The Agency of Natural Resources is holding three public comment meetings in July to gather feedback on the Draft Northern Lake Champlain Direct Drainages Tactical Water Quality Management Plan. The public is encouraged to attend the meetings, hear a presentation and offer their comments and suggestions. This plan will be used to establish priorities for clean water projects being pursued in fulfillment of the Vermont Clean Water Act (H.35), signed into law by Governor Shumlin on June 16, and related Lake Champlain restoration efforts. (See information regarding the Waits, Wells, Ompompanoosuc and Steven’s River Tactical Water Quality Management Plan below.)
Meetings will take place in the following locations:
Monday, June 29, 5 -6:30 pm, Swanton Municipal Building, Swanton, VT (hosted by Friends of North Lake Champlain)
Thursday, July 2, 4-5:30 pm, Act 250 conference room, ANR District Office, 111 West Street, Essex Junction, VT
Wednesday, July 8 6:30 to 8 pm, Meeting room 1, Shelburne Town Office, Shelburne, VT (hosted by the Shelburne Natural Resources Committee)
The Northern Lake Champlain Direct Drainages (Basin 5) include all surface waters that drain into the northern section of Lake Champlain, beginning at the Ferrisburgh and Charlotte town line and ending at the Canadian border, excepting three major river watersheds: the Missisquoi, the Winooski and the Lamoille. This Tactical Plan was developed with the purpose of improving both water quality and aquatic habitats, and presents ANR’s recommendations in collaboration with other State and Federal resource agencies, watershed partner organizations, regional planning commissions, municipalities, and individual citizens.
The Plan, which was prepared in accordance with the Vermont Surface Water Management Strategy, provides an overview of the health of the basin and a description of the priority future and ongoing steps recommended to restore and protect its surface waters. The central component of this Tactical Basin Plan is an implementation table, which breaks actions intended to protect, maintain, enhance, and restore surface waters in the basin into geographical segments.
A full list of top priority actions recommended in the management plan can be accessed here.
Copies of the plan may be obtained on-line at http://www.vtwaterquality.org or by requesting a copy from the number below. The public comment period runs until July 24, 2015. Comments received by this date will be addressed in a responsiveness summary.
For further information or to submit comments please contact:
Karen Bates, Watershed Coordinator, Watershed Management Division
VT Dept. of Environmental Conservation
111 West St.
Essex Junction, VT 05452
Phone: (802) 490-6144
Email: [email protected]
Vermont Dept. of Environmental Conservation Solicits Public Comment for the Draft Waits, Wells, Ompompanoosuc and Steven’s River Tactical Water Quality Management Plan
On June 16th, 2015, Governor Peter Shumlin signed into law the Vermont Clean Water Act (H35). Following this action, the Agency of Natural Resources is holding three public comment meetings in July to gather feedback on the Draft Waits, Wells, Ompompanoosuc and Steven’s River Tactical Water Quality Management Plan. The public is encouraged to attend the meetings, hear a presentation and offer their comments and suggestions.
Meetings will take place in the following locations. Light refreshments will be served:
Tuesday July 7, 6 – 7:30 pm, Fairlee Public Library, 221 North Main Street Fairlee, VT
Wednesday July 8, 6 – 7:30 pm, Baldwin Memorial Library 33 Main Street Wells River, VT
This Plan addresses several smaller watersheds including: Stevens River, Wells River, Waits River, Ompompanoosuc River and several direct tributaries to the middle Connecticut River. The Tactical Basin Plan was developed with the purpose of improving both water quality and aquatic habitats, and presents ANR’s recommendations in collaboration with other State and Federal resource agencies, watershed partner organizations, regional planning commissions, municipalities, and individual citizens.
The Plan, which was prepared in accordance with the Vermont Surface Water Management Strategy, provides an overview of the health of the basin and a description of the priority future and ongoing steps recommended to restore and protect its surface waters. The central component of this Tactical Basin Plan is an implementation table, which breaks actions intended to protect, maintain, enhance, and restore surface waters in the basin into geographical segments.
A full list of top priority actions recommended in the management plan can be accessed here.
Copies of the plan may be obtained on-line at http://www.vtwaterquality.org or by requesting a copy from the number below. The public comment period runs until July15, 2015. Comments received by this date will be addressed in a responsiveness summary.
For further information or to submit comments please contact:
Jim Ryan, Watershed Coordinator, Watershed Management Division
VT Dept. of Environmental Conservation
5 Perry St., Suite 80
Barre, VT 05641-4268
Phone: (802) 476-0132
Email: [email protected]