Vermont Traditions Coalition
 

 

Representing Vermont's Original Conservationists.
 

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VERMONT TRADITIONS COALITION RENDITION

2010 Legislative Report
By Steve McLeod

The Vermont Traditions Coalition (VTC) is the only sporting organization whose mission is to finance two full-time, paid professional year round advocates for traditional land use issues, including hunting, fishing, and trapping, in the Legislature and other public policy arenas.  VTC is comprised of groups from the sporting, snowmobile, outdoor guide, farm, maple syrup, forest product, and lake association communities.

Fishing Access Renovations:
It was a good year for sportsmen in the 2010 Vermont Legislature.  The biggest news is that Sen. Phil Scott’s $1 million fishing access renovation and expansion program overcame some last minute hurdles to become law.  The Scott Fishing Access program leverages $250,000 in state funds to draw down federal funds for a total package approaching $1 million.  This marks the biggest state investment in fishing accesses in recent memory.  Vermont sorely needs fishing access improvements and expansions.  Scott is running in the Republican primary for Lieutenant Governor.  Should he win the Lieutenant Governor’s post, he can  hopefully use the stature of the Lieutenant Governor’s office to secure more funding for fishing access upgrades until the job is done.
 

Fish Hatcheries, Lamprey & Walleye Restoration:  Senator Scott’s Institutions Committee also teamed with the House Institutions Committee to pass $362,500 for various appropriations for lamprey control, badly needed fish hatchery upgrades, and the Lake Champlain Walleye Association’s acclaimed walleye restoration partnership with the Department of Fish & Wildlife.  Word out of Northwest Vermont is that walleye fishermen were having excellent early season luck fishing from the shores of the Missisquoi as well as from water craft.

Apprentice Hunting Bill:  The biggest hunting news from the 2010 Legislature is passage of the best hunter recruitment tool available to Vermont. The apprentice hunting bill (a.k.a. mentored hunting bill) would allow youths and adults who haven’t hunted before to receive an apprentice hunting license to hunt for one year without taking the hunter safety course.  The mentored license requires the new hunter to be closely supervised by an adult hunter. The goal of the bill is to give folks who haven’t hunted before a taste of the joy of hunting in hopes it entices some of them to take a hunter safety course and become lifelong hunters.  The bill created controversy over safety concerns, and there was a spirited floor debate in the Senate over proposed amendments before the bill passed. This legislation has been passed in twenty-nine other states, and no injuries have resulted.  Thus, advocates for the legislation including VTC believe that hunter safety will not be jeopardized.  Since Governor Jim Douglas and Fish & Wildlife Commissioner Wayne Laroche took office in 2003, the long-term decline in hunting license sales has reversed itself due to the Governor and Commissioner’s increased emphasis on promoting Vermont’s sporting heritage as a proud part of who we are.  VTC has high hopes that the apprentice hunting bill will play a key role in continuing the upward trend in license sales.

Gun Control Bills:  The anti-gun bills that were introduced this year failed to pass.  One anti-gun bill would require sportsmen to secure their guns in a locked place.  If someone was killed or injured by accessing an unsecured gun, the gun owner could serve significant jail time.  In other words, you could go to jail for simply owning a gun that was misused by someone else.  Maintaining a strong daily legislative presence is key on this issue and all issues.  VTC and the National Rifle Association work very closely on gun issues.  VTC serves as a daily legislative presence and legislative coordinator, and the NRA and other sporting organizations make legislative appearances when needed. 

Ban On Felt Soled Waders:  Legislation passed banning the use of felt soled waders starting in 2011.  The reason for this legislation is that national studies convincingly document that felt soles are a transport vehicle for the dreaded rock snot weed that can choke rivers and streams.  Rock snot has been found in small areas on the Connecticut River, White River, and Mad River. 

Effort To Get Snowmobiles, ATVS & Motor Vehicles Off The Ice Fails:  Rep. David Deen (D-Putney) introduced legislation that would have subjected use of these vehicles for ice fishing to a new regulatory agency.  There’s no telling what regulations might have come out of it.  The present system for regulating use of motorized vehicles on the ice is working just fine.  Rep. Deen did not push the bill after its introduction, and it died.  Bills of one kind or anther that carry potentially damaging consequences to the sporting community are introduced every year.  Being available on a daily basis positions VTC to be an information source as needed on bills of this nature.

Recreational Law Enforcement Changes:  Legislation surfaced in 2009-2010 that would have brought all state law enforcement agencies including the Department of Fish & Wildlife under the supervision of the Vermont State Police.  VTC opposed this concept, because of concerns that the change would dilute the Department of Fish & Wildlife’s focus on wildlife and recreational enforcement into more generalized police issues.  VTC and a few other groups made our concerns known to the House Government Operations Committee.  The proposal was changed to require the various state law enforcement agencies to work together on money saving efficiencies, and report back to the Legislature in 201l.  The modified proposal passed with VTC’s blessing.  The contents of the 2011 report back to the Legislature will dictate whether this issue comes up again.

$10 Million Tax Increase Against Open Landowners Is Defeated:  House and Senate Democrats and a coalition spearheaded by the Vermont Land Trust battled with Gov. Jim Douglas, Lt. Governor Brian Dubie, Republican legislators, Democrats who are strong advocates of traditional land uses, and a coalition led by the Vermont Forest Products Association, VTC, and the Vermont Maple Sugar Makers Association over a $10 million tax increase for farm, timber, and maple syrup lands down to the very last moments of the Legislative session. The tax increase passed the Legislature. However, this tax increase to a program known as the current use program was defeated by a Gov. Douglas VETO that the Legislature decided not to contest.  The tax increase would have affected many of the landowners who host the sporting community for hunting and fishing, and inevitably would have led to development of some of this land because it was no longer viable for farming, timbering, or maple.

Dunn Property-Lake Memphremagog:  There’s a strong chance that the public will be gifted 468 acres of Lake Memphremagog shore line owned by the late Michael Dunn.  The land would be owned by the federal government and managed by the State of Vermont.  A legislative resolution under consideration this session stated that the land would be used for “passive recreation.”  This implies that some uses such as expansion of a popular fishing access site would not be allowed.  VTC successfully worked with Sen. Vince Illuzzi (R-Orleans-Essex), Rep. Robert Lewis (R-Derby) and the Douglas administration to delete the word “passive” from the Resolution.  Mr. Dunn had always allowed the land to be used for all recreational uses, and this wording change will allow all uses to be considered.

Improvements to Maidstone Lake Road & Averill Lakes Road:  During the last two years, VTC worked with Sen. Scott, former Department of Forests, Parks & Recreation Commissioner Jason Gibbs (now running for Secretary of State), and Sen. John Campbell (D-Windsor County) on appropriations for access roads to these two lakes which host state fishing accesses.  Maidstone Lake also hosts a State Park.  These access roads will remain as rustic dirt roads, but should be in much better shape as a result of legislation passed by the Legislature.

Compromise on Trails Bill: VTC supported the effort of the Vermont Association of Snow Travelers (VAST) and Rep. Bill Johnson (R-Canaan) to pass legislation to prevent towns from increasing property valuations and taxes on landowners who host snowmobile trails.  The Town of Canaan had increased the property valuations of some snowmobile trail hosts in 2009.  If other towns follow Canaan’s lead, trail systems of all kinds that depend on permission of private landowners could be shut down throughout Vermont.  The legislation ran head on into opposition from the Association of Listers, Vermont League of Cities & Towns, and concerns from the Vermont Tax Department.  Opposition stemmed from fears that exempting trails from property valuations could lead to requests for numerous other exemptions.  The House passed the legislation as an amendment to the larger Miscellaneous Tax Bill. The Senate deleted the trails legislation from the larger bill. Conference Committees from both bodies met, and a last minute compromise passed that states a legislative intent to remove trails from property valuation consideration.  The legislation requires various other steps and a report back to the Legislature in 2011 regarding progress in abandoning the practice.  VTC regards the compromise as a promising means of resolving the threat.  The information in the 2011 report back to the legislature will dictate whether this issue needs to be re-visited.

VTC Clashes with HSUS Again:  For the last six years, the anti-hunting, & anti-animal agriculture organization, the Humane Society of the United States has deployed a team of lobbyists to the Vermont Legislature.  Each year, HSUS either attacks hunting, pet ownership practices including hunting dog owner practices and dog breeder practices, or livestock rearing practices.  For the past 2 years, Frank Stanley of VTC has done yeoman’s work in educating legislators to the extreme views of this organization and in opposing various HSUS initiatives.  Nevertheless, HSUS has friends in the State House.

     This year, the battle ground was animal agriculture, and the HSUS target was slaughter houses.  Lack of slaughter houses has been a problem for Vermont’s agriculture industry.  In recent years, some progress has been made in addressing the slaughter house shortage.  This year, HSUS pushed legislation that Department of Agriculture, Food & Markets Secretary Roger Albee said could put many Vermont slaughter houses out of business.  Frank and the Vermont Federation of Dog Clubs, a new VTC member organization, worked tirelessly with the House & Senate Agriculture Committees all session on the slaughter house and pet breeding issues, and finally were able to contain HSUS’s attempts at attacking both of these important Vermont traditions. 

     HSUS and other organizations hostile to Vermont’s rural culture are growing every year.  There’s groups that fight against every one of our rural traditions—no exceptions: motorized recreation on land or water, access roads to public land, tree cutting, hunting, fishing, eating meat, traditional agriculture, or even being in the woods (disturbs the animals, bugs, and reptiles-don’t you know).  Their representatives are smart, well organized, and well-financed.  Believe it or not, we are outnumbered.  Members of the VTC network are always welcome to join us in the State House for a day or as long as you want (we’ll put you to work if you stay more than a few days) to see for yourselves.  At VTC, we inevitably find ourselves on the front lines of these battles.  We must continue to financially build our organization if we are to succeed in protecting our traditions.

 Threat to Trails and Other Recreational Pastimes Resolved:
Since 2008, the Vermont Legislature has been addressing whether Vermont should prohibit alteration of vegetation adjacent to lakes, ponds, and streams.  This highly restrictive so-called “riparian buffer” legislation would stalemate trails across streams, new recreational access to water, various farm, timber, and miscellaneous private property uses.  In 2008, VTC successfully led the effort to exempt trails over water bodies and fishing access uses from the legislation.  The 2008 legislation was defeated and the bill came back in 2009-2010.  Finally, in 2010, the Fish & Wildlife Committee of the Vermont House of Representatives successfully proposed a non-restrictive model that encourages local communities to adopt regulations pertaining to streamside uses.  The 2010 legislation is a significant improvement, but VTC’s member groups need to keep an eye on any local efforts to initiate regulations that are overly restrictive.  Finally, it appears that the Legislature is finished with this issue.

Candy Tax AbandonedThis tax was discussed in the Senate Finance Committee as a possible means of resolving Vermont’s fiscal crisis.  VTC and the Vermont Maple Sugar Makers Association, a VTC member organization, indicated our opposition to the candy tax or at least the maple products portion of it.  The committee wound up moving away from the concept.  However, expect this proposal to be back in 2011.

***

 Conte Refuge: Comprehensive Conservation Planning  
Your Written Public Comments are needed! 

The U. S. Fish and Wildlife Service is starting work on a comprehensive conservation plan (CCP) for the Silvio O. Conte National Fish and Wildlife Refuge (Refuge). The plan will establish management goals and objectives for all refuge programs over the next 15 years.

The Center for Biological Diversity and other environmental groups want to shut down the snowmobile trail system, close the 40 mile road system, ban timber management, and turn this 26,000 acre federal portion of the former Champion Lands into a federally designated "wilderness" area that shuts down public access.  Target shooting needs to be restored, the road system and snowmobile trails need to be stay, and the land needs to be timber managed so as to create more abundant wildlife. 

The Vermont Traditions Coalition needs you to say exactly that to the Conte Refuge Service.  For more talking points, contact us at: sbmcvt@aol.com

Please send your written comments to Andrew_French@fws.gov

If you want to visit the Conte Refuge, go to
http://www.fws.gov/northeast/planning/Conte/ccphome.html

Your comments will make a difference!  Don't let the extremists take away your heritage!

***

Lead Bill: A bill in the House of Representatives will require eradication of lead paint associated materials on houses and a bill in the Senate outlaws consumer products with unsafe lead components. These bills, if left in their current form, could prevent use of lead ammunition, and negatively impact hunting, shooting ranges, and home re-loading. Last year, VTC negotiated an exemption to this bill with the Attorney General's office and worked in association with the Hunter, Angler, Trapper Assn., Vt. Federation of Sportsmen's Clubs, Gun Owners of Vt., and NRA to win approval of the exemption by the House General & Military Committee. This bill has since moved to the House Human Services Committee. Long-time traditional use advocate, Rep. Mary Morrissey (R-Bennington), who is a member of the Human Services Committee, spoke at the January 9 meeting about the need to vigilantly defend the exemption in the bill as it now stands and to ward off any attempts to water down this exemption or end run it with the Senate Bill. VTC will work closely with Rep. Morrissey and others along these lines.

http://www.leg.state.vt.us/database/status/summary.cfm?Bill=
H%2E0352&Session=2008

http://www.leg.state.vt.us/database/status/summary.cfm?Bill=
S%2E0152&Session=2008

***

Riparian Buffer Bill: Testimony and drafting of this bill has taken place every day from the beginning of the Legislature through Friday, January 25. VTC has been at all committee proceedings, and we are working on a number of exemptions for traditional use activities from the restrictions the bill imposes. As it is written now, this bill would place a 50 foot buffer zone from the "top of the slope" on both sides of every lake, pond, and stream (even intermittent streams) in Vermont. Alteration of vegetation within the buffer zone will be prohibited unless allowed by Agency of Natural Resources rules. These restrictions are the reason VTC has become so involved in seeking exemptions from the requirements of the bill.
Update:  As of May 1st the Riparian Buffer Bill was ordered to Lie. It is expected to come back in the 2009 Legislative Session.

http://www.leg.state.vt.us/database/status/summary.cfm?Bill=
H%2E0549&Session=2008

***

Fish & Wildlife Funding Bill: This bill that would provide new sources of funding for the Dept. of Fish & Wildlife is not moving at all right now. VTC is involved in this bill to make sure that the department is adequately funded, but also to make sure that the Department's focus doesn't shift away from fishing, hunting & trapping.
Update:  Nothing has happened with the bill this year, but the Vermont Wildlife Partnership is expected to continue pressing for the 1/8 of 1 Percent Sales Tax.  This shift in tax revenues is not in the best interest of Vermonters.  VTC will work to find alternatives to increase funding for the Dept. keeping the interests of sportsmen in mind rather than the environmental groups.

http://www.leg.state.vt.us/database/status/summary.cfm?Bill=
H%2E0543&Session=2008

***

Green Mountain National Forest: The Vermont Traditions Coalition, Vermont Forest Products Association and Associated Industries of Vermont Forest Policy Council filed separate appeals of the Final Green Mt. Forest Plan.
The VTC appeal opposes the Plan's wilderness designation and raises five related grounds of appeal.  The AIV appeal reiterates most of the VTC grounds of appeal and charges the Green Mt. Forest Service with failing to fulfill its obligations pursuant to a litigation settlement of appeals involving the 1987 GMNF Plan.
The VTC Appeal Team believes these appeals make a provocative statement that stand a reasonable chance of success on the merits.

More to come!!

***

Committee on the Future of Vermont State Parks: VTC delegates Stevens and McLeod were appointed to this Commission by Governor Douglas. We have put forward several proposals including a recommendation that the Commission call for accelerated timber cutting on all Agency of Natural Resources Lands. Our recommendation is consistent with Governor Douglas's recent directive to the Agency to make more land available for timber cutting and to accelerate the cuts. Game populations and the rural economy will come out the winner as well as other wildlife species.

http://www.anr.state.vt.us/site/cfm/TVWF/taskforceinfo.cfm?
taskforce=SP

If you want to help with any of these issues, please contact us. info@vermonttraditions.org

 

 



 
 
 
 
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Vermont Traditions Coalition, Steve McLeod, Executive Director, 127 Sports Club Dr. #123, Bolton, VT 05477

Phone: 802-434-3346  Fax: 802-434-3346

info@vermonttraditions.org
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