Vermont Business Magazine Through a grant provided by the Vermont Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC), the Rutland Regional Planning Commission (RRPC) is continuing its multi-pronged outreach work focused on improving water quality in this region to comply with the Vermont Clean Water Act (VCWA) or Act 64 which became law in 2015. The goal of the outreach is to address sources of water pollution in the Rutland Region which include local roads, developed lands and farms.
The RRPC is working with municipal staff and boards around the region to provide information about the requirements for municipalities triggered by the VCWA and provide assistance for stronger municipal protections against flood hazards and river corridor erosion, stormwater master planning, and other town plan or zoning changes to improve water quality. RRPC staff will also update fluvial erosion hazard/river corridor maps for the towns and help compile information to use in developing implementation plans under the municipal roads stormwater general permit.
As part of DEC’s Tactical Basin Planning program, the RRPC will work closely with DEC staff to facilitate municipal participation in the update of tactical basin plans for South Lake Champlain Basin and, in a few years, the Otter Creek Basin. The basin plans will be the centerpieces for prioritizing projects for reducing phosphorus levels into Lake Champlain and other waterways.
The Rutland Regional Planning Commission is a quasi-governmental non-profit organization (one of 11 in Vermont) with 27 member towns. RRPC promotes the coordinated planning and development of the Rutland region, advocates for the needs of its member towns, and strives to build a thriving regional economy while enhancing the area’s quality of life. The Commission’s staff provides technical assistance for land use, economic growth, transportation, natural resources, energy, working lands, environmental, housing, health, education, and cultural-related issues.
Source: RRPC 11.10.2016