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Current Issues
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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 Abandoned:
This 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.
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