Lawmakers need to hear from you today on two bills - H126 and S5.
It's time to take action for forests at the VT State House!
Here are two important bills where your input can make a difference, today:
Get biofuels out of the Affordable Heat Act!
Please contact your local legislators to share your concerns about S5, the Affordable Heat Act. Amendments proposed by the Stop VT Biomass coalition, including Standing Trees, 350VT, Vermonters for a Clean Environment, and Partnership for Policy Integrity, would remove harmful provisions in the bill that incentivize false climate solutions like biomass power plants, biomass district heating systems, and so-called "advanced wood heat" pellet stoves. For more info, check out our press release, the associated sign-on letter, and our proposed changes. You can find the contact information for your legislator here.
Speak up for VT's visionary 30x30 and 50x50 legislation, H126!
Vermont's nation-leading proposed legislation to protect and restore the landscapes and biodiversity we know and love is under consideration by the Senate Committee on Natural Resources and Energy after successfully passing out of the VT House. This bold legislation would put Vermont Conservation Design into action, requiring the state to meet goals for protecting, connecting, and restoring old forests, wetlands, riparian areas, and other vital ecosystems.
Last year, the Vermont House and Senate resoundingly passed H606, also called the Community Resilience and Biodiversity Protection Act, before the bill was vetoed by Governor Scott. This year, the legislation is back in action in Montpelier with a new bill number, H126, but its success last session has invited stronger pushback from detractors than the bill experienced during the last go-round. The Vermont Democratic Party seems prepared to go to bat for the legislation even more than last session, even if it requires a veto override, but we need to shore up support for this important conservation measure.
Although we have advocated in our own testimony for even stronger and clearer goals to protect wild forests, we remain optimistic that the current legislation sets the stage for Vermont to protect at least 10% of the state as permanent wildlands, tripling the current amount of protected acreage.
Please contact members of the committee to ask them to support or strengthen the version that passed out of the House, and block any attempts at weakening the bill. Email addresses for all members of the Senate Natural Resources and Energy Committee are below.
cbray@leg.state.vt.us (Sen Bray, Addison District - Chair)
awatson@leg.state.vt.us (Sen Watson, Washington District - Vice Chair)
rmccormack@leg.state.vt.us (Sen McCormack, Windsor District)
mmacdonald@leg.state.vt.us (Sen Macdonald, Orange District)
rwhite@leg.state.vt.us (Sen White, Windsor District)
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