Title 10, Conservation and Development

§ 1971. Purpose It is the purpose of this chapter to: (1) establish a comprehensive program to regulate the construction, replacement, modification, and operation of potable water supplies and wastewater systems in the State in order to protect human health and the environment, i…

§ 1972. Definitions As used in this chapter: (1) “Agency” means the Agency of Natural Resources. (2) “Building or structure” means a building or structure whose use or useful occupancy requires the construction or modification of a potable water supply or wastewater system. (3) “…

§ 1973. Permits (a) Except as provided in this section and sections 1974 and 1978 of this title, a person shall obtain a permit from the Secretary before: (1) subdividing land; (2) creating or modifying a campground in a manner that affects a potable water supply or wastewater sy…

§ 1974. Exemptions Notwithstanding any other requirements of this chapter, the following projects and actions are exempt: (1)(A) All buildings or structures, campgrounds, and their associated potable water supplies and wastewater systems that were substantially completed before J…

§ 1975. Designer licenses (a) The Director of the Office of Professional Regulation, after due consultation with the Secretary, shall establish and implement a process to license and periodically renew the licenses of designers of potable water supplies or wastewater systems, est…

§ 1976. Delegation of connection permitting authority to municipalities (a)(1) The Secretary may delegate to a municipality authority to conduct technical review of proposed projects that include both municipal potable water supply and municipal wastewater system connections that…

§ 1977. Appeals Appeals of any act or decision of the Department under this subchapter shall be made in accordance with chapter 220 of this title. (Added 2001, No. 133 (Adj. Sess.), § 1, eff. June 13, 2002; amended 2003, No. 115 (Adj. Sess.), § 44, eff. Jan. 31, 2005.)

§ 1978. Rules (a) The Secretary shall adopt rules, in accordance with 3 V.S.A. chapter 25, necessary for the administration of this chapter. These rules shall include the following: (1) Performance standards for wastewater systems. (2) Design flow standards for potable water supp…

§ 1979. Holding tanks (a) The Secretary shall approve the use of sewage holding and pumpout tanks when he or she determines that: (1) the existing or proposed buildings or structures to be served by the holding tank are publicly owned; (2) the plan for construction and operation …

§ 1980. Vermont Technical College demonstration project (a) There is established an on-site wastewater treatment and disposal project that shall be conducted at the Vermont Technical College in Randolph. The project shall be managed by the staff of the college, in conjunction wit…

§ 1981. Surface water source; potable water supply The Secretary shall approve the use of a surface water as the source of a potable water supply under this chapter if the following conditions are satisfied: (1) the building or structure using the surface water as a source is a s…

§ 1982. Testing of groundwater sources (a) Definition. As used in this section, “groundwater source” means that portion of a potable water supply that draws water from the ground, including a drilled well, shallow well, driven well point, or spring. (b) Testing prior to new use. …

§ 2351. Creation (a) All lands in the Camel’s Hump region extending from Route 17 north to the Winooski River and from the Huntington River to the Mad River, are hereby declared to make up the Camel’s Hump Forest Reserve. (b) All lands owned by the State in the Camel’s Hump Fores…

§ 2352. Administration The park shall be under the administration of the Department of Forests, Parks and Recreation. (Added 1969, No. 71, § 3.)

§ 2353. Use districts In the establishment of the Forest Reserve and administration of the Park, three districts shall be designated as follows: (1) One area shall be designated as the ecological area to protect scarce and rare plants, to preserve the natural habitat, and to main…

§ 2353a. Permitted uses In addition to the uses stipulated in the three districts enumerated in section 2353 of this title, the Department of Forests, Parks and Recreation may establish other permitted uses in conjunction with the development and adoption of a comprehensive manag…

§ 2461. Payment of fire fighting expense Whenever fire fighters or equipment, or both, are called from without the State to fight a forest fire or fires within this State, payment of the expense incurred therefor shall be made by the Commissioner of Finance and Management directl…

§ 2462. Mutual aid compact (a) The Commissioner of Forests, Parks and Recreation may enter into agreements with the federal government and other states outside the Northeastern Forest Fire Protection Compact to provide and accept assistance, including training of personnel, for t…

§ 2501. Purpose—Article I The purpose of this compact is to promote effective prevention and control of forest fires in the northeastern region of the United States and adjacent areas in Canada by the development of integrated forest fire plans, by the maintenance of adequate for…

§ 2502. Effective date; new member states—Article II This agreement shall become operative immediately as to those states ratifying it whenever any two or more of the states of Maine, New Hampshire, Vermont, Rhode Island, Connecticut, New York, and the Commonwealth of Massachuset…

§ 2503. Commission; membership—Article III Each state joining herein shall appoint three representatives to a commission hereby designated as the Northeastern Forest Fire Protection Commission. One shall be the state forester or officer holding an equivalent position in such stat…

§ 2504. Powers and duties of Commission—Article IV It shall be the duty of the Commission to make inquiry and ascertain from time to time such methods, practices, circumstances and conditions as may be disclosed for bringing about the prevention and control of forest fires in the…

§ 2505. Common services—Article V Any two or more member states may designate the Northeastern Forest Fire Protection Commission as a joint agency to maintain such common services as those states deem desirable for the prevention and control of forest fires. Except in those cases…

§ 2506. Cooperation with U.S. Forest Service—Article VI The Commission may request the U.S. Forest Service to act as the primary research and coordinating agency of the Northeastern Forest Fire Protection Commission, in cooperation with the appropriate agencies in each state and …

§ 2507. Officers and employees; rules; annual meetings; quorum; sections—Article VII The Commission shall annually elect from its members a chair and a vice chair. The Commission shall appoint such officers or employees as may be required to carry the provisions of this compact i…

§ 2508. Forest fire plan; aid to member—Article VIII It shall be the duty of each member state to formulate and put in effect a forest fire plan for that state and to take such measures as may be recommended by the Commission to integrate such forest fire plan with the regional f…

§ 2509. Status of persons rendering aid; liability; reimbursement; compensation and death benefits—Article IX Whenever the forces of any member state are rendering outside aid pursuant to the request of another member state under this compact, the employees of such state shall, u…

§ 2510. Allocation of costs; budget; records; reports—Article X When appropriations for the support of this Commission or for the support of common services maintained by the Commission or a section thereof under the provisions of Article V are necessary, the Commission or sectio…

§ 2511. Advisory committee—Article XI The representatives from any member state may appoint and consult with an advisory committee composed of persons interested in forest fire protection. The Commission may appoint and consult with an advisory committee of representatives of all…

§ 2512. Donations, gifts, grants—Article XII The Commission may accept any and all donations, gifts and grants of money, equipment, supplies, materials and services from the federal or any local government, or any agency thereof and from any person, firm or corporation, for any o…

§ 2513. Limitation; responsibility of member; construction—Article XIII Nothing in this compact shall be construed to authorize or permit any member state to curtail or diminish its forest fire fighting forces, equipment, services or facilities, and it shall be the duty and respo…

§ 2514. Duration—Article XIV This compact shall continue in force and remain binding on each state ratifying it until the legislature or the governor of such state takes action to withdraw therefrom. Such action shall not be effective until six months after notice thereof has bee…

§ 2515. Intercompact liability—Article XV The provisions of Article IX of this compact that relate to mutual aid in combating, controlling, or preventing forest fires shall be operative as between any state party to this compact and any other state that is party to a regional for…

§ 2531. Vermont Forest Future Strategic Roadmap (a) Creation. The Commissioner of Forests, Parks and Recreation shall create the Vermont Forest Future Strategic Roadmap to strengthen, modernize, promote, and protect the forest products sector in Vermont. The Commissioner of Fores…

§ 2600. Findings The General Assembly finds that: (1) Private and public forestlands: (A) constitute unique and irreplaceable resources, benefits, and values of statewide importance; (B) contribute to the protection and conservation of wildlife habitat, air, water, and soil resou…

§ 2601. Policy and purposes (a) The conservation of the forests, timberlands, woodlands, and soil and recreational resources of the State are hereby declared to be in the public interest. It is the policy of the State to encourage economic management of its forests and woodlands,…

§ 2602. Definitions As used in this chapter: (1) “Agency” means the Agency of Natural Resources as created by 3 V.S.A. chapter 51. (2) “Department” means the Department of Forests, Parks and Recreation within the Agency of Natural Resources. (3) “Commissioner” means the Commissio…

§ 2603. Powers and duties: Commissioner (a) The Department shall be under the direction and supervision of a Commissioner appointed by the Secretary as provided in 3 V.S.A. § 2851. In addition to the duties and powers provided under this chapter, the Commissioner shall have the p…

§ 2605. Governor’s Council on Physical Fitness and Sports (a) The Governor’s Council on Physical Fitness and Sports is created within the Department of Forests, Parks and Recreation, to be composed of 20 members with appropriate interests and representing the various geographical…

§ 2606. Acceptance of gifts; exchange, purchase, or lease of lands (a) The Commissioner, with the approval of the Governor, may accept gifts of land or interests in land to the State, or may purchase land or interests in land in the name of the State to be held and administered a…

§ 2606a. Mountaintop use as communications sites (a) State policy. It is hereby adopted as State policy to permit limited use of designated State-owned land under the jurisdiction of the Department for electronic communications broadcasting by both public and private entities. Us…

§ 2606b. License of forestlands for maple sugar production (a) The General Assembly finds and declares that: (1) Maple sugaring is an important cultural tradition of Vermont life that should be maintained and encouraged. (2) Maple sugaring is an important component of the agricul…

§ 2607. Natural areas; designation (a) The Commissioner, with the approval of the Governor, may designate and set aside areas in the State forests and State parks as natural areas. (b) “Natural areas” means limited areas of land that have retained their wilderness character, alth…

§ 2608. Enforcement; penalties; liability Enforcement of the provisions of this chapter or rules adopted hereunder shall be in accordance with chapter 201 or 211 of this title. (Added 1977, No. 253 (Adj. Sess.), § 1; amended 2015, No. 171 (Adj. Sess.), § 4.)

§ 2609. Forest Parks Revolving Fund There is hereby established in the State Treasury a fund to be known as the State Forest Parks Revolving Fund, to be administered by the Commissioner of Forests, Parks and Recreation from which payments may be made for the planning, design, dev…

§ 2609a. Income from lease of mountaintop communication sites Annually on or before February 15, the Agency of Natural Resources shall submit a report to the Senate Committee on Natural Resources and Energy and the House Committee on Energy and Digital Infrastructure containing a…