House Committee on Environment

 

AGENDA

 

Room EA and Zoom

January 27, 2026 - January 30, 2026

Last Updated 1/30/2026 2:08 PM

 

Unless otherwise noted, all meetings are livestreamed at

https://legislature.vermont.gov/committee/streaming/house-environment.

Tuesday, January 27, 2026

10:00 AM                   House Floor and Caucuses

 

12:00 PM                   Lunch

 

1:15 PM                   H. 473 - An act relating to the reintroduction of catamounts to the State of Vermont

Peter Brewitt, PHD, Director, Sustainability, Ecology & Policy Program, University of Vermont

 

2:00 PM                   H. 473 - An act relating to the reintroduction of catamounts to the State of Vermont

Renee Seacor, Northeast Rewilding Director, Mighty Earth

 

2:30 PM                   H. 632 - An act relating to miscellaneous environmental amendments

River Corridor Date Changes

Rebecca Pfeiffer, River Corridor and Floodplain Protection Manager, Watershed Management Division, Department of Environmental Conservation

Rob Evans, Rivers Programs Manager, Department of Environmental Conservation, Watershed Management Division

 

3:00 PM                   H. 632 - An act relating to miscellaneous environmental amendments

Commercial Rechargeable Fire Extinguishers

William Smith, Law Office of William S Smith

Jeff Terrey, Principal, Rasky Partners

Steve Duke, VT Fire Exintguisher

Dwayne Garriss, Synergy Consortium Group

 

3:45 PM                   Budget Process

James Duffy, Fiscal Analyst, Joint Fiscal Office

 

Wednesday, January 28, 2026

9:00 AM                   H. 632 - An act relating to miscellaneous environmental amendments

Walk-through and Discussion

Michael O'Grady, Deputy Chief Counsel, Office of Legislative Counsel

 

10:30 AM                   Act 59

Vermont Housing and Conservation Board Program Update

Gus Seelig, Executive Director, Vermont Housing & Conservation Board

Trey Martin, Director of Conservation and Rural Community Development, Vermont Housing & Conservation Board

Annie Decker, Associate Director of Resource Development & Resiliency, Vermont Housing & Conservation Board

Isaac Bissell, Conservation Stewardship Director, Vermont Housing & Conservation Board

 

11:30 AM                   Vermont Housing and Conservation Board

Technical Advisory Committee Update

Jamey Fidel, Vice President, Vermont, National Audubon Society/Audubon Vermont

Nick Bennette, Executive Director of the Vermont Mountain Bike Association, Vermont Trails and Greenways Council

Hannah Sessions, Owner, Blue Ledge Farm

Alex Smith, Backcountry Hunters and Anglers

 

12:00 PM                   Lunch

 

1:15 PM                   Vermont Clean Water Initiative Report

Claire Madden, Clean Water Initiative Program Tracking & Accounting Supervisor, Department of Environmental Conservation

Sarah Coleman, Clean Water Initiative Program Manager, Department of Environmental Conservation, Water Investment  Division

 

2:00 PM                   H. 276 - An act relating to the designation of State wildlands

Rick Enser, Conservation Biologist

 

2:30 PM                   H. 276 - An act relating to the designation of State wildlands

Jamison Ervin, Manager, Global Program on Nature for Development, UN Development Program

 

3:00 PM                   H. 276 - An act relating to the designation of State wildlands

Justin Lindholm, Logger and Hunting Guide

 

3:30 PM                   House Floor

 

Thursday, January 29, 2026

9:00 AM                   H. 204 - An act relating to the collection and recycling of waste motor vehicle tires

Matt Chapman, Director, Waste Management & Prevention Division, Department of Environmental Conservation

 

9:30 AM                   H. 204 - An act relating to the collection and recycling of waste motor vehicle tires

Mark Rochefort, Owner, Vermont Tire

 

9:45 AM                   H. 632 - An act relating to miscellaneous environmental amendments

Fire Extinguishers

Matt Chapman, Director, Waste Management & Prevention Division, Department of Environmental Conservation

 

10:00 AM                   Vermont Citizen's Advisory Committee on Lake Champlain's Future

Karina Dailey, Chair, Vermont Citizens Advisory Committee

Mary Perchlik, Member, Vermont Citizens Advisory Committee

Breck Bowden, Member, Vermont Citizens Advisory Committee

Miliken Andrew, Member, Vermont Citizens Advisory Committee

Lori Fisher, Member, Vermont Citizens Advisory Committee

Bob Fisher, Member, Vermont Citizens Advisory Committee

 

11:00 AM                   H. 749 - An act relating to land use and conservation

Walk-through

Ellen Czajkowski, Legislative Counsel, Office of Legislative Counsel

 

11:30 AM                   H. 730 - An act relating to Act 250 location-based jurisdiction

Walk-through and Introduction

Rep. Laura Sibilia, Sponsor

Ellen Czajkowski, Legislative Counsel, Office of Legislative Counsel

Josh Hanford, Director of Intergovernmental Affairs, Vermont League of Cities and Towns

 

12:00 PM                   Lunch

 

1:15 PM                   H. 778 - An act relating to dam safety

Introduction & Walk-through

Rep. Marc Mihaly, Bill Sponsor

Michael O'Grady, Deputy Chief Counsel, Office of Legislative Counsel

Eric Forand, Director, Vermont Emergency Management, Department of Public Safety

 

2:15 PM                   H. 608 - An act relating to allowing purple paint markings as notice for posting against hunting and fishing

Introduction and Walk-through

Rep. Theresa Wood, Bill Sponsor

Bradley Showman, Legislative Counsel, Office of Legislative Counsel

 

2:30 PM                   H. 723 - An act relating to posting of land

Introduction and Walk-through

Rep. Zon Eastes, Bill Sponsor

Bradley Showman, Legislative Counsel, Office of Legislative Counsel

 

3:30 PM                   House Floor

 

Friday, January 30, 2026

9:30 AM                   House Floor

 

After the Floor                     Forest Management

Vermont Forest Products Association Video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DMKy-R4N1Os

 

The video will not be live streamed but will be followed by committee discussion.

 

10:25 AM                   Forest Management

Rep. Jed Lipsky, Lamoille-1

 

10:30 AM                   H. 723 - An act relating to posting of land

H.723, H.608, and Licenses

Jason Batchelder, Commissioner, Department of Fish and Wildlife

Andrea Shortsleeve, Chief of Operations, Department of Fish and Wildlife

Hannah Smith, General Counsel, Department of Fish and Wildlife

 

11:00 AM                   H. 608 - An act relating to allowing purple paint markings as notice for posting against hunting and fishing

Jason Batchelder, Commissioner, Department of Fish and Wildlife

Andrea Shortsleeve, Chief of Operations, Department of Fish and Wildlife

Hannah Smith, General Counsel, Department of Fish and Wildlife

 

12:00 PM                   Lunch

 

ATTENTION WITNESSES

 

Please email handouts to the committee assistant at least 24 hours before your scheduled meeting time. With few exceptions, any documents you send to a committee assistant are open to the public and may be posted to the committee’s web page.

 

Should you require accessibility services, please click here and note that requests should be made 48 hours in advance of testimony.

 

 

 

If you have any questions or comments, please contact

 Cat Morgan at Cat.Morgan@vtleg.gov