The Vermont Statutes Online

Title 3 Appendix: Executive Orders

Chapter 022: Libraries and History

• Executive Order No. 22-1 (No. 15-85) [Preservation of Local Historic Resources]

  WHEREAS, the preparation for celebrating the Bicentennial of Vermont’s admission into the Union in 1791 provides an opportunity for state government to reaffirm its commitment to preserve Vermont’s historic resources through community revitalization; and

  WHEREAS, historic preservation activities have strengthened the vitality and attractiveness of Vermont communities; and

  WHEREAS, the preservation of our historic resources through community revitalization supports state economic development by attracting visitors and new industries; and

  WHEREAS, state government has supported community development through the location of state activities in renovated historic structures and other existing buildings, and through the historic preservation efforts of the Division for Historic Preservation; and

  NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED that I, Madeleine M. Kunin, Governor of Vermont, direct the Department of State Buildings to support and assist the efforts of local officials to revitalize their communities and preserve local historic resources.

  In order to carry out the policy set forth above the Department of State Buildings shall:

  1. give priority to locating state government activities in historic buildings and other existing buildings when this is appropriate in regard to financial and program requirements; and

  2. support the Vermont Community Development Program by using rehabilitated historic and other existing buildings for state offices; and

  3. coordinate the location of state facilities with local government officials to assure that state facilities will be located in accord with municipal policies, plans and regulations; and

  4. coordinate the location of state facilities with the Vermont Division for Historic Preservation.

  This Executive Order shall take effect on the date hereof.

  Dated September 6, 1985.

• Executive Order No. 22-2 (No. 30-86) [Vermont Life Advisory Board]

  WHEREAS, for 40 years, Vermont Life magazine has been an important quarterly expression of Vermont’s attributes, values, and people, and has helped make the beauty, heritage, and special characteristics of our state known nationwide; and

  WHEREAS, for many years a group of professional Vermont photographers, writers, and experts on Vermont have given generously of their time and talent to assist and support the editor and staff of that magazine, and have, therefore, helped maintain its high quality and independent viewpoint; and

  WHEREAS, Vermont Life magazine this year celebrates its 40th anniversary as a publication;

  NOW, THEREFORE, be it resolved that I, Governor Madeleine M. Kunin, by the authority vested in me, do hereby order as follows:

  A Vermont Life Advisory Board is hereby created, to assist, support and advise the Secretary of Development and Community Affairs, the Editor-In-Chief of Vermont Life magazine, and staff of Vermont Life in the fulfillment of their duties.

  Appointment and Terms of Members

  The Advisory Board shall consist of nine members, appointed by the Secretary of the Agency of Development and Community Affairs. Terms of Board membership shall be for three years, or until vacancies are filled. Initial Board appointments shall be three for a term of one year, three for a term of two years, and three for a term of three years. Vacancies occurring among the appointed members shall be filled for the balance of the unexpired term.

  Functions and Duties

  The Board shall serve in an advisory capacity to the Secretary of Development and Community Affairs, and the Editor-In-Chief, on matters related to Vermont Life.

  Board Meetings; Administrative Support

  The Vermont Life Advisory Board shall meet at least four times per year, or at the call of the Secretary of Development and Community Affairs. Administrative support for Advisory Board activities shall be provided by Vermont Life, at the discretion of the Secretary in consultation with the Editor-In-Chief. The Secretary may also make provision for administrative support by other departments and divisions of the Agency of Development and Community Affairs, to the extent that resources permit. Expenses of the members of the Advisory Board, incident to the work of the Board, and the cost of any incidental expenses, shall be borne by Vermont Life magazine from available funds.

  This Executive Order takes effect upon signing.

  Dated September 16, 1986.

• Executive Order No. 22-3 (No. 97-90) [Governor’s Advisory Commission on Native American Affairs]

  Revoked and rescinded by Executive Order No. 3-50 (codified as Executive Order 10-09), dated December 23, 2009.

• Executive Order No. 22-4 (No. 02-99) [Fifty States Commemorative Coin Program Act]

  Expired by its own terms, effective July 1, 1999.

• Executive Order No. 22-5 (No. 16-03) [Lake Champlain Quadricentennial Commission]

  Expired by its own terms, effective June 30, 2010.

• Executive Order No. 22-6 (No. 07-10) [Vermont Civil War Sesquicentennial Commission]

  WHEREAS, the American Civil War was a defining moment in our nation’s history as the Union was preserved and slavery abolished; and

  WHEREAS, the sesquicentennial of the War will be observed from 2011 to 2015; and

  WHEREAS, Vermont, the first state to outlaw slavery, played an important role in the abolition movement, opposed and legislated against the Fugitive Slave Act, and provided numerous stops on the Underground Railroad; and

  WHEREAS, the bravery of Vermonters on the battlefield is well documented, including the First Vermont Brigade which saw action in nearly every major eastern battle; the Second Vermont Brigade which broke the right flank of Pickett’s Charge at Gettysburg; the Battle of Cedar Creek, memorialized in the State House painting, in which more Vermont units were involved than in any other battle; and the Vermont-led attack that broke Confederate lines at Petersburg; and

  WHEREAS, the Confederate raid on St. Albans was the northernmost land action of the War, Vermont manufacturers provided large quantities of war material, including rifle-muskets, gun-making machinery, and wool for uniforms, and women worked tirelessly to provide the Vermont soldiers with necessary items at the front and in hospitals; and

  WHEREAS, Vermont’s Civil War story extends beyond the battlefields, to include places, sites and stories throughout the state that are vital to understanding the causes, consequences, and the human experience of the war, and its larger meaning in the context of freedom, civil rights, and national unity; and

  WHEREAS, educational opportunities will be available for residents and visitors to explore and celebrate Vermont’s rich Civil War resources, including many of the state’s most significant historic sites, village centers, and landscapes associated with the Underground Railroad and resistance to slavery, citizen mobilization, and profound social, economic, and demographic impact on Vermonters, soldiers and civilians alike, to provide a deep insight into the war’s causes, conduct, and long-term effects, and Vermonters will be given an opportunity to gather and share their community and individual discoveries of local Civil War history.

  NOW, THEREFORE, I, James H. Douglas, by virtue of the authority vested in me as Governor, do hereby order as follows:

  1. The Vermont Civil War Sesquicentennial Commission is hereby established to plan, coordinate and promote events and programs that will be held in Vermont in commemoration of the 150th anniversary of the American Civil War. The Commission may sanction events to be included as part of the official statewide commemoration of the Sesquicentennial Anniversary of the Civil War.

  2. The Vermont Civil War Sesquicentennial Commission shall be comprised of not more than 14 members to include: the Commissioner of the Vermont Department of Tourism and Marketing; the State Historic Preservation Officer; a representative of the Vermont Historical Society and a representative of the Vermont Humanities Council appointed by their respective governing Boards; and a representative from the University of Vermont appointed by the UVM President. Nine members shall be appointed by the Governor and shall include a Civil War historian, a member of a Civil War reenactment group, and a representative of a Vermont history museum. The Governor shall appoint a Chair from the membership to serve at the pleasure of the Governor. The Commission shall meet at the call of the Chair and at least quarterly.

  3. The Commission shall coordinate, review and promote programs and activities throughout the state relating to the American Civil War, in particular Vermont’s involvement therein, to deepen the knowledge and understanding of this turning point in American history and how it has shaped and continues to shape who we are as a people, a state and a nation.

  4. The Commission may create a nonprofit entity for the purposes of soliciting and accepting private donations and public funds, grants and donations in order to carry out its purposes. No funds may be disbursed unless recommended by a majority of the Commission and finally approved by the Chair.

  This Executive Order shall expire on December 31, 2015.

  Dated August 11, 2010.

• [Expires by it own terms on December 31, 2027 unless extended by the Governor.]

  Executive Order No. 22-7 (No. 06-20) [Creation of the Vermont 250th Anniversary Commission]

  WHEREAS, the year 2026 marks the 250th anniversary of the signing of the Declaration of Independence and the formation of the United States of America; and

  WHEREAS, for the duration of the American Revolutionary War, between 1775 and 1783, Vermonters played a significant role in the Colonists’ assertion for independence from Great Britain; and

  WHEREAS, the successful assault by Vermont’s Green Mountain Boys, under Ethan Allen at Fort Ticonderoga in May 1775, has been called the first offensive action by American forces during the Revolution; and

  WHEREAS, the Battle of Valcour Island, considered the first naval battle of the Revolutionary War, was fought in October 1776 on Lake Champlain with Benedict Arnold commanding the American forces; and

  WHEREAS, the extensive fortification of Mount Independence in Orwell was one of the largest American-built garrisons of the Revolutionary War, constructed in 1776-1777 to defend New England from the British; and

  WHEREAS, the Battle of Hubbardton, fought on July 7, 1777, was the only Revolutionary War battle fought entirely on the soil of what would become the State of Vermont; although a British tactical victory, it was one of the most successful rear-guard actions in American history; and

  WHEREAS, in August 1777, at the Battle of Bennington, Vermont troops helped defeat a British force, setting up victories at the Battles of Saratoga that are considered together to be a turning point of the war in favor of the Americans; and

  WHEREAS, some historic places in Vermont related to our nation’s fight for independence are designated as State-owned Historic Sites, including Hubbardton Battlefield, Mount Independence, and Bennington Battle Monument; and

  WHEREAS, Vermonters and Vermont’s communities, cultural institutions, historical societies, and state and local governments are proud partners in the remembrance of the events of the American Revolutionary War and those who fought so bravely for our country’s independence; and

  WHEREAS, to observe this momentous anniversary, the U.S. Congress established the U.S. Semiquincentennial Commission to encourage Americans to remember our past, celebrate the present, and look forward to a promising future.

  NOW THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED, I, Philip B. Scott, by virtue of the authority vested in me as Governor, do hereby order as follows:

  1. The Vermont 250th Anniversary Commission is hereby established to plan, encourage, develop, coordinate, and promote observances and activities to be held in Vermont in commemoration of the historic events that preceded and are associated with the 250th anniversary of the American Revolution in the State of Vermont, in celebration of our present and in anticipation of the promising future of our State.

  2. The Vermont 250th Anniversary Commission shall be comprised of not more than 14 members to include the Commissioner of the Vermont Department of Tourism and Marketing; the State Historic Preservation Officer; the State Librarian; a representative of the Vermont Historical Society to be selected by their Board of Directors; a representative from the University of Vermont appointed by the UVM President; and nine members shall be appointed by the Governor representative of the geographic and racial diversity of the State, to include a Revolutionary War historian; a member of a Revolutionary War reenactment group; a representative of the Vermont Commission on Native American Affairs; and a representative of a Vermont history museum. The State Historic Preservation Officer shall serve as the Chair.

  The Chair shall call the first meeting of the Commission to occur on or before March 1, 2021. The Commission shall meet at least quarterly.

  3. The Commission shall coordinate, review, and promote programs and activities throughout the state relating to the American Revolutionary War, in particular Vermont’s involvement therein, to deepen the knowledge and understanding of this formative period of American history and how it has shaped and continues to shape who we are as a people, a state and a nation.

  4. The Commission may choose to designate one or more nonprofit entities for the purposes of soliciting and accepting private donations and public funds, grants, and donations in order to carry out the purposes of this Commission. Donated funds designated for this purpose shall only be disbursed upon recommendation by a majority of the Commission and finally approved by the Chair.

  5. The Commission shall have the administrative, technical and legal support of the Agency of Commerce and Community Development, and assistance, as needed, of other State agencies and departments, boards, and commissions.

  6. To the extent funding is available, each member of the Commission shall be entitled to per diem compensation pursuant to 32 V.S.A. § 1010.

  This Executive Order shall take effect upon execution and expire on December 31, 2027 unless extended by the Governor.

  Dated December 15, 2020.