This week at the WRC: 9/9 - 9/13
- September 10, 6:00 pm: Executive Board
- September 12, 5:30 pm: Community Development Committee
Full Meetings and Events Calendar, and Warnings | Current Newsletter | July 2024 Staff Report
**All Committee meetings take place virtually via Zoom and at the WRC office unless otherwise noted.
From the Director, Summer 2024: Thinking Continentally & Acting Locally on Large-Scale Landscape Conservation & Habitat Connectivity
In June I joined over 170 participants from the U.S., Canada, and Indigenous nations for the first Northeastern North America/Turtle Island Landscape Connectivity Summit to discuss collaboration towards conserving and connecting habitat blocks across northern Appalachia. This incredibly inspiring and productive gathering was co-hosted by the Quebec Labrador Foundation and the Center for Large Landscape Conservation on behalf of the Staying Connected Initiative partnership. One of the challenges that kept coming up was local capacity; local in this case being at the county/regional and municipal scales in both the U.S. and Canada. What I have found in this setting and others including the Staying Connected Initiative, the Connecticut River Watershed Partnership, and Berkshire Wildlife Linkage is that while there is broad recognition among federal and state agencies and non-profit conservation organizations that local capacity is a challenge, understanding the exact nature of the challenges – as well as the responsibilities and opportunities – needs definition to develop actionable solutions. To this end, I’m proposing that county/regional-scale and municipal governments from the states and provinces, as well as Indigenous nations, be convened to describe the contexts in which they are, and are not, able to effectively engage in conservation discussions and actions. I’m optimistic this will happen!
MERP Implementation Grants
Vermont Buildings and General Services, administrators of the Municipal Energy Resilience Program (MERP) announced last week that, due to a number of factors, only municipalities that received energy audits in the program and that were listed as High or Highest Energy Burden municipalities in the 2019 Energy Burden Report will be able to apply for implementation fund grants under the program.
WRC Welcomes New Planner!
Greetings everyone! My name is Anand Fedele, and I am a new Assistant Planner at WRC. I was initially brought on as an intern to support the Windham Resiliency Zone Project, but since then, transitioned to a full-time role on the Commission’s staff. I am originally from Rockport, Massachusetts, but moved to the Pioneer Valley in 2021 to attend UMass Amherst. Throughout college, I gained experience doing non-profit outreach and environmental education in Eastern and Western Massachusetts. After graduation, I made a short trek north and now live in Brattleboro near the WRC office.
Windham Region Towns Awarded VTrans Bicycle and Pedestrian Funding
Two towns in the Windham Region were awarded funding in the most recent round of VTrans Bicycle and Pedestrian grants for projects that will improve bicycle and pedestrian mobility in the region.
Newfane was awarded more than $500,000 in funding for the restoration of the existing sidewalks in the village, as well for the construction of new sections of sidewalk along Newfane Common and along the southern end of the village to Loop Road. This project will also create a raised crosswalk across Route 30 at the intersection of Court and Jail Streets adjacent to the Newfane Country Store, as well as add three conventional painted crosswalks across VT-30 within the village. This construction grant is the result of several years of collaboration between the town of Newfane, VTrans, the Windham Regional Commission and the consulting firm Dubois & King. This project had previously been scoped and designed through a grant from the VTrans Transportation Alternatives program that provided detailed designs that will be used as the basis for the sidewalk construction project.
FEMA Hazard Mitigation Funding Opportunity – Build Resilience!
Following the July 2023 flooding, an unprecedented amount of FEMA hazard mitigation funding is available to Vermont towns and other eligible applicants for projects that reduce the risk of flooding or other hazards. Entities interested in applying do not need to have damages from that event. Towns and other eligible applicants seeking funding for hazard mitigation projects must complete the Pre-Application Form by June 21, 2024. Pre-Applications will be evaluated for eligibility, feasibility, and cost-effectiveness. Projects found to meet these requirements will then be invited to apply, provided technical assistance (if requested), and submitted to FEMA once completed, by late 2024.
Resilience Initiative for Vermont Empowerment and Recovery (RIVER)
RIVER is a project dedicated to developing locally supported ideas for reducing flood damage in several municipalities around the state that were hit hard in July 2023. In the WRC Region, that includes Jamaica, Londonderry and Weston. Community discussions for this project are being led by the WRC in concert with the affected towns. Information about the project overall is available on the project website.
Disasters and WRC Support for Towns
Dear Towns and WRC Commissioners:
Both before a disaster and after we strive to help towns through the response and recovery process. This is an overview of our role and who on our staff to contact about what. We’ve worked hard both within the region and with the state in the years since tropical storm Irene to put processes in place to help avoid confusion and duplication of effort. Unfortunately we’ve had multiple disasters since Irene that have helped us hone lines of communication and distribution of guidance, and build relationships with our staff so your emergency management directors, road foremen, town administrators and managers, and selectboard chairs know who to go to with questions. Because there’s constant change among selectboards, they may be less familiar with our role in support of towns.
From the Director, Spring 2024: Housing: What can towns, and the region, really do about creating more?
We’re deep in a housing crisis that was decades in the making. What can towns, and the Windham Regional Commission, do about it? Towns can actually take concrete steps to create favorable conditions for more housing. Regions can help with higher-level planning and support of municipal efforts, but we don’t have the authority to take the actions that towns are empowered to take like planning and building infrastructure, streamlining zoning and permitting, and even providing access to land. To that end it's often supporting the work of towns where we can make the most difference.
WRC Transportation Committee to Make Structural Changes
The Windham Regional Commission has begun the process of transitioning our Transportation Committee to a Transportation Advisory Committee. The change in structure of the WRC Transportation Committee will give all towns the option to appoint a dedicated representative to the Transportation Advisory Committee outside of the normal commissioner structure of the Windham Regional Commission. The goal of the process is to expand regional representation on the Committee, include more towns in the regional transportation planning process and create a broader regional forum to discuss shared transportation challenges and the impact of statewide transportation policy.
An Update On The Municipal Energy Resilience Program
The Municipal Energy Resiliency Program (MERP) is underway with the capacity building mini grants being distributed to municipalities who applied throughout the end of May into June. Towns are using these funds to educate their communities on energy and resilience topics, state and federal programs that residents can leverage to make their homes more efficient, Americans with Disabilities Act audits of municipal buildings and a host of other approved uses. The Town of Wilmington is using the mini grant funds to host an energy fair at the new public safety complex.
From the Director, January 2024: Understanding the Story of Town Government & Its Limitations
In October the WRC co-hosted with the Vermont League of Cities and Towns a convening in Townshend of selectboard members from throughout the region for them to have a conversation with one another, and for us to hear what they have to say about the things they’re dealing with. Many of these volunteer elected municipal leaders give dozens of hours of their time each week to the needs of their respective towns, and it’s still not enough. Their work has become more complex. They’re navigating damage done by storm after storm, navigating state and federal requirements across multiple programs, trying to hire and retain personnel hiring, coping with a diminishing town service volunteer pool, managing major infrastructure planning and investment, and, in cases, dealing with personal attacks and intentional obstruction of public proceedings. Everyone who attended wanted to keep the conversation going, so we’ll make sure that happens.
Protecting Unique Wetlands and Rivers through Reclassification
WRC has received funding support to work with municipalities to learn about reclassification of surface waters meeting a high level of water quality. WRC will be focusing on wetlands that meet the Class 1 criteria and rivers that are eligible for a higher level of classification. This work is supported through a grant provided by the Vermont Department of Environmental Conservation. Activities will begin this Summer and will continue through Fall 2024. Does your town have a unique wetland or a river that is exceptional for aquatic habitat, fishing, or is used as a public water source? Reclassification might be a great tool for protecting the quality of these waters into the future.
WRC Hosts Natural Resources Board Staff for a “Getting to know Act 250” Presentation
On the evening of May 1st 2023, WRC hosted Vermont Natural Resources Board staff for a “Getting to Know Act 250” presentation. In attendance from the NRB were: Sabina Haskell, Chair; Peter Gill, Executive Director; Aaron Brondyke, State Coordinator; Stephanie Gile, District 2 Coordinator; and Quin Mann, District Coordinator. It was a great opportunity for attendees to learn more about such things as: the structure and workings of Act 250; how to effectively field questions from the public regarding the need for an Act 250 permit; how to engage in the process; and how to look projects up on the Act 250 database. If you ever have specific questions about Act 250, you can reach out to either Alyssa Sabetto at WRC or to Act 250 District Coordinator, Stephanie Gile at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..
WRC Hosted Informational Session on Floodplain Map Update Starting Soon
On the evening of May 8th 2023, WRC hosted Ned Swanberg, Vermont Flood Hazard Mapping Coordinator with the VT DEC Rivers Program, for a “NFIP Map Update Informational Session”. The Session provided region specific detail about the coming FEMA National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP) map update process. This update process will be taking place for all Vermont counties and information is available here. The Session was a great opportunity to learn more about: the map update process, the timing of the updates for each county in the region, basics of the data behind the map update and how the new maps will alter the Special Flood Hazard Area. Many town flood hazard bylaws will need to be updated in conjunction with the new FEMA maps going effective. If you’d like to get that process started, reach out to Alyssa Sabetto. Questions about the map update process can be directed to either Ned Swanberg via This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. or John Broker-Campbell via This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.. A copy of the presentation is here, an informational flyer for the region is here, and the link to the recording is here.
WRC Hosts Webinar on Regional Plan Update Project
WRC staff hosted a webinar on the Windham Regional Plan update project on Wednesday, May 10th, 2023. WRC Committees have spent the last several months working with staff to review the current Regional Plan and identify sections and policies that need to be updated based on issues and challenges the region is facing and future areas of concern. This webinar provided towns, local organizations, and members of the public with an overview of the purpose of the Regional Plan, updated demographic data for the region, and some of the priority areas the update will focus on. The presentation slides can be downloaded here and the link to the recording is here.
