Vermont H 749: An act relating to registration fees for plug-in electric vehicles

Bill Text

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H.749 1
Introduced by Representatives Burtt of Cabot, Bosch of Clarendon, Coffin of 2
Cavendish, Goslant of Northfield, Hango of Berkshire, Higley 3
of Lowell, Luneau of St. Albans City, Morgan, M. of Milton, 4
Nelson of Derby, North of Ferrisburgh, Pritchard of Pawlet, 5
Southworth of Walden, Tagliavia of Corinth, and Wells of 6
Brownington 7
Referred to Committee on 8
Date: 9
Subject: Conservation and development; land use; conservation; Act 250 10
Statement of purpose of bill as introduced: This bill proposes to make multiple 11
changes to the State land use and development law. It would also repeal the 12
land conservation goals. 13
An act relating to land use and conservation 14
It is hereby enacted by the General Assembly of the State of Vermont: 15
Sec. 1. 10 V.S.A. § 2802 is amended to read: 16
§ 2802. CONSERVATION VISION AND GOALS 17
(a) The vision of the State of Vermont is to maintain an ecologically 18
functional landscape that sustains biodiversity, maintains landscape 19
connectivity, supports watershed health, promotes climate resilience, supports 20

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working farms and forests, provides opportunities for recreation and 1
appreciation of the natural world, and supports the historic settlement pattern 2
of compact villages surrounded by rural lands and natural areas and supports 3
historic values of working lands, homesteading, conscious capitalism, values-4
based industry, and villages providing community center and activity; that its 5
citizens and its natural resources both prosper by improved access to economic 6
opportunity, investment in working lands, encouragement of commercial and 7
industrious activity, and a general ambition to promote a culture of abundance 8
and generation. It is recognized that as its citizens are empowered to be 9
productive contributors to a thriving web of communities, an excess of 10
resources will come to be available to improve the well-being of the entirety of 11
the State, including the well-being of natural ecosystems, wildlife, and their 12
habitats, and the restoration of its waterways. 13
(b) It is the goal of the State that 30 percent of Vermont’s total land area 14
shall be conserved by 2030, and 50 percent of the State’s total land area shall 15
be conserved by 2050. The Secretary of Natural Resources shall lead the effort 16
in achieving these goals. The land conserved shall include State, federal, 17
municipal, and private land. 18
(c) Reaching 30 percent by 2030 and 50 percent by 2050 shall include a mix 19
of ecological reserve areas, biodiversity conservation areas, and natural 20
resource management areas. In order to support an ecologically functional and 21

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connected landscape with sustainable production of natural resources and 1
recreational opportunities, the approximate percentages of each type of 2
conservation category shall be guided by the principles of conservation science 3
and the conservation targets within Vermont Conservation Design, prioritizing 4
ecological reserve areas to protect highest priority natural communities and 5
maintain or restore old forests. 6
Sec. 2. 10 V.S.A. § 2804 is amended to read: 7
§ 2804. CONSERVATION PLAN 8
* * * 9
(d) The conserved land inventory established in 2803 of this title shall be 10
updated biennially to track progress toward meeting the vision and goals of 11
this chapter, which shall be publicly available, and the Secretary shall submit a 12
report to the relevant committees on or before January 15 following each 13
update. 14
Sec. 3. 2024 Acts and Resolves No. 181, Sec. 14 is amended to read: 15
Sec. 14. CRITERION 8(C) RULEMAKING 16
(a) The Land Use Review Board (Board), in collaboration with the Agency 17
of Natural Resources, shall adopt rules to implement the requirements for the 18
administration of 10 V.S.A. § 6086(a)(8)(C). It is the intent of the General 19
Assembly that these rules discourage fragmentation of the forest blocks and 20
habitat connectors by encouraging clustering of development encourage 21

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conscious development of wildlife habitat while maintaining historic values of 1
homesteading and agrarian activities. Rules adopted by the Board shall 2
include: 3
* * * 4
(2) Standards establishing how impacts can be avoided or minimized, 5
including how fragmentation of forest blocks or habitat connectors is avoided 6
or minimized, which may include steps to promote proactive site design of 7
buildings, roadways and driveways, utility location, and location relative to 8
existing features such as roads, tree lines, and fence lines programs to 9
incentivize conservation of land, enrollment in current use, and collaboration 10
with local conservation groups. It is the intent of the General Assembly that 11
the permitting process for