Two Things: We’re accepting Small Grants for Smart Growth applications, and looking forward to kicking off the legislative session in the New Year!
Stay informed, stay connected – two things.
Accepting Applications: Small Grants for Smart Growth
Do you want to survey your community about future development in town? Do you want to engage your neighbors on improving local housing options? Do you need to run an ad to demonstrate community support for a project? VNRC’s Small Grants for Smart Growth program, launched in 2018, provides seed money for catalyzing community-based initiatives related to smart growth. Smart growth allows for a variety of housing for people of all ages, transportation choices, unique public places for everybody to enjoy, and healthy farms, forests, and natural areas. It also prioritizes public participation in making decisions about what the future looks like, so that our land use decisions are inclusive, not exclusive. We hope your community will consider applying for a Small Grant!
Looking Ahead to Advancing Key Environmental Priorities in the State House in 2024
The upcoming legislative session kicks off on January 3rd, 2024! At VNRC, we’ve been hard at work with many partners, delving into the details of key policy priorities that we’ll be supporting in the coming months. As Vermont continues to grapple with challenging impacts of climate change, we know the current moment is a pivotal opportunity for transformative policies to build climate resilience, advance clean energy solutions, protect our natural resources, and increase housing availability. This session, VNRC will be advocating for updates to our Renewable Energy Standard, as well as safeguards for our river corridors and wetlands, and critical dam safety improvements to prevent future flooding. We’ll also be working to help modernize Act 250 to meet today’s challenges, including climate change, forest fragmentation, and the availability of affordable, smart growth housing.
This ambitious agenda for Vermont’s environment will require support from all of you – so stay tuned for timely legislative updates, opportunities for action, and much more in the New Year!
P.S. As Vermont is once again experiencing record levels of rain and flooding is occurring around the state, we hope you and your loved ones are staying safe and dry!