Advocacy

Get Active for Audubon

Increasingly, public issues arise that are of strong and direct interest to Audubon
members in Addison County.  These issues might be at the local, state, national
or international level.  To receive Audubon Action Alerts on state and national
issues of urgency, sign up at http://audubonaction.org/audubon/join.html

Vermont has a strong tradition of speaking out for what is right and just.  On this website, we will seek to present information on issues about birds and bird conservation that will enable you to be informed advocates with your elected officials or other decision makers.  With your help, we’ll seek to weigh in on those that have a local impact on wildlife conservation, environmental protection, and proactive policy making.

Issues we are following during Vermont’s 2012 legislative session:

Most of these issues relate to management and conservation of bird habitat in Vermont during this critical time of budget belt-tightening.

• Funding for the Use Value Appraisal program (“current use”).
  • The VT House passed H.237 last year. It provides for a revised penalty structure for early withdrawal from the program and makes administrative efficiency changes, including electronic tracking of participating landowners. The VT Senate needs to pass the bill this session. (more information)
  • Update: The Vermont House passed H.237 last year. In spite of widespread popular and interest- group support H.237 bogged down in the Senate in last-minute debate and remained in committee.
• Funding for the Vermont Housing and Conservation Trust Fund.
  • Funding is always a struggle. It’s important not to separate funding for housing from funding for conservation, which turns collaboration into confrontation. In recent years funding has come from a combination of budget funds and capital expenditures.
  • Update: H.781 provided funding of $13.7 million for the Vermont Housing and Conservation Board. It was delivered to Governor Shumlin for his signature on 12 May 2012.
• Funding for the Vermont Fish and Wildlife Department and the Vermont Forest and Parks Department.
  • A decline in the sale of hunting and fishing licenses, the traditional funding source for this department, threatens its ability to continue programs that have a positive impact on both game and non-game species. Urge legislative support for a $2.5 million add-on for Fish and Wildlife Dept. funding.
  • Update: A $2.5 million budget add-on was approved through support of OCAS and other like- minded groups.
• Two Proposed Energy Bills
  • Support H.468 to create a mandatory Renewable Energy Standard for Vermont (more information) and H.475 to simplify net-metering connections for renewable energy systems (more information).
  • Update: The mandatory Renewable Energy Standard, originally in H.468, was stripped from S.214, the bill to which it was transferred. S.214, without the Renewable Energy Standard, was delivered to the Governor for signature on 14 May 2012. H.475, simplifying and speeding net-metering connections, passed and was signed by the Governor on 11 May 2012.
• Emergency Stream Alteration Guidelines
  • Several bills have been proposed that aim to prevent the overreaction in stream excavation work such as took place following Tropical Storm Irene.  These bills will be subject to pruning and consolidation.  One that may persist in some form is H. 546, recommending that guidelines be developed by the Agency of Natural Resources for emergency stream alterations and that training be required for ANR staff who will be overseeing implementation of these newly developed emergency stream alteration guidelines.
  • Update: S.202 requires the Agency of Natural Resources (ANR) to develop rules to regulate buildings in flood zones and requires ANR to hold training sessions on stream alteration, fish and wildlife habitat and wastewater discharges, the objectives of H.546 which OCAS supported.

Issues related to birds and bird conservation at the federal level include:

• Reauthorization of the Neo-tropical Migratory Bird Conservation Act.
  • Neotropical Migratory Bird Conservation Act: Formerly funded for five years, but now renewed year by year. Audubon is pushing for a more permanent funding solution (more information).
• Climate change and energy.  (See background articles in Otter Tracks.)
  • Encourage President Obama and your congressmen to continue to oppose the Keystone Pipeline.  TransCanada may try to revive the project by submitting a new proposal. NASA climate scientist James Hanson has said “Essentially, it’s game over for the planet” if the pipeline is built because of the massive amounts of greenhouse gases released. (more information: link 1, link 2)
• Conservation funding for:
  • Land and Water Conservation Fund
    • Provides essential funding for State Wildlife Grants to keep Vermont species of special conservation concern from becoming endangered. Annual funding from royalties from offshore oil and gas depletion revenues of $900 million has been regularly raided by Congress for other purposes (more information).
  • Forest Legacy
    • Provides funding for purchase or easements of important private forest lands threatened by conversion to non-forest uses. Vermont is usually outcompeted for funding by larger states that propose larger acreage programs.
  • Conte Refuge Acquisition
    • Funding will enable purchase of key parcels of Vermont land of major significance to wildlife along the Connecticut River proposed in the Conte Refuge Comprehensive Conservation Plan for inclusion in the Conte Refuge.
  • Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS)
    • Farm bill budget cuts have reduced the Wildlife Incentive Program by 41%, eliminating program funding in Vermont. Funding for NRCS’ Environmental Quality Incentives Program continues in Vermont, supporting Audubon Vermont’s Champlain Valley Bird Initiative.

Ways to weigh in on these issues:

Sign up for the Audubon Activist Alert system (see above) and send letters or make phone calls.  You can expect clear and simple emails from National Audubon related to the Vermont and federal issues we are following.  They will link you to suggested wording for a letter or phone call which you can send to your legislators.  An important feature is that National Audubon can utilize your zip code and you will get suggested letters or talking points for Vermont issues which your state senators or representative will be working on. We will also post Activist Alerts on local issues to our Facebook page. You can expect 5 or 6 notices on these local issues during the legislative session. Please check the comment period, as timing is everything when things get busy in Montpelier.

Call the Statehouse at 800-322-5616 and leave a short message for your legislators with the Sergeant-at-Arms.

Names, addresses, and phone numbers of our legislators from Addison County can be found on our Links page.