clean and clear

What's New?

August 21, 2009 - Center for Clean and Clear SFY 2010 Ecosystem Restoration Grants Request for Pre-Proposals (3pgs 33KB PDF) - As part of the Clean and Clear Program’s on-going efforts to reduce surface water pollution from phosphorus and sediment, the fiscal 2010 state budget includes capital funds for grants to support ecosystem restoration projects. The CCC is currently seeking one-page project pre-proposals due by September 30, 2009. While budgets for pre-proposals are expected to vary widely, typical budgets are anticipated to fall between $5,000 and $50,000.

July 9, 2009 Lake Champlain TMDL Stakeholder Meeting: materials from the meeting: presentation (27pgs, 3629KB PDF) and meeting handouts (4pgs, 27KB PDF) - The Agency of Natural Resources, working at the direction of the Vermont Legislature, is revising the implementation plan for the Lake Champlain Phosphorus TMDL. As one of our first steps, the Agency is engaging the public in a discussion to broadly evaluate current and potential phosphorus control strategies and identify the most strategic factors for improving water quality in Lake Champlain. To this end, the Agency sponsored a workshop on Thursday, July 9th at the Shelburne Town Offices. The workshop was geared toward watershed and environmental interest groups, town conservation commissions, and other groups or individuals who are interested in efforts to reduce phosphorus pollution and improve water quality in Lake Champlain.

May 2009 - Fact Sheet: Maintaining Surface Water Drainage Ditches (2pgs, 94KB PDF) - Save yourself time and money, stabilize the raw earth in your ditches the right way, the first time! This fact sheet is designed to provide helpful do’s and dont’s when you are maintaining existing ditches. Allowing dirty water with sediment & excess nutrients to enter streams, rivers, lakes, ponds or wetlands is considered a violation of state regulations! Following these guidelines will help keep the State’s waterways (streams, rivers, lakes, ponds and wetlands) clean for you and your neighbors.

April 2009 - Request for Proposals (RfP) - Development of Pro-Active Farm Plans for Wetland and Natural Resource Protection - Vermont Agency of Natural Resources – Center for Clean & Clear.
Many Vermont dairy farmers would like to increase the number of productive acres in their farm operation in order to meet their feed needs. New areas being considered for production often include lands with natural values associated with wildlife and water quality, and may include wetlands. Furthermore, clearing land or changing land status is often subject to the jurisdiction of one or more state or federal agencies; farmers have expressed concern that the regulatory processes can be difficult and time-consuming to navigate. To address the needs and concerns of the farming community, while still protecting natural resources under state and federal jurisdiction, the agencies and representative farmers have responded by developing a pilot project to create pro-active farm plans for wetland and natural resource protection.

As part of this pilot project the Agency of Natural Resources would like to identify agricultural producers interested in working cooperatively with agency representatives, and utilizing the services of a consultant to develop a comprehensive, long-range farm plan. ANR anticipates selecting between two and four farms to participate in the pilot project, and will cover the costs for contracting with a consultant to develop a farm plan. Interested farm landowners should prepare a brief proposal.
Questions in regards to this Request for Proposals can be directed to Kip Potter at kip.potter@vt.usda.gov or by phone 802-951-6796, x238. Project applications (e-mail or hard copy) must be received no later than May 1, 2009. Please click here to view RFP details and contact information (3pgs, 19KB PDF)

February 2009 - Clean and Clear 2008 Annual Report (2707KB PDF) and Executive Summary (61KB PDF) - Each year since the initiation of the Clear and Clear Action Plan in 2003, the Agencies of Natural Resources, Agriculture, and Transportation have jointly prepared an annual report describing the broad scope of the Clean and Clear effort and the accomplishments to date. Section 2 of Act 130 (2008) now directs that “Beginning February 1, 2009 and annually thereafter, the secretary shall submit … a clean and clear program summary reporting on activities and measures of progress for each program supported by funding under the Clean and Clear Action Plan.” To address this requirement, this is the 2008 annual report on activities and measures of progress for each program supported by the Clean and Clear Action Plan.
(Also see the Clean and Clear Annual Reports page.)

Sept. 8, 2008 - RFP for Pre-proposals for the Ecosystem Restoration Grants - As part of the State Clean and Clear Program to reduce phosphorus and sediment pollution discharged into the state’s waters, the fiscal 2009 state budget includes capital funds to support ecosystem restoration projects. With these funds the Vermont Center for Clean and Clear (CCC) has established an Ecosystem Restoration Program. At this time, the CCC is seeking one-page project pre-proposals due by October 10, 2008. From these, the CCC Project Section Committee will select projects in consideration with the Agency’s Clean and Clear Strategic planning process. The CCC will then work with proponents to develop either more detailed proposals or project work plans for funding consideration. Please click here to view the RFP document (3 pg, 32KB PDF)

July 3, 2008 - Ecosystem Services Request for Proposals - The Vermont Agency of Natural Resources requests formal written proposals and qualifications from consultants to supply Ecosystem Restoration and Protection Services at locations throughout the State of Vermont.  The requested services consist of projects developed as part of the Clean and Clear Action Plan and designed to improve water quality, including but not limited to: implementation of phosphorus management actions that have multiple benefits such as improving stream stability, incorporating the science of fluvial geomorphology in river corridor management decisions, protecting against flood hazards, and improving in-stream and riparian habitat; mitigating the effects of hydrologic modification and reducing pollution from sediment, nutrients and other pollutants; protecting and restoring riparian wetlands; and enhancing the environmental and economic sustainability of agricultural lands.  Please click here for the RFP document and application form (13 pg 55KB PDF). Proposals must be submitted to and physically in the office of the Vermont Agency of Natural Resources in Waterbury by the close of business (4:30 pm) on August 1, 2008.

June 7, 2008 - Vermont Clean Water Day -
Join Governor Jim Douglas and the Agency of Natural Resources in celebrating the third annual Vermont Clean Water Day. This year's event celebrates water quality efforts in the Upper Hudson River Basin. The day's main festivities will be held on the Manchester Town Green, Vermont on Saturday, June 7, from 2:30 to 4:30 p.m. The event is being hosted by the Agency and our watershed partners, the Battenkill Conservancy and Batten Kill Watershed Alliance.

May 23, 2008 - Evaluation of the effectiveness of SolarBee (TM) water circulation devices in reducing algae blooms in St. Albans Bay, Lake Champlain (May 23, 2008) (32 pages 1033KB PDF). The Agency of Natural Resources, in cooperation with the St. Albans Area Watershed Association, conducted a study of the effectiveness of SolarBee (TM) water circulators in reducing algae blooms at the northern end of St. Albans Bay during 2007. The study found no evidence that the SolarBees reduced algal concentrations, improved water clarity, or inhibited blue-green algae in St. Albans Bay. The treatment goal of producing an approximately 100-acre zone of clear, low-algae water at the northern end of St. Albans Bay was not achieved by the SolarBee deployment.

May 15, 2008 - The Center for Clean and Clear Revised Work Plan has been released. Please click here to read more about the Center for Clean and Clear (CCC) and to view the work plan >>

April 2008 - RFP for Egineering Services for agricultural water quality project planning, design and construction services on projects in the Lake Champlain basin:
An RFP for engineering services, released jointly by the Agency of Natural Resources (ANR) and the Agency of Agriculture, Farms & Markets (AAFM), to support the agencies in designing and implementing structural practices in order to address the current backlog in technical assistance for projects contracted under the USDA Environmental Quality Incentives Program (EQIP). Proposals must be submitted to the Vermont Agency of Agriculture, Food & Markets by April 25, 2008. Please click here to see RFP details and application form (PDF on the VT AAFM web site).

January 2008 - Act 43 Reports:

• Performance Audit of Vermont Clean and Clear - January 15, 2008 (1823KB, 135 pages PDF)  The Vermont General Assembly Act 43 (2007) directed the Vermont Agency of Administration to submit an independent program audit of the progress and efficacy of the Clean and Clear Action Plan. This audit was conducted by a team from the Green Mountain Institute for Environmental Democracy, Stone Environmental, Inc. and Industrial Economics. The audit team reviewed Clean and Clear and the programs funded under Clean and Clear based on three audit objectives: (1) Alignment with laws and regulations that are the basis of action, (2) The acceleration of pollution reduction measures for Lake Champlain from 2016 to 2009, and (3) Phosphorus reduction to Lake Champlain.
• Agency of Natural Resources Report on Progress in Establishing and Implementing the Total Maximum Daily Load (TMDL) Plan for Lake Champlain - January 15, 2008 (4843KB, 122 pages PDF)  The Vermont General Assembly Act 43 (2007) directed the Vermont Agency of Natural Resources to report on progress in implementing the Lake Champlain Phosphorus TMDL. This report includes: (1) an assessment of the TMDL implementation plan, (2) recommendations for amending the implementation plan, (3) recommendations on reopening the TMDL, (4) an analysis of the feasibility and cost of implementing additional phosphorus removal at wastewater treatment facilities, and (5) Clean and Clear programs annual summaries.
  (Also see the Clean and Clear Annual Reports page.)

December 2007 - Act 43 Public Meetings Presentation - Please click to view a PDF version of the presentation given by Julie Moore, Director, Center for Clean and Clear and Pete LaFlamme, DEC Water Quality Division Director, at the Act 43 Public Meetings that were held in December 2007:
Act 43: An Evaluation of Implementation of the Lake Champlain TMDL - Overview and Planned Response. (31 pages, 4261KB PDF)
For more information, please contact: Julie Moore at julie.moore@state.vt.us or 802-241-3687.

December 5th, 10th and 20th, 2007 - Three Act 43 Public Meetings - Act 43 was passed during the last legislative session and requires the Agency of Natural Resources to address a number of issues related to water pollution control in a report, which will be delivered to the General Assembly on January 15, 2008. The two most important issues that the report will address are: 1) whether the current targets for controlling phosphorus pollution in Lake Champlain, as established in the TMDL, need to be revised; and 2) whether additional treatment practices should be required at municipal wastewater treatment facilities to further limit phosphorus pollution. During these three evening meetings Pete LaFlamme (Water Quality Division Director) and Julie Moore (Clean and Clear Center Director) will together make a 30-minute presentation that:

• Reviews key elements of Act 43
• Presents the Agency's proposed response and recommendations
• Identifies priorities for improving water quality in Lake Champlain:
  • controlling non-point source pollution
  • implementing stormwater management measures
  • upgrading wastewater treatment facilities

Remaining time will be dedicated to addressing questions and receiving comments from the audience.

All three meetings will run from 5:30-7:30pm.
December 3, 2007 – (POSTEPONED due to weather)
December 5, 2007 – Swanton Village Municipal Complex
December 10, 2007 – ECHO Center, Burlington
December 20, 2007 - Kehoe Conservation Center, Point of Pines Road, Lake Bomoseen, Castleton, VT

If you have any questions, or require additional information, please contact Julie Moore at: (802)241-3687 julie.moore@state.vt.us

November 2007 - Please click here to view the presentations from the Non-Point Source Exchange Workshop which took place in Burlington, Vermont on November 14, 2007.

November 14, 2007 - Non-Point Source Exchange Workshop - November 14, 2007 at the Davis Center, UVM - Many of the problems in Lake Champlain are not unique. Over the last 35 years, millions of dollars have been spent studying large aquatic ecosystems – such as the Great Lakes, Chesapeake Bay and its tributaries, other coastal estuaries, the Mississippi River Basin and Gulf of Mexico, and the Lake Okeechobee-Everglades system – in an effort to develop management strategies to restore and maintain good water quality in these systems. This workshop will involve professionals working to restore large aquatic ecosystems across the country sharing “lessons learned." The workshop is sponsored by the VT Agency of Natural Resources. UPDATE: Please click here to view the workshop agenda with links to the presentations that were given.

Registration for the workshop is free, but must be received by close-of-business on Tuesday November 6, 2007. Click here to view a registration form and flyer about the workshop (1 pg 104KB PDF), or send your registration information (name, organization, address, phone and email) to:

Center for Clean and Clear
103 S. Main St - Center Bldg, 3rd floor
Waterbury, VT 05671
FAX: 802-241-3796
Email: ANR.CCC@state.vt.us

For more information, please contact: Julie Moore, Director, Center for Clean and Clear at julie.moore@state.vt.us or 802-241-3687.

August 30, 2007 - The ANR Center for Clean and Clear Draft Work Plan (94pgs, 4885KB PDF) has been released. The Draft Work Plan can be found on the ANR reorganization effort's The Vermont Way Forward web site, on the task force Center for Clean and Clear page.

August 2007 - Draft Lake Champlain Wetland Restoration Plan Released - A draft of the Lake Champlain Wetland Restoration Plan has been released and is available for public comment. The plan, drawn up by the ANR Dept. of Forests, Parks and Recreation's Wetlands Protection and Restoration Program, identifies and prioritizes potential wetland restoration opportunities in the Vermont portion of the Lake Champlain Basin, with a primary focus on improving the water quality of the lake. This information will be used to guide future wetland restoration and protection activities. Please click here to view the plan.
In addition, the department will hold two information sessions on the draft. The first meeting is set for Sept. 10 from 6:30 pm to 8:30 pm at the Ilsley Library in Middlebury. The second is slated for Sept. 13 from 6:30 pm to 8:30 pm at the St. Albans Educational Center.
Comments on the plan will be accepted for two weeks after the public information sessions. Questions and comments regarding the plan also can be sent to April Moulaert at (802) 241-1054 or via e-mail at april.moulaert@state.vt.us.

July 2007 - Final Phase 1 Report: Feasibility Study for the Control of Internal Phosphorus Loading in St. Albans Bay, Lake Champlain Phase 1: Evaluation of Alternatives (June 2007, 570KB PDF). This report compares several treatment options for the control of internal phosphorus loading in St. Albans Bay as to their feasibility, likelihood of success, environmental impacts, and cost.  Treatment options evaluated include alum treatment, dredging, lake circulation, and other methods. Read more about St. Albans Bay studies>>

July 10, 2007 - Clean and Clear Listening Session - The State of Vermont is beginning a new approach to the clean up of northern Lake Champlain. Make sure your voice is heard. Come to a meeting of the Missisquoi Watershed Council at 6:00pm on July 10 at the Swanton Municipal Complex. Julie Moore, the Director of the Center for Clean and Clear at the Vermont Agency of Natural Resources, will be there to listen to your concerns. Julie will also provide an update on the efforts of the Clean and Clear Task Force to develop a work plan to improve water quality in the northern lake area.

June 2007 - Clean and Clear Quarterly Newsletter Volume 2, Issue 1 (4 pages, 581KB PDF) Articles include: Lake Czar Guides New Center for Clean and Clear; Study Weighs Options for St. Albans Bay; New "Lawn to Lake" Web Site Offers Tips on Lawn Care; Dalmasse Retires as First Leader of Clean and Clear; Clean Water Day Celebrated at Montshire Museum; Free Rainbarrels for St. Albans Residents

June 9, 2007 - Second Annual Vermont Clean Water Day -
Join Gov. Jim Douglas in celebrating Clean Water Day which recognizes the good work that Vermonters do to improve and restore water quality in our lakes, ponds and rivers. This year's celebration will feature events and projects in the Connecticut River Basin. The festivities this year kick-off in the morning with the Governor's Press Event and Hands-On Family Fun Day at the Montshire Museum of Science in Norwich, Vermont, followed by lots of fun and educational activities around the state. Read more about Clean Water Day and look for an event near you!

May 2007 – Report on Updating the Lake Champlain Basin Land Use Data to Improve Prediction of Phosphorus Loading (on the Lake Champlain Basin Program web site). This study produced an updated land use and land cover data layer for the entire Lake Champlain Basin, analyzed changes in land use between 1992 and 2001, and developed updated phosphorus loading estimates for each subwatershed based on the new land use data.

May 2007 - Free Workshops on Portable Skidder Bridges - Portable skidder bridges ensure that equipment and logs crossing over water bodies are not causing stream bed or streambank disturbance and thus minimizing the potential for soil erosion. We will cover some portable skidder bridge basics in the morning over coffee, learn about the portable skidder bridge rental program, break for lunch, followed by an afternoon of hands-on construction of a portable bridge:
May 12th - Hardwick - The Lamoille County Natural Resources Conservation District & Nature Center in partnership with the VT Dept. of Environmental Conservation, VT Dept. of Forests, Parks & Recreation and the Green Mountain Technology & Career Center's forestry program are hosting a free workshop on portable skidder bridges.
Location: Hazen Union School, Hardwick
Time: 8:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m.
Contact: Christina Goodwin, Lamoille County Natural Resources Conservation District,
Email: christina.goodwin@vt.nacdnet.net
Phone: 802-888-9218
May 19th - Rutland - The Rutland County Natural Resources Conservation District & Nature Center in partnership with the VT Dept. of Environmental Conservation, VT Dept. of Forests, Parks & Recreation and the Stafford Technical Center's Forestry Program are hosting a free workshop on portable skidder bridges.
Location: Rutland High School - Stafford Tecnical Center
Time: 8:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m.
Contact: Nanci McGuire
Email: nanci.mcguire@vt.nacdnet.net .
Phone: 802-775-8034

Read more about the Skidder Bridge Initiative on the ANR Forest Watershed Program web site.

April 2007 - Feasibility Study for the Control of Internal Phosphorus Loading in St. Albans Bay, Lake Champlain. Draft Phase 1 Report (March 2007, 534KB PDF). This draft report compares several treatment options for the control of internal phosphorus loading in St. Albans Bay as to their feasibility, likelihood of success, environmental impacts, and cost.  Treatment options evaluated include alum treatment, dredging, lake circulation, and other methods. Read more about St. Albans Bay studies>>

February 2007 - Clean and Clear 2006 Annual Reportand Executive Summary - The Clean and Clear Action Plan’s 2006 annual report is now available to the public. The report outlines the objectives and the accomplishments of each of the programs in the Agencies of Agriculture, Natural Resources and Transportation which are dedicated to the task reducing phosphorus loading in our rivers, lakes and streams. The report indicates how much money has been spent on which programs and provides links to specific information on individual projects. (Also see the Clean and Clear Annual Reports page.)

January 2007 - The Clean and Clear Projects Database provides updated information about water quality projects in the state of Vermont from stream assessments to stormwater projects to floodplain restorations and much more. Visit the Clean and Clear Projects web site.

January 2007 - "The 2007 Ag. Phosphorus Story" - A PowerPoint presentation on the Vermont Agency of Agriculture Web Site. "The 2007 Ag Phosphorus Story: Phosphorus Enrichment, Regulatory and Voluntary Interventions: Clean and Clear Ag. Water Quality Program" can be found on the Agency of Agriculture - Agricultural Resource Management and Environmental Stewardship Division web site.

January 25, 2007 - VLCT Local Water Quality Protection Workshop - The Vermont League of Cities and Towns (VLTC) Municipal Assistance Center is sponsoring a workshop in Montpelier that will offer participants a chance to hear about and discuss some of the timeliest water quality issues facing municipal officials this year. The workshop will provide a dynamic mix of science, engineering, planning, and policy, presented by state (including the ANR's DEC Water Quality Div. Rivers Section), municipal, and private sector water quality professionals. Session topics include river corridor and flood plan protection, engineering techniques for stormwater control, protecting water quality through development review, and watershed planning. This workshop should be of interest to local officials involved in the planning and development review process and municipal infrastructure management. The deadline for registration is January 18, 2007. Please visit the VLTC web site for registration information and more details.

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