Clean Water Board to reconsider farming policies after input

(WCAX)
Published: Aug. 22, 2019 at 5:18 PM EDT
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Vermont's Clean Water Board says it's reconsidering policies for farming because of input from some of you. Our Kiernan Brisson takes you into Thursday's meeting in Montpelier to see what happened.

"This is a culmination of several meetings, the Clean Water Board with staff and others to allocate the clean water funds available and capital funds available among the different sectors and programs," said Susanne Young, the secretary of the Agency of Administration.

Each agency associated with the Clean Water board discussed with the public where its budget amounts were coming from and what the funds were going toward.

However, members of the public have voiced their opinion that the real issue is not being addressed: agriculture.

"This project, this budget, is more of the same," said Michael Colby of Regeneration Vermont. "It's ignoring the main problem which is the kind of agriculture that we are promoting in the state."

He's referring to concentrated dairy farming-- a lot of animals in not a lot of space producing a lot of waste.

The board's $33 million budget for 2021 includes $7,450,000 for the Vt. Agriculture Agency for ag-related nonpoint pollution reduction efforts and another $1,100,000 for water quality projects at the farm level.

Some believe an easy fix is in order to tackle issues with concentrated farming.

"What the biggest thing is to stop things for free is the re-occurring theme, we gotta stop the spreading, and it's the concentration spreading," Robert Corimier said.

Manure spreading causes runoff of chemicals from farmland, which may find its way into watersheds across the state.

However, plenty of farms across the state still spread manure across their crops.

Meanwhile, the board says it will use the comments in altering its plan for initiatives moving forward.

"We heard quite a bit of comment today about the need to rethink the agricultural model. So once the board has a chance to review all of that input, they will be able to discuss how to best adjust the budget to support the public input," said Emily Bird, the Clean Water Initiative program manager.