Hi Tom -- I read your other piece and will comment there (later). We need to have more imagination and look at our environment not as a constraint but as a context. How do we achieve our objectives without sacrificing our environment? Our state is great in part because of its vast natural resources, its small towns, its community. We risk devaluing/sacrificing our core differentiators.
It is not just a matter of having land to build on — it is a matter of having suitable land to build on. Building very near wetlands increases the risk of wet basements and increased foundation damage through settlement of soils.
Roads near wetlands also can face problems with erosion which costs towns or property owners ongoing maintenance repairs.
And wetlands are an essential part of our environment because they naturally store floodwater, filter pollution, support diverse wildlife, and lock away carbon, even if their presence can sometimes limit where and how we build.
I suggest we re-think how we develop/redevelop not just where we develop.
Hi Anne — I appreciate you raising this. The basement issue is a really important (and often overlooked) part of the broader floodplain conversation.
In many cases, what people don’t realize is that flood hazard regulations — both federally through FEMA and at the state/local level in Vermont — can significantly limit or outright prohibit below-grade spaces like basements in mapped flood hazard areas. In fact, standard model bylaws used across Vermont explicitly prohibit “fully enclosed areas below grade… including basements” in these zones.
That gets at a bigger point: these maps aren’t just informational — they directly shape what can be built, and how.
We actually explored this more deeply in another piece that looks specifically at how floodplain rules affect housing design, cost, and feasibility — including the basement question you mentioned. If you’re interested, here’s that article:
I’d be curious to hear your perspective after reading it — especially whether what you’re seeing locally matches how these rules are playing out on the ground.
2. Environmental Notice Bulletin (ENB) — Written public comments are submitted through the ENB at dec.vermont.gov. Search for the March 2026 Connecticut River Basin and Northern Lake Champlain Basin notices. You can also sign up for email notifications of VSWI changes in your area directly through the ENB.
3. Tomorrow's public meeting — There is an in-person meeting Monday, March 23 at 5:30 p.m. at Hartford Town Hall, Meeting Room 2, 171 Bridge Street, White River Junction. Virtual registration is also available through dec.vermont.gov.
For direct questions, Laura Lapierre is the DEC Wetlands Program Manager at Laura.Lapierre@Vermont.gov, 802-490-6177.
One thing we noticed in reporting this story: the DEC press release does not state a comment deadline, which is an important omission. We have reached out to DEC to get that date and will update the story when we have a response. We'd recommend submitting any comments sooner rather than later in the meantime.
Hi Tom -- I read your other piece and will comment there (later). We need to have more imagination and look at our environment not as a constraint but as a context. How do we achieve our objectives without sacrificing our environment? Our state is great in part because of its vast natural resources, its small towns, its community. We risk devaluing/sacrificing our core differentiators.
It is not just a matter of having land to build on — it is a matter of having suitable land to build on. Building very near wetlands increases the risk of wet basements and increased foundation damage through settlement of soils.
Roads near wetlands also can face problems with erosion which costs towns or property owners ongoing maintenance repairs.
And wetlands are an essential part of our environment because they naturally store floodwater, filter pollution, support diverse wildlife, and lock away carbon, even if their presence can sometimes limit where and how we build.
I suggest we re-think how we develop/redevelop not just where we develop.
Hi Anne — I appreciate you raising this. The basement issue is a really important (and often overlooked) part of the broader floodplain conversation.
In many cases, what people don’t realize is that flood hazard regulations — both federally through FEMA and at the state/local level in Vermont — can significantly limit or outright prohibit below-grade spaces like basements in mapped flood hazard areas. In fact, standard model bylaws used across Vermont explicitly prohibit “fully enclosed areas below grade… including basements” in these zones.
That gets at a bigger point: these maps aren’t just informational — they directly shape what can be built, and how.
We actually explored this more deeply in another piece that looks specifically at how floodplain rules affect housing design, cost, and feasibility — including the basement question you mentioned. If you’re interested, here’s that article:
https://www.compassvermont.com/p/vermonts-floodplain-dilemma-strict
I’d be curious to hear your perspective after reading it — especially whether what you’re seeing locally matches how these rules are playing out on the ground.
Thanks for taking the time to write.
Tom Davis, Publisher
Is there a link available to the public comment portal? I looked at the DEC and ANR websites and was unable to locate more information on this.
Hi Sam,
Thank you for reading and for the great question — the DEC's comment process is not as clearly signposted as it should be.
There are three ways to engage:
1. Interactive map — View the draft wetland updates at dec.vermont.gov/watershed/wetlands/wetland-maps. This shows current vs. proposed boundaries side by side.
2. Environmental Notice Bulletin (ENB) — Written public comments are submitted through the ENB at dec.vermont.gov. Search for the March 2026 Connecticut River Basin and Northern Lake Champlain Basin notices. You can also sign up for email notifications of VSWI changes in your area directly through the ENB.
3. Tomorrow's public meeting — There is an in-person meeting Monday, March 23 at 5:30 p.m. at Hartford Town Hall, Meeting Room 2, 171 Bridge Street, White River Junction. Virtual registration is also available through dec.vermont.gov.
For direct questions, Laura Lapierre is the DEC Wetlands Program Manager at Laura.Lapierre@Vermont.gov, 802-490-6177.
One thing we noticed in reporting this story: the DEC press release does not state a comment deadline, which is an important omission. We have reached out to DEC to get that date and will update the story when we have a response. We'd recommend submitting any comments sooner rather than later in the meantime.
Thanks again,
Tom Davis, Publisher
Thank you for the follow-up and leads to follow!