Keeping Our State Green.

• Author: Sinclair, Mark
• Position: Conservation Law Foundation in Vermont - Brief Article

CLF IN VERMONT IS ...

Restoring Lake Champlain

CLF is pursuing a unique, overdue advocacy approach to cleaning up Lake Champlain -- by addressing serious pollution problems caused by over-development, inadequate wastewater treatment, and farm field run-off. Waters flowing into the lake are loaded with phosphorus and other pollutants, in violation of Vermont water quality standards designed to protect public health. CLF is working with farmers to control phosphorus run-off, and we're advocating more effective wastewater treatment systems. We're also expressing concern for the lake's health, and, as sprawl spreads in the polluted watershed, challenging harmful development projects.

A significant source of the phosphorus is stormwater run-off, from non-absorbent surfaces like parking lots and rooftops. Despite continuing erosion of Champlain's water quality, the state environmental agency routinely issues permits for commercial and residential development projects -- without sufficient stormwater controls. CLF is appealing several such permits granted to Large South Burlington development projects. We're also working with the state to overhaul and update the stormwater permitting process -- an essential element of reducing Lake Champlain pollution.

Preserving Vermont's Agricultural Resources

This spring, CLF won a victory that protects prime Bennington County farmland from becoming the site of a sprawling retirement facility. We convinced the state environmental board to reject the proposal; it would have set a precedent for other development projects.

The case tested Act 250 -- Vermont's land use Law. The developer had tried to satisfy the law's farmland protection requirement, with a controversial practice known as "off-site mitigation." Never authorized by law, it allows developers to build on farmland by contributing to a state fund that preserves other, less threatened land. It enables developers to buy building permits for farmland, in exchange for the uncertain protection of land that may never face development pressure. It is being used increasingly to weaken Act 250. CLF argued that there are no standards in place to guide this program, and no information available about its effectiveness in actually preserving farmland. The Environmental Board responded favorably to our concerns. This victory means that Act 250 will be strictly enforced, to protect farmland from inappropriate development.

Preventing Sprawl & Promoting Smart Growth

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