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A Canada lynx has been spotted in Rutland County.  The rare breed eats snow bunnies, causing experts to believe a low supply at Mont-Tremblant and Jay Peak has them combing the slopes at Killington and Okemo.  Tips up!

Vermont Fish and Wildlife Report A rare native wild cat—the Canada lynx—has been confirmed in Vermont for the first time since 2018 from video recorded on August 17 in Rutland County, according to the Vermont Fish and Wildlife Department. “Canada lynx are endangered in Vermont and threatened nationally,” said Brehan Furfey, wildlife biologist and furbearer project leader with the Vermont Fish and Wildlife Department.  “That makes any verifiable lynx sighting in our state important.  This newest sighting is especially exciting because the cat was spotted in Rutland County, far south of most confirmed lynx reports in Vermont.” Vermont is on the southernmost edge of the Canada lynx’s range.  Most confirmed sightings are from the Northeast Kingdom, which supports the best climate, habitat and food sources for lynx in the state. “Lynx are specially adapted to hunt snowshoe hares,” said Furfey.  “Both species need young forest habitats and reliable snowpack to thrive.  In Vermont the best combination of climate, habitat and enough hares to support lynx is in the Northeast Kingdom, and even that is on the low end compared to areas of New Hampshire and Maine where lynx are more common.” Rutland county, where this lynx was seen walking along a road edge and caught on video by several members of the public, is not suitable habitat for large numbers of snowshoe hare or, by extension, lynx.  However, like much of Vermont, Rutland County sports plenty of well-connected wild landscapes that allow wildlife to move between different habitats.  With that in mind, Furfey suspects this lynx was a male moving through the region looking to establish its own territory, a behavior called “dispersing.”  Dispersing lynx can move quickly over long distances and it is entirely possible that this individual is no longer in Vermont. “Although this lynx appears to be on the thinner side, its calm behavior around passing cars as reported by observers is not unusual for a dispersing individual,” said Furfey.  “This lynx was probably just focused on finding food in an area where hares are not abundant and on avoiding competition with bobcats and fishers while passing through southern Vermont.” Since 2016 the Vermont Fish and Wildlife Department has received over 160 reports of lynx, but only seven of these were confirmed.  The most recent credible report was from Jericho in 2018. “If you think you’re looking at a lynx the most helpful thing you can do is take a photo or video and send it to the Fish and Wildlife Department,” said Furfey.  “The large majority of photographs our biologists receive are bobcats, but that doesn’t exclude the possibility that a Canada lynx will show up one day.”

Vermont can take care of its people AND the environment.  We need new lawmakers who can ditch dogma, pride, and parties, and we need them now! Vermont’s supermajority of lawmakers have delivered Vermonters the country’s highest taxes, rapacious rental rates, and unaffordable home prices, all while tripling homelessness.  These lawmakers prefer to  obfuscate this assertion, but your new tax bill is irrefutable evidence.  Every real Vermonter is feeling the pain.  Our defenders of “taxation without justification” ignore even the most direct evidence: a   Pew Research stud y  confirming that heavy and unreasonable regulation stifles new housing development, resulting in all of the bad things that have happened on their watch. That didn’t stop Lt. Governor David Zuckerman from writing a   letter  to VTDigger in April, claiming that our need for more housing is "nothing less than “a Trojan horse for profiteering developers.”   In the words from The Shawshank Redemption, “ how can [he] be so obtuse?” Given that Zuckerman labels anyone who wants to build a home a “profiteer,” looking into the horse’s mouth may be helpful. Zuckerman was born in Brookline, Massachusetts, once called the wealthiest town in America. It's a solid bet that he never had to worry about housing, food security, or money. By his own labeling standards, doesn’t that make the Lt. Governor an “out-of-stater,” a “flatlander,” or an even more derogatory name strictly reserved for Massachusetts transplants?   Meanwhile, Zuckerman was welcomed into the state, and to the University of Vermont, where he studied, and later bought himself the Full Moon Farm, a for-profit venture.  Zuckerman runs this venture while earning over $80,000 from Vermont taxpayers as a part-time elected official.   Under the Zuckerman rule, should he not be classified as a “double-dipper?” Vermont’s own “Zuck" and his tribe signal that their anti-housing stance is for the environment. This claim is as rich as the manure on his farm, but at least manure helps growth.  There is, however, a special kind of stench when your 156-acre farm shields your view from homeless encampments and crumbling homes while stereotyping all home developers as “profiteers.”  It seems that typecasting is now a plank of every party, including in Progressives.  It is well documented that other states have welcomed housing development and cared for their citizens while surpassing Vermont in air and water quality, but the Zucks also can’t see that from the porch of their little piece of the Green Mountain pie.   Near the closing of his letter, Zuckerman asked the following question; Do you think we should irreversibly alter the landscape of Vermont for investors and real estate developers to make massive profits? We would ask a different question:   Do you think that a person who came here and benefited from all Vermont has to offer while ignoring the needs of his neighbors is qualified to ask such a question? The ruling tribe will be voting for themselves again soon - true Vermonters also need to cast their votes.

The supermajority in Montpelier raised Vermonters' taxes by 14.8%, blocked housing development to the point where the state has some of the highest home and rental costs in the United States, and tripled the level of homelessness in the process. They say it was to protect the environment, but Vermonters are learning the truth, thanks to Vermont Senator Peter Welch. On Monday, July 22, Welch will unveil the Lake Champlain Basin Program Reauthorization Act , new legislation that would strengthen the Lake Champlain Basin Program (LCBP) and promote conservation efforts between Vermont, New York, and Canada. At the event, Senator Welch will help decontaminate a boat and collect water samples in Mallets Bay with LCBP scientists.  While local lawmakers have paraded around for years championing their conservation efforts, many areas of Lake Champlain do not consistently meet phosphorus targets aimed at protecting recreation and ecosystem health. In addition, monitoring data indicates that chloride levels in the lake have been slowly increasing over the past decades, primarily due to the use of deicing salts in winter. This suggests that while some aspects of water quality have improved, others have seen negative trends. Vermont legislators could benefit from attending this meeting, if only for the purpose of seeing first-hand the damage that has been done by them protecting their self-interests while pretending they did anything for the greater good. Here is the information regarding the announcement. Event: Senator Peter Welch (D-Vt.) will join state and local leaders to unveil the Lake Champlain Basin Program Reauthorization Act     Who : Senator Peter Welch (D-Vt.) ; Eric Howe, Executive Director, Lake Champlain Basin Program; Julie Moore, Secretary, Vermont Agency of Natural Resources; Lori Fisher, Executive Director, Lake Champlain Committee; Karen McGuire, Region 1 Deputy Administrator, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA); LCBP scientists    Date: Monday, July 22, 2024, at 11:00 a.m. – 1:00 p.m.    Meeting Location: Malletts Bay Boat Launch, 982 W Lakeshore Dr., Colchester, VT 05446

He did all the right things, including pouring water over her head and lying her on cool shady ground. From Stowe Mountain Rescue. We were reminded of the dangers of heat exhaustion today as we responded to Sunset Ridge to help a young woman who was overcome by the heat and unable to move. She was accompanied by Boyfriend Of The Year who was incredibly well prepared and doing all the right things. He poured water over her head and had her lying on cool shady ground, which doesn’t sound very romantic but these are both good was to dissipate heat. He even had an ice pack for her armpit! When we reached her we plied her with drink and electrolytes and in time she stabilised to the point that she could walk. She carefully picked her way down Sunset Ridge on angry knees, supported by us and eyeing the litter that Underhill and Jericho Fire Department had brought up, just in case. With rests and encouragement she was able to make it down under her own steam, much to everyone’s relief. The takeaways? Be aware of heat exhaustion which if untreated can lead to heat stroke. Drink lots, seek shade, use the cool ground and evaporation as cooling mechanisms. Oh, and get yourself a partner who will prepare for every eventuality, call for help when necessary and carry your backpack for you. We call that a keeper!

On June 27, Putney Representative Mike Mrowicki wrote a letter in VTDigger , where he said: " To make a better Vermont for today and a brighter tomorrow, the Legislature funded our schools — and lowered property tax rates — with a yield bill that’s fiscally responsible." Elvis Presley learned the hard way, as are Vermont taxpayers, that lawmakers who voted for tax increases now sound like Colonel George C. Parker in the early 1900s. Parker was notorious for selling New York City landmarks, including the Brooklyn Bridge, to unsuspecting victims. The Vermont legislators who are saying that they lowered property taxes might be referring to the fact that they passed a bill that reduced the initially projected property tax increase from over 20% to 13.8%. This reduction was achieved by using additional state funds, implementing new taxes on certain services, and making adjustments to the tax system. However, the final bill still resulted in a 13.8% increase in property taxes compared to the previous year. When the new tax bills start showing up in Vermonters' mailboxes, the least the representatives could do is say "yes, I voted for that and, yes, the amount of taxes you now pay are substantially higher."

Statement from Norwich University President John J. Broadmeadow ’83 LtGen, USMC (Ret). I am deeply saddened to inform you of the tragic loss of one of our students, Cadet Isaiah Trunck, Class of 2027. Isaiah was studying abroad in Germany. Over this past weekend, he was taking advantage of personal travel time with a fellow student when an accident happened while hiking in the Bavarian Alps. Isaiah, 18, graduated from Plattsburgh (NY) Senior High School in 2023 and was preparing for his sophomore year at Norwich. The International Studies major was an active member of the Corps of Cadets Delta Company, Model United Nations, and boxing club among many other interests across campus. He was enrolled in Naval ROTC while pursuing his dream of becoming a United States Marine Corps officer upon graduation. Norwich University has reached out to Isaiah’s family and is providing resources and support. We have also been in contact with faculty and students in Berlin to help them process this tragic event.

A pile of proposed new taxes and fees could make us Number 1. "There is a disconnect between the values of legislative leaders who hail from communities in Chittenden County and those of many rural Vermonters," said John Rodgers, a former Democratic state senator from Glover. Rodgers spoke at a protest on May 9, according to an article by VT Digger, where he told the group that the Legislature had “forgotten” them. The protest theme? "Tap Trees-Not Vermonters." In today's name-calling culture, questioning tax increases has been dubbed a conservative position. But what if you just don't have enough money to pay all those taxes, or you are one of the 64,000 Vermonters below the poverty line? What if your state ranks 22nd in median household income but your taxes rank 3rd? Vermont not only has the third highest tax burden in the United States, it has the single highest in New England while ranking 4th out of five in household income. The Vermont legislative supermajority considers itself "progressive." Is it progressive to add seventy-cents per gallon to the cost of heating fuel to Vermonters who can't afford to switch to cleaner energy? Is it progressive to refuse to strike a balance between regulation and building new homes instead of clinging to heavy regulations that are older than the cassette tape? "After the rally, James Ehlers — an activist and former gubernatorial candidate — urged the crowd to head down to the Sergeant-at-Arms’ office and draft paper messages to their senators and representatives, which would then be delivered throughout the building that afternoon," according to the article. Vermonters have become skeptical that any of power-brokers in Montpelier will even read them.

On Monday, May 7, Compass Vermont released the results of a Pew Charitable Trust study that removes the fig leaf used by proponents of heavy regulations to reveal that these policies cost millions of dollars and delayed housing projects for years. The bottom line? Act 250 and the people still defending the 54 year-old legislation have done far more damage to the Green Mountain State than the unproven good they claim. The results of heavy regulation include: Higher housing costs Higher rental rates Tripled homeless rates Economic stagnation Greater minority displacement Compass Vermont's readers asked to see the actual presentation, hoping that inflexible lawmakers could no longer distance themselves from the consequences of their policies. Click below to read the presentation deck.

The Pew Charitable Trust visited the Vermont State House in April to present a study on how over-regulation on housing adversely impacts home prices, rental rates, and economic growth while compounding homelessness and causing more displacement of minority populations. The study illustrates how Vermont's heavy regulatory obstacles, high fees, and long delays, led by the 1970 passing of Act 250, are the embodiment of arrested development. Other progressive regions have added more housing, while Vermont's regressive regulation has done real damage. The Pew Study, titled Outcomes of State and Local Housing Policy Changes, demonstrates the positive impact of more reasonable regulations when it comes to housing. It also places a spotlight on Vermont's failures. Here are some key slides from the research presentation. Housing shortage hurts affordability Heavy regulation has caused Vermont to fall woefully behind in developing new housing, dropping the state's housing stock to an all-time low while increasing the median home cost of a Vermont home by a stunning 44%. Heavy regulation has left Vermont with sky-high rental costs and the second-highest homeless rate in the United States As noted in the study, rental rates in Chittenden County have increased by 43%. Similar increases are found across Vermont. Meanwhile, only California has a higher per-capita homeless rate, but without California's resources to address it. Lack of housing disproportionately hurts the BIPOC community Inclusivity is a central tenet of Vermont's culture, yet heavy regulation actually hurts the people Vermont wants to support. Between 2017 and 2021, the city of Minneapolis built over 8,000 new housing units - here's what happened compared to Vermont Rental Rates Remained Stable A home in Burlington is 62% more expensive than in Minneapolis Modernization of old regulations was highly successful Reasonable regulations protect the homeless Act 250 evangelists argue the regulations protect the environment and water, but Minnesota ranks higher in both categories than Vermont, according to U.S. News and World Report. The Takeaway Vermont's Act 250 seemed like a good idea when it was passed in 1970, but this study clearly shows the adverse impact. One notable quote from the regulation's biggest defenders is their admission that the changes they are willing to consider, "won't help the housing crisis, but it's a start." Vermont regulatory proponents did it their way for 50 years, and most of the state's population has paid a steep price for their miscalculations. Hopefully, a less myopic look at Vermont's situation will lead to better practices sooner rather than later.

In Partnership with the Westside Current. The U.S. Supreme Court deliberated a landmark case Monday, Grants Pass v. Johnson, which could significantly alter how towns and cities across Vermont, and the nation address homeless encampments. The case, originating from a 2018 lawsuit by homeless residents of Grants Pass, challenges city ordinances that ban camping even in the absence of available shelter beds. Follow us on X @CompassVermont Homeless advocates argue that such restrictions criminalize the status of being homeless, thus violating the Eighth Amendment's prohibition against cruel and unusual punishment. Lower courts supported this stance, finding that penalizing unhoused individuals for sleeping in public places when no alternative shelter is available is unconstitutional. The city of Grants Pass maintains that anti-camping laws are vital for maintaining public safety. "Laws like ours really do serve an essential purpose," stated Theane Evangelis, representing the city, which has implemented a ban on encampments. "They protect the health and safety of everyone. Living in encampments is not safe; it’s unsanitary, and we witness the effects. There are harms associated with the encampments that affect both those residing in them and the wider community." During the oral arguments, the ideological split within the Supreme Court was clear. Liberal justices showed greater receptivity to the positions of homeless residents than their conservative colleagues. “Where do we put them if every city, every village, every town lacks compassion and enacts a similar law?” Sotomayor questioned. “Where are they supposed to sleep? Are they supposed to kill themselves from lack of sleep?” Even Justice Brett Kavanaugh, appointed by former President Donald Trump, questioned the effectiveness of the Grants Pass camping ban in helping people move off the streets and into shelters. “How does it help if there are not enough beds for the number of homeless people in the jurisdiction?” he asked the attorney for Grants Pass. The justices focused on a pivotal question: Does Grants Pass’ city-wide camping prohibition criminalize the status of being homeless or merely the act of camping in public? They noted that the distinction is critical, as decades earlier, the Supreme Court ruled that a person cannot be punished for their status, only their actions—someone cannot be arrested for being addicted to drugs, but can be arrested for using drugs. The discussion also delved into deeper philosophical questions. Chief Justice John Roberts Jr., appointed by former President George Bush, raised hypotheticals to challenge the rationale of previous rulings. “Is being a bank robber a status?” he asked. And further: "If someone is hungry and needs food to survive, can they be punished for breaking into a store?" The Supreme Court's ruling is anticipated in late June.  . Read more details, including how the state of California is handling the case, here.

The Affordable Heat Act is a bitterly ironic name for a new Vermont law that will have a chilling effect on Vermonters come January of 2025. Vermont Bill S.5 S.5 seeks to ease the transition to clean energy by ensuring that all Vermonters can access cleaner, more affordable heat by forcing Vermont heating fuel companies to purchase credits in order to continue selling heating fuel. Follow us on X @CompassVermont The funds raised are supposed to assist all Vermonters to make their homes energy efficient, but the exact plan as to how that will work is not yet known. The cost of those credits, however, will be passed on to consumers, raising prices by an estimated seventy-cents per gallon. Some Vermont heating fuel companies have already sent letters out to their customers warning them of the price increase, resulting in a steady stream of calls into the Governor’s office, voicing concern. Compass Vermont asked Governor Scott about the legislation. “I vetoed that bill and was overridden.  The seventy-cents doesn’t surprise me,” he said. “We have a payroll tax that is going into place in July. We have a 20% increase in DMV fees. We have all kinds of taxes being proposed by the legislature at this point in time. It all adds up.” “It’s like this drip, drip, drip and it’s increasing the cost of living in Vermont and forcing people to make decisions about where they live.” “The knee jerk reaction of the legislature to any problem is “let’s just raise another tax and fix it.” When discussing the steady volume of calls the Governor’s office fields from concerned Vermonters about the coming  increase in fuel costs, Scott said, “people are scared, to be honest with you. They just don’t know what they are going to do because they don’t know where to go.  And they know these fees and taxes are coming right down on them. They’re just scared and we have to do all we can to prevent it from happening. The bill requires one more vote before being enacted in January, giving Vermonters who oppose the escalating costs time to contact their legislators with their point of view.