Three Things: This week, we’re remembering Representative Curt McCormack and his many contributions to our state, sharing details about our upcoming Annual Meeting, and weighing in on the management of our state & national forests. 

Stay informed, connected, and engaged—three things.

We were deeply saddened to learn of the recent passing of former Vermont State Representative Curt McCormack. Rep. McCormack’s positive impact on the State of Vermont is strong – and will have long and lasting benefits. Rep. McCormack was a steadfast environmental champion who truly lived his deeply held values. He was a long-time champion of climate action and was at the forefront of advancing solutions that would reduce planet-warming pollution in the transportation sector. In his role as chair of the House Transportation Committee, he refocused the annual, must-pass Transportation Bill around a climate lens, helping to center – and then establish – new and needed programs to incentivize more efficient electric vehicles as well as mobility strategies beyond cars. It was those strategies – transit, bicycling, and walking – that Rep. McCormack embraced in his personal life. Curt was often found taking the bus, transporting and riding his bike, and walking where he needed to go. He truly “walked the walk” in a profound and inspiring way. 

Beyond his impactful professional life, as a lifelong electrician and as an atypical “politician” it was also always abundantly clear that Curt was a family man. He will be missed by all lucky enough to know him, and we send our sincere condolences to Curt’s family and all who loved him. More on Rep. McCormack’s passing and a full obituary here. 

Services for Rep. McCormack will be held at the First Unitarian Universalist Society in Burlington (152 Pearl Street) on October 19 at 2:00. And donations in Curt’s memory may be made to Local Motion in Burlington or UVM Hospice.

On Wednesday, October 2, we’re hosting our 61st Annual Meeting at Farmhouse Flowers in Moretown, VT. Join us from 5:30 to 7:00 pm as we reflect on the past year and look ahead to the future. Enjoy hors d’oeuvres and a cash bar while mingling with friends and other VNRC members!

We are excited to introduce you to our new Executive Director, Lauren Hierl, and are thrilled to be joined by Samantha Langevin of the Vermont Releaf Collective to help us present the 2024 Arthur Gibb Award for Sustainable Community Leadership to Jessica Laporte, Co-Director of Community Resilience Organizations. Members will also get the chance to vote on proposed changes to the bylaws and to elect a slate of candidates to the Board of Directors.

Contact Alex Connizzo with any questions at aconnizzo@vnrc.org or (802) 223-2328, x126. $20 suggested donation. 

We’ve been closely tracking developments in public land management policies at the Agency of Natural Resources (ANR) and at the federal level with recent proposed policy changes by the United States Forest Service for the protection of old-growth forests.

On August 27th, the ANR released a draft rule to guide the planning process for the 375,000 acres of public lands across Vermont. The  overarching rule will guide the planning process for land management classifications and accompanying strategies for our iconic state forests, state parks, and wildlife management areas. The ANR is calling for public comments on this rule until November 1, 2024 and we encourage anyone with an interest in our public lands to participate. Read the draft rule and watch recent public meetings here.                                                                                                                                             

On September 24th, in partnership with Audubon Vermont and Dr. Bill Keeton, we submitted comments to the U.S. Forest Service regarding their proposed framework for the protection and management of old-growth forests on national forests — which are significantly underrepresented in our region. Our comments were informed by our own literature review, which was conducted by Dr. Marc Lapin and includes the most current scientific research available. We touched on the need to protect existing old-growth stands and recruit more old-growth forests on national forests. As part of comments, we presented a model approach for delineating areas to support both passive management for old-growth recruitment, and the advancement of old-growth conditions through reduced-impact, ecological forestry to benefit wildlife species and foster climate-resilient forests.  

PS: Flood Resilience Forum at the Barre Old Labor Hall TONIGHT!

Join VNRC and a panel of speakers from Barre City Council, Friends of the Winooski, and the VT Department of Environmental Conservation at this free, public event from 5:30-7pm at the Barre Old Labor Hall. We’ll be discussing watershed resilience and strengthening the ability of our rivers, lakes, and streams to weather the unpredictability of climate change. We are also eager to gather local input from attendees on what we can collectively be doing to improve long-term flood resilience in our communities. We’ll have pizza and time for discussion for the first half hour and will begin the panel discussion at 6pm. No registration required, we’re looking forward to seeing you there!