[A] federal appropriations bill released Monday includes money to bolster Lake Champlain cleanup and other conservation efforts, as well as improvements to historic downtowns across the state, according to Sen. Patrick Leahy, D-Vt.
The money is part of an Appropriations Committee bill on the Interior, Environment and Related Agencies, for the 2018 fiscal year, which began in October. House and Senate versions now must be reconciled in negotiations before going to the full Senate for a vote.
Though the bill has a ways to travel, Leahy’s office described it as a “key victory” for Lake Champlain cleanup and the state as a whole.
“While I am deeply disappointed that the overall bill has bowed to the anti-science know-nothingism of President Trump by slashing environmental programs and denying the reality of climate change, I am glad we were able to secure funding for programs that are vitally important for Lake Champlain and conservation efforts across our state,” Leahy said in a statement.
The bill includes:
- A $4 million increase to the Lake Champlain Program for a total of $8.4 million.
- An $8 million increase, for a total $444 million, for the EPA Geographic Programs.
- A $3 million increase for a new federal Historic Revitalization Grants program.
- A $100,000 increase, for a total $489,000, to for the Lake Champlain Sea Lamprey Control Program.
- A $35 million increase, for a total $106.5 million, for U.S. Forest Service capital improvements.
- An allocation of $1.8 million for Forest Service acquisition of Rolston Rest, an area of more than 2,000 acres primarily in the town of Chittenden. It includes sections of the Long Trail, the Catamount Trail and a VAST trail. The Trust for Public Land has been working with the Forest Service to purchase privately owned parcels in the area and add them to the National Forest.
The additional money for Lake Champlain cleanup is likely to be welcomed by state officials, but it won’t do much to resolve the long-term need for resources to reduce the amount of phosphorus flowing into the lake, which results in the spread of toxic bacteria and algae blooms.
The total cost of the lake cleanup is expected to top $2 billion over the next 20 years. State Treasurer Beth Pearce has estimated Vermonters will need to fund a $25 million yearly “gap” in order for the state to come into compliance with EPA requirements.
Gov. Phil Scott has resisted designating a new revenue source for lake cleanup efforts and has instead suggested bonding to cover those costs. Pearce says the state can do so in the short term but not in the long term.
The increased money for Forest Service capital projects could help Green Mountain National Forest administrators realize a long-held goal of building their own headquarters in the Rutland area.
For the last 25 years, the regional supervisor’s office and visitor center have been located in leased space in Rutland. A portion of the increased capital budget would likely go to building a new facility on Forest Service property in Mendon, according to Leahy’s news release.
“In a perfect world we would have our own Forest Service-owned facility, and for many years we’ve been looking different options to make that happen,” said Ethan Ready, public affairs officer for the Green Mountain and Finger Lakes National Forest.
The $106.5 million in capital funding, should it be approved, is also slated to go toward trail repair and construction of new facilities intended to increase access to the national forests.
Those improvements could include infrastructure for summer all-terrain vehicle use, which is included in a five- to seven-year U.S. Department of Agriculture plan known as the South of Route 9 Integrated Resource Project.
Ready said any proposals to further expand the use of ATVs on Forest Service land would be considered on a “case-by-case” basis, which would include gathering public input.
