House Committee on Agriculture and Forestry

 

AGENDA

 

Room 32

January 21, 2020 - January 24, 2020

Last Updated 2/4/2020 9:47 AM

 

Tuesday, January 21, 2020

10:00 AM                   House Floor Convenes

 

Following adjournment                   Caucuses and Lunch

 

1:00 PM                   H. 656 - An act relating to miscellaneous agricultural subjects

David Allaben, NH/VT State Director, USDA, Wildlife Services

Fred Pogmore, Vermont District Supervisor, USDA, Wildlife Services

 

2:00 PM                   Governor's FY2021 Proposed Budget Address

Joint Assembly - House Chamber

 

3:00 PM                   H. 673 - An act relating to tree wardens

Michael Snyder, Commissioner, Department of Forests, Parks and Recreation

Danielle Fitzko, Director of Forests, Department of Forests, Parks and Recreation

 

Wednesday, January 22, 2020

9:00 AM                   Capitol Police

Updates

Matthew S. Romei, Chief of Police, Capitol Police Department

 

9:30 AM                   Vermont Agriculture Strategic Plan Report

Room 10

Joint hearing with Senate Agriculture Committee

Anson Tebbetts, Secretary, Agency of Agriculture, Food and Markets

Abbey Willard, Director, Agricultural Development Division, Agency of Agriculture, Food and Markets

Ellen Kahler, Executive Director, Vermont Sustainable Jobs Fund

Laura Ginsburg, Agricultural Development Section Chief, Agency of Agriculture, Food and Markets

Mark Cannella, Associate Professor, University of Vermont Extension

Will Stevens, Owner, Golden Russet Farm

Ela Chapin, Farm and Forest Viability Program Director, Vermont Housing and Conservation Board

Janice St.Onge, President, Flexible Capital Fund

Betsy Rosenbluth, Vermont FEED Project Director, Vermont Farm to School Network

Netaka White, Owner, Tak About Hemp

Adeline Druart, President, Vermont Creamery

Jenn Colby, Pasture Program Coordinator, UVM Extension Center for Sustainable Agriculture

 

1:00 PM                   House Floor Convenes

 

2:00 PM                   Cannabis Background

Cary Giguere, Policy Director, Public Health and Agricultural Resource Management, Agency of Agriculture, Food and Markets - Invited

Christopher Herrick, Deputy Commissioner, Department of Public Safety

 

3:00 PM                   H. 674 - An act relating to clarifying the definition of development used for use value appraisals

Doug Farnham, Senior Research Economist and the Director of Policy, Department of Taxes (3:00 PM)

 

3:30 PM                   Animal Welfare

Animal Cruelty Investigation Advisory Board Report

Jessica Danyow, Chair, Animal Cruelty Investigation Advisory Board

Sally Adams, Chief  Deputy State’s Attorney, Chittenden County

Dr. Kristin Haas, State Vet, Director, Food Safety, Agency of Agriculture, Food and Markets

 

Thursday, January 23, 2020

9:00 AM                   H. 656 - An act relating to miscellaneous agricultural subjects

 

Cassie Polhemus, Chief Executive Officer, Vermont Economic Development Authority

 

9:15 AM                   S. 54 - An act relating to the regulation of cannabis

Rep. John Gannon, Member, House Committee On Government Operations

 

9:30 AM                   H. 794 - An act relating to limiting liability for agritourism

Rep. Michael Yantachka, Sponsor

 

10:00 AM                   Vermont Forest Carbon Sequestration Working Group Final Report Act 83 of 2019

Sen. Ruth Hardy

Michael Snyder, Commissioner, Department of Forests, Parks and Recreation

Jim Shallow, Director of Strategic Conservation Initiatives, The Nature Conservancy

 

11:00 AM                   Cannabis Background

Richard Veitch, West Townsend

Cindy Leszczak, West Townsend

Stuart Savel, Brattleboro

 

1:00 PM                   House Convenes

 

3:00 PM                   H. 656 - An act relating to miscellaneous agricultural subjects

Shannon Salembier, Assistant General Counsel, Attorney General's Office

 

4:00 PM                   H. 271 - An act relating to public notice of pesticide application under a right-of-way permit

Cary Giguere, Policy Director, Public Health and Agricultural Resource Management, Agency of Agriculture, Food and Markets

 

4:15 PM                   H. 759 - An act relating to the use of neonicotinoid-treated article seed

Rep. Joseph "Chip" Troiano, Sponsor

 

Friday, January 24, 2020

9:30 AM                   House Convenes

 

Following Adjournment                   Vermont Farm Bureau

Room 10 (10:15)

Joint hearing with Senate Agriculture Committee

Jackie Folsom, Lobbyist, Vermont Farm Bureau

Mary White, Chair, Dairy Committee, Vermont Farm Bureau

Heidi Krantz, Vermont Horse Council, Vermont Farm Bureau

Rob Carey, Vermont Farm Bureau, Rutland County

Jennifer Lambert, Dairy Farmer/operator, Lambert Farm

Justin Poulin, Poulin And Daughters Farm, Randolph

Anna Poulin, Poulin and Daughters Farm, Randolph

Arthur Whitman, Vermont Seed Dealers Association, member, Vermont Farm Bureau

Bruce Hallett, Owner, Hallett Sheep Farm

Jake Guest, former Organic Dairy Farmer

 

11:30 AM                   Grazing and Pasture Management

 Report

Chuck Ross, Director, University of Vermont Extension

Heather Darby, Agronomy Specialist, UVM Extension

Jenn Colby, Pasture Program Coordinator, UVM Extension Center for Sustainable Agriculture

Cheryl Cesario, Champlain Valley Crop, Soil and Pasture, UVM Extension

 

12:30 PM                   H. 798 - An act relating to the use of biochar

Rep. Kathryn Webb, Sponsor

 

If you have any questions or comments, please contact

 Linda Leehman at 802-828-2233 or lleehman@leg.state.vt.us

ATTENTION WITNESSES- Please email handouts to the committee assistant before your scheduled meeting date and bring 5 hard copies. Please write your name, organization, date and title on each document. With few exceptions, any documents you hand out to a committee, or send to a committee assistant, are open to the public and may be posted to the committee’s webpage.