats are eager to pass a renamed “Clean Heat Standard” whether Governor Phil Scott likes it or not.