Contact
Jordan Gonda, VNRC, 814-777-0152 or jgonda@vnrc.org

Action is First in the Nation

Montpelier, Vt — Vermont lawmakers have approved legislation prohibiting hydraulic fracturing, or “fracking” in the state of Vermont.

“Smart, prudent and protective, that’s what this is,” said Jordan Gonda, a spokesperson for VNRC who tracked the bill closely and testified in support of it.

Gonda noted that lawmakers took significant testimony on this issue and had wisely decided to prohibit this environmentally risky practice in Vermont. Lawmakers had considered a three-year moratorium on the practice, but ultimately opted for a prohibition.

Vermont is the first state in the nation to approve an outright ban on fracking.

Gonda noted that a future legislature could lift the prohibition if lawmakers felt the industry has shown the practice to be safe.

“There is nothing barring the gas industry from coming to the legislature any time and lobbying to lift the prohibition,” she said.

The bill also bans the storage, collection or treatment of fracking waste in Vermont.

Fracking involves forcing a mixture of chemicals, significant amounts of water and sand into bedrock to create fissures and release natural gas. The practice, which has been only lightly regulated in many other states, has contaminated groundwater and increased air pollution. There are also issues related to the disposal of used fracking water that is laced with chemicals and brine. Additionally, recent studies have shown a possible association between fracking wells and the frequency of earthquakes.

Two-thirds of Vermonters get their drinking water from groundwater sources.

The bill, H.464, got final legislative approval on May 4. The bill now heads to Gov. Shumlin’s desk.

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Contact
Kim Greenwood, VNRC, 802-223-2328×119.

Montpelier, Vt – The Vermont Natural Resources Council will be hosting an informational meeting on the permitting process for large groundwater withdrawals Tuesday evening, May 8 in Montpelier.

“The groundwater extraction permit process is pretty technical, and has many important public comment periods,” said Kim Greenwood, the water program director at VNRC. “Understanding the process, and your rights as a citizen, before a company or other entity applies for an extraction permit in your town, is important,” she said.

The groundwater law requires ANR to review impacts of any proposed big withdrawal, including effects on neighboring wells, streams and wetlands.

The meeting, which will take place at the Kellogg-Hubbard Library, will run from 6 – 7:30 pm.

As part of Act 199 of 2008, lawmakers declared Vermont’s groundwater is public trust resource. Act 199 also set up permitting requirements that recently went into effect that dictate how ANR reviews proposed, large groundwater withdrawals (more than 57,600 gallons per day). To date, no large groundwater applications have been filed in Vermont.

“Our goal with this meeting is to help concerned citizens become more informed should a proposal be made in their region or town,” Greenwood said.

An estimated two-thirds of Vermonters get their drinking water from groundwater.

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Thousands of Vermonters (including you, possibly) now have a new way to pay for insulating their homes, putting solar panels on their rooftops or installing wood pellet heating systems.

Here is the scoop: Nearly two dozen towns approved the new Property Assessed Clean Energy, or PACE, program at town meetings on March 6, bringing the total number of towns that have voted to create PACE districts to 35.

What does this mean? It’s very good news for anyone who does not have lots of cash sitting around and would who like to boost the value of their homes, and save money over the long run (anybody?). This new financing mechanism – the passage of which the Vermont Natural Resources Council and others supported in the Legislature for several years – will help Vermonters save money and more easily move toward cleaner, smarter, more sustainable energy sources, if they so choose.

Under PACE, if you are a property owner, live in a town that has a program and want to get upfront cash for energy improvements, you could identify specific improvements you want to make to your home, and then apply to get financing from your town. Assuming your application is approved, you would then work with a contractor to get the project done. Once the contractor completes the improvements to your home, the municipality would pay the contractor. The town then places an “assessment lien” on your property to secure repayment.

Then, depending on your agreement with the town, you would repay the amount financed over a 10-, 15- or 20-year time period at an interest rate expected to be one to two percent higher than the rate for 30-year fixed mortgages. As long as you owned the house, you would pay that extra charge until the financing was paid off. If you sold the house in the meantime, the new owner would start paying the charge. And, at any time, the entire lien could be paid off. The maximum amount a homeowner could finance through PACE would be 15 percent of the assessed value of the property, capped at $30,000. Meanwhile, you and any subsequent owner of the house would be enjoying energy savings every year.

The following cities and towns have approved PACE districts: Albany, Barre City, Brookfield, Burlington, Calais, Cornwall, Craftsbury, Dorset, East Montpelier, Ferrisburgh, Glover, Halifax, Hartford, Hartland, Hyde Park, Manchester, Marlboro, Montpelier, Middlebury, Monkton, Newport town, Norwich, Plainfield, Putney, Richmond, Ripton, Sharon, Strafford, Thetford, Tunbridge, Vershire, Waitsfield, Westminser, Weybridge and Woodstock.

If they want to, towns can choose to use a third party like Efficiency Vermont to help administer the program, at no charge to the town. Efficiency Vermont will be able to manage the lion’s share of the logistics for the program, helping to create and process the applications, approve contractor payments, manage customer billing and more.

Efficiency Vermont is following up with towns and working with VNRC, the Vermont League of Cities and Towns and others to help with the implementation of PACE.

Vermonters are very fortunate to have this new opportunity to save money, save energy, make their homes more comfortable, and even improve the value of their homes. If your town has passed PACE, you should be hearing details in the coming months on how you can apply for financing. If your town has not passed PACE, consider getting it on next year’s ballot in your town.

For more information about PACE click here. http://pacevermont.wikispaces.com/Welcome+to+PACE+Vermont

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Contact
Jake Brown
Communications Director/Legislative Liaison
Vermont Natural Resources Council
802-223-2328 x111

MONTPELIER, Vt (April 4, 2012) – Minimizing conflicts between human development activities and dynamic rivers will be the focus of an upcoming river conference in Montpelier.

At the conference, entitled “Living with Vermont’s Rivers,” experts in river science, transportation infrastructure, stormwater and other areas will discuss how Vermont can manage its rivers with an eye to the future. Last year’s damage caused by rivers flooded by Tropical Storm Irene’s torrential rains has reignited discussion over how Vermont manages its rivers.

The conference is hosted by the Vermont Natural Resources Council (VNRC) with support from Green Mountain Coffee Roasters, Inc. (GMCR). Because of GMCR’s support, there is no charge to attend.

“Our goal is to make the science accessible to the public whether they have a background in river science or not,” says Kim Greenwood, water program director and staff scientist for VNRC. “Creating a conference where the various scientific components are brought together using Vermont case studies seemed like a good way to bring that information to the public and allow us to reach an audience with diverse backgrounds.”

The conference is set for May 16 at the Capitol Plaza Hotel and will run from 8-4:30. It is open to the public and pre-registration is requested. No science background or river related training is necessary to attend. To register, visit: http://bit.ly/H2GI4v

The conference is intended for municipal officials, consultants, contractors, road crews, watershed groups, farmers, legislators, and the interested public.

Speakers will include: Mike Kline, Barry Cahoon, Mike Kline, and Staci Pomeroy, all of the Agency of Natural Resources; Kristin Underwood of South Mountain Research & Consulting; Nick Wark of the Agency of Transportation; Ben Gabos of the Agency of Agriculture; David Gamble of Gamble Associates; Evan Fitzgerald of Fitzgerald Environmental Associates and Roy Schiff of Milone & MacBroom, Inc.
Other partners include: Addison County River Watch Collaborative, American Rivers, Audubon Vermont, Black River Action Team, Connecticut River Watershed Council, Fitzgerald Environmental Associates, Friends of the Mad River, Friends of the Winooski River, Gamble Associates, Lake Champlain Committee, Lake Champlain International, Landslide Natural Resources Planning, Lewis Creek Association, Milone & MacBroom, Inc., New Haven River Anglers, New Haven River Watch, Poultney Mettowee Conservation District, South Mountain Research & Consulting, Trout Unlimited, Vermont Agency of Agriculture, Food and Markets, Vermont Agency of Natural Resources, Vermont Agency of Transportation, Vermont League of Cities and Towns, White River Partnership, Winooski Natural Resources Conservation District

Please click here for information on the agenda and to register.

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Contacts
Johanna Miller, jmiller@vnrc.org, 802-223-2328, ext. 112 Victor Guadagno, vic@brightbluemedia.org, 303-247-1800 march21st.org

March 21st is the first full day of spring, which is usually cause enough for celebration after a long Vermont winter. But this year it also marks the last day of Vermont Yankee’s current operating license, and an important milestone in deciding who’s voice will be heard in shaping the state’s energy future. To celebrate, March 21st has been declared Vermont Energy Independence Day by a network of environmental nonprofits, and the day has inspired a new crowd-sourced film project where anyone with a camera and an energy story to tell can participate.

“We live in a state where democracy is alive and well,” says Johanna Miller of the Vermont Natural Resources Council, who serves as the coordinator of the Vermont Energy and Climate Action Network, a network of over one hundred town energy committees. “Through wide-ranging grassroots efforts, each year we’re using less energy and we’re sourcing more from renewable supplies that will benefit the Vermont economy and environment over the long run. Vermont Energy Independence Day is a celebration of these success stories and ultimately a film to share those stories with each other and the world. ”

The nonprofit Bright Blue EcoMedia – producers of the Emmy award-winning Bloom film series about phosphorus pollution to Lake Champlain – are facilitating the crowd-sourcing of video content at the project web site, march21st.org. Video submissions by will ultimately be woven into a documentary film.

“We want Vermonters to tell their own story, and express their vision for a responsible, sustainable energy future,” says Victor Guadagno, film producer from Bright Blue. “We’re hoping to hear and see the ‘what’ of these important steps, but perhaps more importantly the ‘why’. We encourage everyone to tell their personal stories about why the transition to energy independence is important to them.”

In addition to town energy committees, the project is built on a broad network of organizations laying the foundation for an energy renaissance in Vermont.

The Vermont Energy Education Program is networking with schools. VNRC, 350 Vermont and the Vermont Public Interest Research Group are creating citizen coalitions around climate change and renewable energy action. And the Vermont Energy Investment Corporation, Vermont Green, and Renewable Energy Vermont are building the business opportunities and job training networks that make
Vermont a nationwide energy leader.

“Renewable energy is already supplying over 40% of Vermont’s electricity, and the growth in new business opportunities in solar, wind, efficiency, geothermal, hydro, and biofuels is unprecedented,” says Gabrielle Stebbins, Executive Director of Renewable Energy Vermont. “Vermont’s energy path is bold, smart, clean, and green and we can lead the nation. Assembling these stories is a great way to express our  common path.”

This leadership is certainly stemming from a new era of energy development and community-based partnerships, but also through the ptimism of student and citizen action networks.

“The success of 350 Vermont in creating greater awareness around climate change has been from translating the complexity of science into the power of action by building a peoples’ movement to achieve real change,” says David Stember from 350 Vermont. “Vermont Energy Independence Day is a perfect example of our open source organizing because it allows many people to share their inspiring, hopeful stories in one amazing film.”

Students and teachers are encouraged to use this as an educational event by filming energy projects, interviewing leaders in their communities, and recording conversations between anyone and everyone about Vermont’s energy future.

“This semester’s class on ecological economics is using this opportunity to learn about the energy and climate change challenges facing our state,” says Jon Erickson, a University of Vermont professor and board member of Bright Blue. “I can lecture about the fundamental relationship between energy and economy and greenhouse gases, but my students will surely learn more by grabbing a camera and revealing these connections for themselves through interviews, conversations, and the power of film.”

To learn more about how you can get involved and to contribute your film to Vermont Energy Independence Day, visit march21st.org for all the details.

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The Vermont Natural Resources Council is pushing the Legislature to prioritize more efficient biomass plants in this year’s energy bill, but its pleas seem to be falling on deaf ears.

A bill in the House Committee on Natural Resources and Energy would require utilities to buy 35 percent of the electricity in their portfolios from “renewable” sources and shoots for a goal of 75 percent renewable electricity by 2032.

The most recent version of the bill makes a distinction between new renewable projects and existing ones that went on line before 2005. It doesn’t do much to separate or prioritize different types of renewable energy.

When it comes to different types of biomass, some say this is a problem.

Jamey Fidel, forest and biodiversity program director for the Vermont Natural Resources Council, said a report to the Legislature by the Biomass Energy Development Working Group, recommended a tiered structure that would reward more efficient electricity generating biomass projects.

The idea is to encourage more efficient projects that use less wood to produce the same amount of energy through better technology, including things like combined heat and power rather than the somewhat inefficient process of burning wood just for electricity.

Without some sort of tiered approach, the state would allow less efficient projects to go online and count toward the renewable portfolio standard, Fidel said.

“There’s no incentive at all for efficient projects without this,” Fidel said.

From an environmental standpoint, Fidel said, the more efficient a project is, the quicker it will become “carbon neutral,” meaning the carbon released by burning the wood has been captured by young trees. More efficient projects that use the heat from burned wood to create electricity and heat take less time to get to this neutral state because they emit less carbon, Fidel said.

“The basic premise is forests need to regrow,” Fidel said. “When you harvest wood and burn it, it releases carbon. It takes a lot longer for you to get that beneficial carbon neutral state the longer the process is.”

More efficient plants mean less carbon in the atmosphere.

According to a study by the Vermont Department of Forests, Parks and Recreation, the state has more than 4.5 million acres of forest land. Vermont harvests average around 2.7 million green tons of wood each year. The McNeil Generating Station in Burlington and the Ryegate Power Plant combined consume roughly 435,000 green tons of harvested chips, with less than half of that amount estimated to come from within the state.

A proposed combined heat and power plant in Fair Haven would demand about 362,000 tons of wood per year. Another plant in Springfield is awaiting approval from the Public Service Board.

While Fidel said some sort of “tiered” approach has widespread support among numerous stakeholders from industry representatives to environmentalists, the proposal has yet to make it into any of the energy bills drifting through the House Committee on Natural Resources and Energy.

Rep. Tony Klein, who chairs the committee, said a tiered approach to biomass is really a camouflage for getting rid of large biomass facilities.

Klein said his committee is trying to be “technology neutral.” He said the state has already worked to get rid of artificial restrictions that would allow one energy generator from qualifying as “renewable” while another similar project would not. The most high profile example is the state qualifying all hydroelectric power (including large-scale dams in Quebec) as “renewable.”

“I’m hesitant to, without a great deal of research and investigation, embark on another imposed restriction on another defined renewable,” Klein said. “That tiered structure, for better or for worse, would eliminate the possibility of large biomass in the state.”

On its current path, the state will fall short of its goal of getting 20 percent of its electricity from renewable generation projects by 2017.

If utilities contract with larger biomass facilities the state might meet that goal, Klein said.

But Fidel said meeting that goal and encouraging more efficient projects are not mutually exclusive. VNRC and others are pushing for language that would have the Department of Public Service and the Agency of Natural Resources develop some sort of efficiency standard.

For example, under proposed Massachusetts rules, projects that are very efficient would get a full renewable energy credit, which is a method of accounting for the “clean” nature of the power it produces, while a less efficient project gets a percentage of a credit.

Whether a project would qualify or not is still an open-ended question depending on how it’s designed, Fidel said.

Klein’s committee aims to vote on the bill by the end of this week.

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Contact:

Johanna Miller, Energy Program Director and VECAN Coordinator

Vermont Natural Resources Council/Vermont Energy and Climate Action Network

Phone: 802-223-2328 ext 112

Email: jmiller@vnrc.org • Web site: www.vnrc.org or www.vecan.net

Energy Opportunities, Urgency Focus of December 3 Conference
“Community Energy and Climate Action Conference” to Draw Hundreds

Montpelier — Many Vermonters and Vermont communities are wrestling with difficult questions regarding how they will meet their energy needs. The annual “Community Energy and Climate Action Conference” is designed to help them answer those questions. Organized by the Vermont Energy and Climate Action Network and UVM Extension, the day offers a great blend of access to expertise and resources on promising energy programs as well as opportunity for deep dialogue on some of more difficult challenging issues.

The issues on the docket for dialogue are many, and this year’s conference is particularly timely.

With the winter heating season upon us and energy prices rising, what are some strategies to help people reduce their energy bills? With a new state ‘comprehensive energy plan’ coming down the pipe, what’s in it, what’s the plan for its implementation and why does it matter to Vermont communities? With painful schisms erupting around renewable energy proposals, how can Vermonters address people’s concerns, overcome obstacles and bring much-needed renewable generation online?

This day is intended to help answer these and many other important questions, in part from overviews of particularly relevant state efforts by Department of Public Service Commissioner Elizabeth Miller as well as Agency of Natural Resources Secretary Deb Markowitz.

The conference is geared largely to the growing network of town energy committees and has drawn more than 250 community energy organizers the past two years, but is open to anyone interested. The agenda includes:

14 workshops overviewing some of the most timely, promising opportunities for energy efficiency and renewables.
An overview of the state’s new Comprehensive Energy Plan by DPS Commissioner Elizabeth Miller and of the Vermont Climate Cabinet from ANR Secretary Deb Markowitz.
Roundtable discussions intended to facilitate a deeper dialogue on hot issues like the Smart Grid, wind, biomass and more.
A provocative keynote by Vermont actor, activist and ‘creative roustabout’ Kathryn Blume.
Leadership awards for a deserving energy committee member, energy committee and innovative project.
Unparalleled opportunity for networking and information sharing.
A delicious lunch.

“This conference is all about getting involved in shaping Vermont’s energy future,” said conference co-organizer Johanna Miller, Energy Program Director at the Vermont Natural Resources Council. “It’s truly a ‘can’t miss’ event for anyone interested in learning how to help friends and neighbors save energy dollars, transition to renewables and reduce greenhouse gas emissions.”

“There are many environmental conferences, but this one actually teaches you something, without fail, to take back home to your energy committee and community and really use,” said Paul Fixx of Hardwick’s energy committee.

The conference is held at the Lake Morey Inn, Fairlee, VT, this Saturday, Dec. 3 from 8:30 a.m. – 4 p.m. Find out all the details — including carpooling options — and register today at http://www.regonline.com/2011Energy. The registration is $30, which includes a full lunch and morning refreshments. For more information, contact: Jessie Schmidt, UVM Extension at: 866-860-1382 extension 203 or Email: jessica.a.schmidt@uvm.edu.

About the Vermont Energy and Climate Action Network
The Vermont Energy and Climate Action Network (VECAN) is a network of organizations (Community Climate Action, New England Grassroots Environment Fund, Sustainable Energy Resource Group, Vermont Energy Investment Corporation and Vermont Natural Resources Council) whose mission is to start, support and strengthen town energy committees and their work to help their communities reduce energy costs and climate impacts through conservation, increased energy efficiency and conversion to renewable generation.

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September 22, 2011

Contact: Brian Shupe or Elizabeth Courtney, 802-223-2328

VNRC to Name Brian Shupe Executive Director

Elizabeth Courtney to Take on VNRC’s Legacy Project

Waitsfield — Brian Shupe was named the executive director of the Vermont Natural Resources Council during VNRC’s annual meeting at the Lareau Farm Inn in Waitsfield on Thursday.

Shupe, of Waitsfield, steps into the position that is being vacated by Elizabeth Courtney who is taking on another role at VNRC.

Shupe, who has served most recently as VNRC’s Deputy Director and Sustainable Communities Program Director, has 25 years of professional planning experience. Since moving to Vermont in 1988, he has served as executive director of the Mad River Valley Planning District, director of planning and zoning for the town of Stowe, and as program director at Smart Growth Vermont. He also was a partner with Burnt Rock Inc., Associates in Community Planning, a consulting firm.

“I am humbled and honored to take over as the new executive director,” said Shupe. He credited Courtney for her years of work on behalf of Vermont’s natural resources, communities, and VNRC itself.

“Elizabeth has been for many years Vermont’s environmental conscience,” Shupe said. “She has played that role with grace, civility, and deep determination for over two decades,” he said.

Courtney will not be leaving VNRC. She will be heading up the year-long Legacy Project, which will culminate next summer when VNRC celebrates its 50th year. The Legacy Project includes a focused fundraising campaign to assure that VNRC remains on strong fiscal ground for the next 50 years, and beyond. Courtney also, along with Board Member Eric Zencey and VNRC Advisor, Bill McKibben will be writing a book, Toward a Sustainable State, 50 years of the Environmental Movement in Vermont.

Courtney had high praise for Shupe and the staff at VNRC. “VNRC would not be the trusted and respected organization it is today without this incredible staff. It has been an honor to serve with these dedicated and talented individuals,” said Courtney.

The Vermont Natural Resources Council is an independent, nonprofit, research, education, and advocacy organization founded in 1963 to protect Vermont’s environment, economy, and quality of life. Nearly 6,000 households, businesses and organizations have joined VNRC in support of our mission to establish an approach to development that strengthens communities, enhances economic opportunity, and protects Vermont’s irreplaceable natural resources.

Biographical Information

Brian Shupe

Brian has 25 years of professional planning experience. Since moving to Vermont in 1988, he has served as Executive Director of the Mad River Valley Planning District and Director of Planning and Zoning for the Town of Stowe.

For nearly ten years he was a partner with Burnt Rock Inc., Associates in Community Planning. Burnt Rock provided an extensive range of technical services to local governments, state and regional agencies, non-profit organizations and citizen groups. Brian came to VNRC from Smart Growth Vermont, where he served as Director of Programs. In that capacity he was instrumental in the enactment of Vermont’s growth centers legislation and launching the organization’s community planning assistance program.

Throughout his career, Brian’s professional focus has been natural resource protection, growth management and sustainable development. Brian received an M.S. in Urban & Regional Planning from Florida State University. He lives in Waitsfield with his wife, Valerie, where he is involved with several community organizations

Elizabeth Courtney

Elizabeth has been Executive Director of VNRC since 1997.

She is a licensed landscape architect who received her Master of Regional Planning and Landscape Architecture degree from the University of Massachusetts at Amherst.

Elizabeth served as a Trustee of the Vermont Law School from 1995 to 2004.

She was a member of the Vermont Environmental Board from 1985 to 1994 and was its Chair from 1991-1994. During her nine years on the Board, she participated in many precedent-setting decisions on key Act 250 cases.

In 1995, Elizabeth was awarded a Loeb Fellowship in Advanced Environmental Studies at Harvard University and used the fellowship to conduct research at the Kennedy School of Government.

Elizabeth recently served as one of six members of the Governor’s Climate Change Commission.

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A bill that is pending in the Vermont Legislature would finally allow citizens a voice in environmental enforcement actions for violations that damage the state’s natural resources.

Under current law, when a polluter is found to have violated Vermont’s environmental laws, the polluter and the Agency of Natural Resources negotiate – for all practical purposes behind closed doors – just what the penalties should be.

Vermont government has a long tradition of open doors, not closed doors. A bill pending in the legislature, H.258, would allow citizens with a stake in the outcome to have a chance to weigh in on these environmental enforcement agreements before they are finalized. The bill would not give citizens the right to force higher, or even lower penalties, but it would allow them be able to say their piece before the deal is done.

Today, if ANR finds that a manufacturing facility, for example, has illegally discharged a harmful chemical into a river, that business and ANR negotiate a penalty finalized by a court without any input from the public. Vermont citizens –maybe the residents who routinely swim or go fishing just downstream from the discharge, for instance – have no way to comment on the deal before it’s finalized. Unless they check the ANR website daily, they would never know a settlement has been reached. Or that the complaint that they lodged was even investigated.

Under the pending bill, impacted citizens would have an opportunity to weigh in on the proposed sanctions.

Vermonters have a long history of open government. People trust an open government, and trust is critical for a strong democracy. This legislation continues Vermont’s good government tradition in the environmental enforcement arena. It builds trust between our citizens and our regulators by increasing communication among all parties. It sends a message to Vermonters that enforcing our environmental laws in an open, fair and appropriate manner is important.

We at the Vermont Natural Resources Council have a long-standing commitment to robust enforcement of our environmental regulations. In fact, in 2007, VNRC undertook the first ever evaluation of enforcement of the Agency of Natural Resources stormwater construction permit program. We visited almost 70 construction sites all over Vermont to assess how this water quality protection program was working. We documented numerous cases of non-compliance with permit requirements (almost all of the sites were in violation of this one particular permit) in this program – which is designed to keep pollution from washing into Vermont’s lakes and streams – and issued a report outlining our findings. To its credit, ANR is purported to have stepped up oversight, in part because of VNRC’s report and advocacy by VNRC and other conservation groups.

The environmental enforcement legislation under consideration in the State House is narrow in scope and straightforward. And because so few enforcement actions are brought each year, it would have an impact only in a few cases. For example, in 2010 – a typical year – ANR received approximately 1,000 complaints about possible violations of environmental laws. For that same year, ANR took formal action on only approximately 30 of them – the worst of the worst violations.

This modest bill is congruent with Vermont’s conservation ethic. It is congruent with our tradition of open government, and congruent with our eminently marketable Vermont “brand” because a clean and healthy Vermont is a place where people with creative ideas, lots of energy, and financial capital want to be. That’s good for the long-term vibrancy of Vermont. The legislature should pass this bill and the Governor should sign it into law.

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CONTACT:
Elizabeth Courtney
Executive Director
802-223-2328

Montpelier, VT – Vermont Natural Resources Council Executive Director Elizabeth Courtney announced today that VNRC has made several changes to its staff responsibilities and titles.

VNRC’s Sustainable Communities program director Brian Shupe has taken over as deputy director from Steve Holmes, who retired from VNRC at the end of 2010. Shupe has been the director of VNRC’s Sustainable Communities program since joining VNRC in 2008. He will continue to direct that program in addition to serving as deputy director.

Holmes remains under contract with VNRC to manage special projects.

Jamey Fidel, VNRC’s Forest and Biodiversity program director, will become VNRC’s general counsel while continuing to direct forest and wildlife related programs.

Jon Groveman had served as general counsel and water program co-director until January when the Shumlin administration tapped him to serve as the general counsel of the Agency of Natural Resources.

Additional VNRC staff, and their titles include:

• Jake Brown, Government Affairs & Communications
• Kim Greenwood, Water Program Director
• Johanna Miller, Energy Program Director
• Stephanie Mueller, Development Director
• Nina Otter, Membership & Outreach Coordinator
• James Sharp, Office Manager & IT Coordinator

About VNRC

The Vermont Natural Resources Council is an independent, member-based, nonprofit research, education, and advocacy organization founded in 1963 to protect Vermont’s environment, economy, and quality of life.

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