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Northeast Natural Resource Center - Sept./Oct. 2008

Thursday, August 28, 2008

(National Wildlife Federation)

NWF’s Vermont affiliate, VT Natural Resources Council, had a good year promoting progressive, statewide conservation legislation. "Current use" refers to a land taxation approach that bases property taxes on the "current" use of property. If the property is primarily used for foresty or farming then property taxes are significantly reduced. This year the law was expanded to allow enrolled landowners to add more property that meets critical wildlife habitat guidelines.

And regarding groundwater, VNRC successfully engineered passage of the state's first comprehensive groundwater bill. This protects recharge zones and acknowledges the public benefits of groundwater resources. Maintaining the integrity of these resources is important not only as drinking water supplies but as important supplements to cold-water fisheries systems. In Vermont that's especially true of brook trout populations.

Here are some links to the media coverage of these stories, and an op-ed that the BFP ran on the water issue.