On Wednesday, the Flood Safety Act (S.213) was passed out of the Senate Natural Resources & Energy Committee on a unanimous 5-0 vote. It will now move to Senate Finance and then Senate Appropriations before heading to the floor for a vote by the full Senate.  

In today’s Climate Dispatch, we speak to Senator Chris Bray, Chair of the Senate Natural Resources & Energy Committee about the Flood Safety Act.

Today’s Episode

The climate crisis is already threatening our communities through increasingly severe weather events and flooding, as Vermont saw firsthand this past year. VNRC and VCV have been advocating for policies that strengthen our resilience, protect critical natural resources and waterways, and support our communities in adapting to climate change. 

The Flood Safety Act takes critical steps to reduce the risk of future flooding and strengthen our communities’ resilience. It includes dam safety improvements, river corridor protections, and a policy to ensure a “net-gain” of wetlands, to help slow and store water and mitigate flood impacts on our communities.

Call to Action

With passage out of the Senate Natural Resources & Energy Committee, now is the time to let your Senator(s) know that we need to better manage and protect our watersheds as we adapt to climate change. Please take a moment to contact your Senator(s) to urge them to support passing the Flood Safety Act, S.213, to help Vermont build climate resilience and address protections for river corridors and wetlands, and improvements to dam safety.