The Winooski River passes through Winooski just east of Lake Champlain. Vermont Business Magazine photo.
Vermont Business Magazine Through a grant provided from the Vermont Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC) the Chittenden County Regional Planning Commission (CCRPC) has launched a multi-pronged outreach effort focused on improving water quality in compliance with the Vermont Clean Water Act (VCWA) which was made law this past spring. The CCRPC will work with municipal staff and boards to provide information about the requirements for municipalities triggered by the VCWA and also work with them on options such as stronger municipal protections against flood hazards and river corridor erosion, stormwater master planning, and other town plan or zoning changes to improve water quality. CCRPC staff will also update fluvial erosion hazard/river corridor maps for the towns and assist them with compiling existing information to use in developing implementation plans under the municipal roads stormwater general permit.
As part of DEC’s Tactical Basin Planning program, the CCRPC will work closely with DEC staff to facilitate municipal participation in the development of the update to the Lamoille River Basin Plan and in tracking implementation of the recently approved Northern Lake Champlain Direct-to-Lake Basin Plan. In addition to facilitating municipal input, the CCRPC will assist in mapping key intervention areas to reduce phosphorus run-off.
This new CCRPC effort will be oversee by a new Clean Water Advisory Committee established by the CCRPC Board. Its members consist of representatives of the County’s 19 municipalities along with representatives from the Vermont Agency of Transportation, the Vermont Agency of Natural Resources, the University of Vermont, and Burlington International Airport.
The CCRPC provides planning and technical assistance in the areas of community development, transportation, agriculture, natural resources, housing, economic development, and emergency management to the 19 municipalities of Chittenden County and the public. The collaboration between the CCRPC, Chittenden County municipalities and other related resource agencies results in the development and implementation of plans that support sustainable development and improve the region’s environment and quality of life. For more information about the CCRPC, please visit ccrpcvt.org.