Title: Vermont Governor Proposes Wetlands Rule Changes to Boost Housing
Vermont Gov. Phil Scott wants to weaken state wetlands protections to boost housing development, sparking debate over environmental protection versus housing needs.
Scott’s proposal would cut required buffer zones between housing and protected wetlands from 50 to 25 feet. More controversially, it would allow housing on “unmapped” wetlands in designated growth areas - wetlands identified by field studies but not yet officially mapped by the state.
“Having the [wetlands] determination based solely on how well the maps were drawn based on aerial survey is a very large change,” said Laura Lapierre, the state’s wetlands program manager at the Department of Environmental Conservation.
The changes represent the most significant overhaul of wetland regulations in decades. They stem from Scott’s September executive order targeting what he called “well-intentioned, but now counterproductive” environmental protections.
A housing development in Barre illustrates the stakes. The proposed Prospect Heights project sits on a 34-acre parcel where 66 percent of known wetlands don’t appear on state maps, according to Lapierre. Under current rules, developers can’t build on these wetlands even though field studies have documented them. Scott’s proposal would change that.
The project involves 90 to 110 units, with Barre Mayor Thom Lauzon serving as a major booster of the development.
Developers have embraced the changes, calling them a path to faster, more predictable permitting. But environmental scientists argue wetlands provide crucial flood protection and drought resilience.
The Agency of Natural Resources is fast-tracking Scott’s proposal, setting up a confrontation between environmental groups and housing advocates over Vermont’s development future.