[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 158 (2012), Part 11]
[Senate]
[Page 15212]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




                      PROTECTING ECONOMIC VITALITY

  Mr. LEAHY. Mr. President, shortly after the Senate recessed in 
September, a compelling article was published in the Burlington Free 
Press which I would like to share with this Senate.
  John Ewing is a true public servant in Vermont. His vision and 
ability to work with diverse groups to protect Vermont's environment 
has been an inspiration to many. His September 30, 2012, column 
entitled, ``I Believe'' reviews the important steps Vermont has taken 
to achieve smart growth to help our natural resources and the State's 
economy hand in hand. John also looks to the future and what we must 
continue to do in Vermont to ensure we are planning for our best future 
possible with vibrant communities, a working landscape, and the natural 
beauty of our open spaces. Vermonters have a history of approaching 
these issues in a collaborative and objective fashion and I know that 
if we continue to do that we will be able to move Vermont forward to a 
bright and sustainable future.
  John's column is a roadmap to how States can protect their natural 
heritage while maintaining their economic vitality. I ask unanimous 
consent that the text of this column be printed in the Record.
  There being no objection, the material was ordered to be printed in 
the Record, as follows:

            [From the Burlington Free Press, Sept. 30, 2012]

 I Believe: ``Economic Vitality and Protecting Natural Heritage Are Not 
                         at All Incompatible''

                           (By John T. Ewing)

       Vermont is defined by its natural beauty, its towns and 
     villages and its working landscape. But the question always 
     remains: Can Vermont encourage growth, provide jobs and at 
     the same time retain these special qualities? Will we be able 
     to avoid the negative impacts of unplanned growth and 
     suburbanization?
       When I first came to Vermont in the 1950s, the site of the 
     Sheraton Hotel on Williston Road beyond the University of 
     Vermont was a dairy farm. Burlington had three hardware 
     stores, and its banks stayed open on Friday nights to 
     accommodate the farmers who came to town.
       So much has changed. And yet Vermont has worked hard to 
     retain its traditional settlement patterns--its compact 
     communities and a healthy working landscape.
       State policy has long recognized the need to protect these 
     special qualities. The principle of ``compact settlement and 
     a working landscape'' has been imbedded as an official vision 
     since the 1960s. Act 250, with its set of principles to guide 
     growth, was enacted in 1972. The Vermont Housing and 
     Conservation Trust Fund was enacted in 1987 to pay for the 
     conservation of farms and natural areas, and to invest in 
     affordable housing in our villages and downtowns.
       Under Gov. Madeleine Kunin, several efforts were made to 
     strengthen state and community planning, and under Gov. 
     Howard Dean, the state provided substantial funding to 
     conserve farms, forests and natural areas. Recently the 
     Legislature enacted downtown legislation and growth centers 
     to encourage growth in and around existing population centers 
     and towns.
       However, not all is rosy. As I traveled across the state as 
     chairman of the Environmental Board in the late 1990s, the 
     suburbanization of Vermont was all too clear in certain 
     areas. So we founded the nonprofit Smart Growth Vermont 
     (originally named the Vermont Forum on Sprawl) in 1998. Our 
     aim was to work with the administration and the Legislature 
     to better preserve our heritage, and to assist local 
     communities in their planning and regulatory functions to 
     more effectively guide their growth. This ``smart growth'' 
     organization has now been merged into the Vermont Natural 
     Resources Council, where its director, Brian Shupe, and his 
     staff are well positioned to carry forward the initiatives 
     and the tools we developed, and to work with individual 
     towns.
       The smart growth movement believes that the twin goals of 
     economic vitality and the protection of our natural heritage 
     are not at all incompatible. In fact, much of the success of 
     Vermont is attributable to its beauty and special qualities, 
     supporting all facets of economic activity: tourism, farming, 
     businesses and jobs all integrated so that there is no need 
     to sacrifice our basic values.
       We are blessed in Vermont with so many organizations 
     working together to achieve these goals. I doubt that any 
     state is so well served by the quality of its leaders and its 
     organizations. I have already mentioned the Vermont Natural 
     Resources Council, which just celebrated its 50th 
     anniversary; a sampling of other groups include:
       Land trusts, such as the Vermont Land Trust and many of its 
     local counterparts.
       Conservation organizations: the Nature Conservancy and 
     countless similar groups.
       Vermont Businesses for Social Responsibility.
       Preservation Trust of Vermont.
       The Vermont Council on Rural Development and its initiative 
     on the working landscape.
       The housing nonprofits, exemplified by the Champlain 
     Housing Trust.
       The ``buy local'' food movement, which is so important in 
     ensuring that our land resources are used productively.
       There's also the important Vermont Housing and Conservation 
     Board, which over the years has contributed to the 
     development or protection of:
        10,750 permanently affordable housing units.
       144,000 acres of agricultural lands.
       253,000 acres of natural areas and recreation.
       57 downtown historic properties.
       And most importantly, there are the local planning 
     commissions, zoning boards and town councils that are on the 
     front line in confronting the complex proposals in their 
     communities.
       There always will be apparent conflict between growth and 
     preserving the Vermont that we cherish. A current example 
     involves the proposals for industrial wind power, fields of 
     solar collectors, and bio-mass. There is an obvious conflict 
     with those who cherish our ridgelines, mountains, forests and 
     fields.
       I believe these tensions can be relieved if we correct the 
     current lack of planning and develop a more impartial 
     regulatory system. As we have done in the past on other 
     issues, Vermont can integrate the need for renewable energy 
     with the environment if we provide the planning, systems for 
     approval and opportunity for citizen involvement.
       Compact and vibrant communities, natural beauty and a 
     working landscape: I believe we should never allow these 
     special qualities to be eroded and lost; they are what define 
     Vermont. But we have a history of addressing these issues in 
     an objective and collaborative manner--that also is what 
     defines Vermont.

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