FY 2010 Appropriations / Authorization

Senator Sanders has, in the ongoing Fiscal Year 2010 appropriations process, requested funds for the Vermont projects below. These projects reflect his commitment to reducing poverty through job training, supporting Vermont agriculture, promoting good nutritional practices and increasing the energy efficiency of our economy.

This list is not exhaustive as it does not include projects that have not yet been officially requested.

APPROPRIATIONS

Financial Services Appropriations

Champlain Valley Office of Economic Opportunity; Burlington, VT
Chittenden Emergency Food Shelf
$150,000

Starting in January of 2009, the Vermont Foodbank and Chittenden Emergency Food Shelf (CEFS) partnered to launch the Community Kitchen program at the CEFS facility in Burlington to directly address poverty by providing job training and career support for unemployed or underemployed individuals. The Community Kitchen model is used nationally to provide low-income people with culinary job training and career support.

These funds would expand CEFS’ facility and the capacity of the program for classroom and kitchen training. The Community Kitchen students contribute directly and substantially to CEFS’ services to provide food for Vermonters in need.

Food Works at Two Rivers Center
Montpelier, VT
$100,000

These funds would provide support for a combined nutrition education and job training program that targets low-income central Vermonters and their families. The first component of the integrated program is the training of young adults between the ages of 18 and 24 in a wide range of occupational skills for the local foods economy. The second component consists of year-round classes for young, low-income single parents in family nutrition, meals planning and healthy food choices using fresh local foods.

Within this program, funding would be targeted to low-income persons to further several important goals: promoting locally-based agriculture, improving nutritional practices, increasing job training for youth and providing needed food to families.

Vermont Businesses for Social Responsibility
Burlington, VT
$100,000

These funds would help several dozen Vermont businesses that have committed to reducing their non-renewable energy consumption. During the 5 year demonstration project the companies’ energy use would be tracked and analyzed with energy demand-management software. The firms will be selected from a variety of business sectors, include operations of different sizes, and represent all areas of the state.

Increasing energy efficiency is a simple way to help fight climate change and saves the economy money. The goal of this program is to leverage the initial investment to create a model that, if successful, could be easily scaled upwards to help more businesses increase their energy efficiency.

Vermont Farms Association
Rochester, VT
$100,000

These funds would establish a pilot project of best management practices for agritourism to be used nationally and internationally. This model would integrate international ecotourism standards, green hotel standards, tourism industry standards and agricultural best management practices.

The funding would promote Vermont agriculture, support marketing for local businesses, and create standards and best practices to protect consumers and the environment.

DEFENSE AUTHORIZATION REQUESTS

Senator Sanders’ has made the following requests to the Senate Armed Services Committee for inclusion in the FY2010 National Defense Authorization Act.  Below are construction requests made on behalf of the Vermont National Guard in order to improve their facilities, along with a request for national program funding, and for a change in military policy that would help energy efficiency at military facilities. 

Name:             Expansion of Firefighting Facility at Burlington Airport, 
Request:         $5,800,000
Recipient:       Vermont Air National Guard    
Location          Burlington International Airport, Vermont

Firefighting vehicles have become larger over the years, too large for the Vermont Air National Guard firehouse at the Burlington Airport.  The expansion will allow the fire and disaster response vehicles that respond to airport incidents to be housed in a larger and more modern structure.   The fire facility responds to events at both the National Guard and civilian sides of the airport.

Name:             Ethan Allen Firing Range Barracks Additions and Alterations
Request:         $1,996,000
Recipient:       Vermont Army National Guard
Location          Ethan Allen Range, Vermont

The National Guard facility is too small and badly in need of upgrades.  The project will increase the square footage so more guard members can train at the site.  The Guard will also make the facility energy efficient, saving taxpayers money for heating, lighting and more.

Name:             Morrisville FMS          
Request:         $650,000
Recipient:       Vermont National Guard
Location          Morrisville, VT

The current National Guard maintenance facility at Morrisville needs expansion and modernization in order to handle the Vermont Guard’s new vehicles. The funds would pay for the design phase of the vehicle maintenance shop project.  The new facility will be larger, more modern and conform to the requirements of the new vehicles.

Name:             Gulf War Illness Research Program
Request:         $25,000,000
Recipient:       US Army Medical Rsearch and Materiel Command
Location:        Fort Detrick, MD

The objective of the Gulf War Illness Research Program GWIRP is to identify beneficial treatments and diagnostic markers for Gulf War Illnesses (GWI), the complex of chronic symptoms resulting from service in the 1991 Gulf War which affects at least 175,000 veterans, one in four of those who deployed.    This request for $25 million follows the November 2008 release of the 454-page report by the Congressionally-mandated Research Advisory Committee (RAC) on Gulf War Illnesses, which concludes that “[t]he extensive body of scientific research now available consistently indicates that Gulf War illness is real, that it is the result of neurotoxic exposures during Gulf War deployment, and that few veterans have recovered or substantially improved with time.”  The report called for a “renewed federal research commitment … to identify effective treatments … to achieve the critical objectives of improving the health of Gulf War veterans and preventing similar problems in future deployments.”  Clearly, with exposures to toxins, chemical weapons, and other hazardous substances being a permanent reality for our service members this research is not only important to Gulf War veterans, but to current and future force health protection; not to mention public health generally.

This request has the support of the American Legion, AMVETS, the Association of the United States Navy, the Blinded Veterans Association, the Disabled American Veterans, the National Guard Association of the United States, the National Vietnam and Gulf War Veterans Coalition, the Paralyzed Veterans of America, the Veterans of Foreign Wars of the United States, Veterans of Modern Warfare, and the Vietnam Veterans of America.

Funding at the $25 million level will provide the program with approximately $13 million for pilot studies to identify effective treatments and diagnostic tests, $8 million for clinical trials of treatments identified as effective in previous pilot studies, and $4 million for a center of excellence to identify promising candidates for treatments and diagnostic tests.  This request of $25 million for the CDMRP Gulf War Illness Research Program represents Congress taking the first step to implement the RAC report’s recommendation that “the Administration request and Congress appropriate a minimum of $40 million annually to the Department of Defense for the Gulf War Illness Research Program managed by DOD’s Office of Congressionally Directed Medical Research Programs.”   With GWIRP’s independent, merit-based, and peer-reviewed process I am confident that these resources are and will continue to be used in the best interest of our service members and veterans.  Importantly, the research awards through GWIRP are open to all interested researchers including public and private universities and federal laboratories.

National and Air Guard Armories and Reserve Centers
Energy Efficiency Policy Request

State National Guards are eligible for federal funding to upgrade the energy efficiency of armories and reserve centers.  However, states must provide a 50% match to upgrade state owned facilities.  This match precludes many important projects from moving forward due to current financial challenges at the state government level.  The financial savings for energy efficiency upgrades is well proven, and the program’s track record is well established.   In fact, the upgrades typically pay for themselves within several years, saving money for both the state and the federal government.  Changing the statute to create an exception for the state match requirement, specifically for energy efficiency improvements, would allow many more of these projects to move forward in Vermont and across the nation.

COMMERCE, JUSTICE, SCIENCE

Vermont Criminal Justice Training Council; Pittsford, VT
Vermont Police Academy
$200,000

This project will enhance the abilities of police recruits and seasoned officers by placing laptop computers in the hands of each student and providing them with internet / intranet wireless access throughout the police academy campus.  The funding will allow student officers to access the most current references (statutes, regulations, and data) and resources on-line from the classroom or dorm.  It will also allow on-line testing, scoring, and feedback to students.  These enhancements will enable students in basic and in-service training to learn in a more modern manner.

Vermont Department of Children and Families; Waterbury, VT
At-Risk Youth Assistance Programs
$500,000

This funding supports at-risk youth programs across the state.  The Vermont Department of Children and Families has a successful track record in administering programs that engage youth in enriching activities in order to prevent juvenile delinquency.  Funding would be used towards engaging youth in mentoring programs, healthy recreational activities and after-school enrichment, as well as supporting outreach programs and safe, substance-free social spaces for teens. 

Vermont Department of Education; Montpelier, VT
Extended Education Programming at Schools
$500,000

These funds would increase the educational possibilities open to lower income children beyond what is offered during the school day. The Vermont Department of Education would establish Saturday programs at schools around the state to provide stimulating and enriching educational activities for children who could not otherwise afford them.  Additional schooling for children during these hours can decrease the rate of delinquency at participating schools and will set a successful national model.

Vermont Department of Fish and Wildlife Department; Waterbury, VT
Equipment Support for Game Wardens
$150,000

As the Vermont State Police and local departments face increasing budget pressures, the responsibility for law enforcement in rural areas increasingly falls upon the state game wardens. These sworn officers must often traverse off-road areas in the course of their patrols.  This funding would help offset the cost of vehicle upgrades and other equipment.

Vermont Department of Public Safety; Waterbury, VT
School Resource Officers
$200,000

The Vermont State Police’s School Resource Officer Program, which places sworn officers in public schools, is an important outreach tool that helps deter crime. These officers bridge the gap between law enforcement and students, promote positive attitudes towards law enforcement; prevent juvenile crime by helping students formulate an awareness of rules, authority, and justice; and instruct students how to avoid becoming a victim through self-awareness and crime prevention. This is a very successful program that has already placed officers in school systems in the state of Vermont.  With this funding additional officers could be placed in Vermont schools.

Vermont Department of States Attorneys and Sheriffs; Montpelier,  VT
Equipment Support for Sheriffs
$250,000

The sheriff’s departments across the state of Vermont still have many unmet capital needs. A consistent and enduring need is for in-car camera systems that protect both police officers and crime suspects. This funding will be distributed to different departments across the state to help purchase needed equipment.       

Vermont Department of States Attorneys and Sheriffs; Montpelier,  VT
Special Investigation Units
$100,000

Special Investigation Units (SIUs) are made up of specially trained police officers, social workers, medical professionals, therapists, and prosecutors to investigate, advocate, treat and prosecute crimes of sexual violence and child sexual abuse. These multi-disciplinary task forces were originally formed in Chittenden and Franklin/Grand Isle counties. The funds would further expand the program throughout the State. 

INTERIOR

Combating White-Nose Syndrome
Department of the Interior; Washington D.C.
$5,000,000 (Programmatic Request)

The Department of Interior funds would address the growing, nation- wide crisis of White-Nose Syndrome in bats to help avert a potential nation-wide ecological crisis.  The disease is wiping out hundreds of thousands of bats in caves in the Northeast of the United States, including Vermont, and spreading across the country.

Drinking Water Infrastructure Upgrade
Danville Fire District #1; Danville, Vermont
$1,265,550.

The requested funding is for drinking water distribution improvements for Vermont, consisting of approximately 11,000 linear feet of water line replacement to correct low pressure problems due to old, undersized pipe.

Eden Forest Conservation Easement Acquisition
Vermont Agency of Natural Resources; Waterbury, Vermont
$4,000,000

The funding would acquire conservation easements on the Eden Forest property.  Eden Forest is adjacent to 24,188 acres of conserved land and shares a common boundary with the Long Trail State Forest and the Long Trail corridor.  The property also contains portions of both Bowen and Butternut Mountain summits.  Its protection would create a significant “core” forest in Vermont’s northern woods.

Drinking Water Infrastructure Upgrade
Ferrisburg Fire District #1; Ferrisburg, Vermont
$2,142,000

The requested funding would extend municipal water service to an area that is currently served by individual privately-owned wells. Many of the properties in the target area have experienced chronic water shortages due to poor yielding wells. 

Wastewater Water facility Upgrade
Town of Hinesburg, Vermont
$1,155,000

The requested funding is for a wastewater treatment facility upgrade of a 40 year old pump stations and treatment facility in the town of Hinesburg. In the last year degradation of the aeration system has resulted in their having difficulty meeting water quality permit limits, and the town has received four violations. The project would address water quality needs, and create jobs through the renovation of the treatment facilities.

Wastewater Plant Upgrade and Phosphorous Removal
Village of Waterbury, Vermont
$910,000

The requested funding is for a wastewater treatment facility upgrade in the Village of Waterbury that includes improvements to the chemical storage and associated equipment.

Labor, Health and Human Services, Education and Related Agencies

Capacity for Nursing Students and Faculty Grants
Department of Education; Washington, D.C.
$50,000,000 (Programmatic Request)

The Higher Education Opportunity Act, which was signed into law last year, authorized a new program called Capacity for Nursing Students and Faculty. This program provides grants to nursing schools that will help alleviate the nursing crisis by educating 10,000 more nurses a year. Last year alone, nursing schools turned away nearly 50,000 qualified applicants from baccalaureate and graduate nursing programs due to an insufficient number of faculty, classroom space and budget constraints.

Child and Family Services
Winooski Family Center; Winooski, VT
$100,000

The Winooski Family Center offers child care, preschool and family services. Initially, a joint venture of the Winooski Schools District and Winooski Housing Authority, the Center is a crucial resource in an area with a higher rate of low-income families. The Center would use the funding to extend its services, upgrade equipment and add an outreach coordinator to leverage additional resources

Child Care and Parental Education Support
Addison County Parent Child Center; Middlebury, VT
$500,000

In Vermont, there are 10 Parent/Child Centers that provide infant and toddler care, as well as parental education. As a network, they often act as training centers within their communities. Parent/Child Centers are in a unique opposition to raise the quality of care for the youngest and neediest Vermonters. With the requested funding, the ACPCC could support other programs in the Parent/Child Center Network (PCCN) by providing for high quality and therapeutic programming for infants and toddlers.

Community Health Center Support
Bi-State Primary Care Association; Montpelier, VT
$400,000

With the economic downturn the need for Community Health Centers (also known as federally-qualified health centers or FQHCs) is greater than ever. In Vermont, there are currently health care facilities considering FQHC-designation that may require assistance with capital expenses. The request would fund equipment purchases and other needs at Community Health Centers throughout the state of Vermont, enabling and enhancing delivery of medical, dental and behavioral health services, as well the expansion of access to on-site low-cost pharmacies.

Firefighting and Emergency Services Training Support
Vermont Department of Public Safety; Montpelier, VT
$100,000

These funds will be used for skill training for firefighters and emergency medical services (EMS) personnel, including support for cadets (young people who on a volunteer basis learn many real skills applicable to fire and emergency medical services). Funding will be used to both enhance vocational training, and increase recruitment and retention for firefighting and EMS.  The funds will be administered through the Vermont Fire Academy, a part of the Vermont Department of Public Safety.

Home Sharing Expansion
Homeshare Vermont; Burlington, VT
$750,000

The State of Vermont’s two home sharing programs –HomeShare Vermont based in Burlington and Home Share of Central Vermont based in Barre – propose to establish a national model for statewide home sharing. The organization currently works in some counties in the state to match older and disabled Vermonters who want to remain in their homes, with people who can provide a helping hand in exchange for little or no rent. The funding would help expand home sharing statewide to make Vermont a model for providing non-profit home sharing services to vulnerable populations.

Nursing Program
Castleton State College; Castleton, VT
$300,000

Castleton State College wishes to develop a Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BSN) degree program. The degree program could attract additional young men and women to nursing, as well as provide another path for professional development for nurses in the state. The requested funding would help defray the startup costs for the new degree program.

School Dental Clinic
Community Health Centers of the Rutland Region; Bomoseen, VT
$150,000

Using the requested funds the central Rutland community health center office will work with the Rutland School District and dental practitioners in the area to install a small dental clinic in a Rutland school. In addition to expanding the community’s access to dental services, this investment will allow targeted outreach to low or moderate income students who do not have adequate dental health assessments or care. This school-based approach to dental care has been used successfully in other parts of Vermont.

DEFENSE

Camp Ethan Allen Training Site Road Equipment
Request: $300,000
Recipient: Vermont National Guard
Location: Camp Ethan Allen Firing Range, Vermont National Guard,

Ethan Allen Firing Range in Jericho, Vermont, is an 11,200 Acre Training Site Operated by the Vermont Army National Guard. The site provides live fire weapons firing ranges and training areas for National Guard, reserve and active military personnel throughout the northeast and is also home to the United States Army Mountain Warfare School. The facility is also widely used by local, state, and federal law enforcement agencies. The ranges and facilities must be available for soldiers 24/7 365 days per year given the fact that the nation is at war.
This funding will be used to purchase dual use road clearing equipment to fill shortages in much needed mission essential equipment for the Training Site and enable the installation to provide the required level of service to support soldiers training and deploying for war. This equipment has dual use (military/civilian) potential for loan to the State of Vermont during national disasters or other civilian needs.

Gulf War Illness Research Program
Request: $25,000,000 Recipient: US Army Medical Research and Materiel Command
Location: Fort Detrick, MD

The objective of the Gulf War Illness Research Program GWIRP is to identify beneficial treatments and diagnostic markers for Gulf War Illnesses (GWI), the complex of chronic symptoms resulting from service in the 1991 Gulf War which affects at least 175,000 veterans, one in four of those who deployed. This request for $25 million follows the November 2008 release of the 454-page report by the Congressionally-mandated Research Advisory Committee (RAC) on Gulf War Illnesses, which concludes that “[t]he extensive body of scientific research now available consistently indicates that Gulf War illness is real, that it is the result of neurotoxic exposures during Gulf War deployment, and that few veterans have recovered or substantially improved with time.” The report called for a “renewed federal research commitment … to identify effective treatments … to achieve the critical objectives of improving the health of Gulf War veterans and preventing similar problems in future deployments.” Clearly, with exposures to toxins, chemical weapons, and other hazardous substances being a permanent reality for our service members this research is not only important to Gulf War veterans, but to current and future force health protection; not to mention public health generally.

This request has the support of the American Legion, AMVETS, the Association of the United States Navy, the Blinded Veterans Association, the Disabled American Veterans, the National Guard Association of the United States, the National Vietnam and Gulf War Veterans Coalition, the Paralyzed Veterans of America, the Veterans of Foreign Wars of the United States, Veterans of Modern Warfare, and the Vietnam Veterans of America.

Funding at the $25 million level will provide the program with approximately $13 million for pilot studies to identify effective treatments and diagnostic tests, $8 million for clinical trials of treatments identified as effective in previous pilot studies, and $4 million for a center of excellence to identify promising candidates for treatments and diagnostic tests. This request of $25 million for the CDMRP Gulf War Illness Research Program represents Congress taking the first step to implement the RAC report’s recommendation that “the Administration request and Congress appropriate a minimum of $40 million annually to the Department of Defense for the Gulf War Illness Research Program managed by DOD’s Office of Congressionally Directed Medical Research Programs.” The research awards through GWIRP are open to all interested researchers including public and private universities and federal laboratories.

Supplemental Child Care Support for Families of Deployed Vermont
Reserve Component
Request: $2,500,000
Intended Recipient: National Guard Bureau
Location: Arlington, VA

This funding will be provided to the National Guard Bureau to manage a program providing supplemental child care payments to deployed families of the Vermont National Guard. When service members deploy, child care challenges increase. The spouses or partners who stay to support the dependents often work a job or pursue educational opportunities during deployments overseas. The Department of Defense (DOD) funding would directly increase the amount of child care fee assistance provided to Guard families.

Sustainable Energy Vermont National Guard Demonstration
Request: $6,000,000
Recipient: Vermont National Guard
Location: Colchester, VT

This project will provide funding for the Vermont National Guard to conduct sustainable energy demonstration projects to provide real world experience with energy efficiency and alternative energy technology at Department of Defense facilities. The funding would continue work on a project to establish a small set of alternative energy and efficiency projects which could include advanced biomass and advanced cogeneration, photovoltaic solar panels, wind turbines, LED bulbs, and other energy efficiency and alternative energy projects.

Training Aid Suite for Vermont National Guard Training Site
Request: $1,308,000
Recipient: Vermont National Guard
Location: Colchester, VT

With the Vermont National Guard’s transition to lighter forces, the need for new training has increased. The funding will augment the existing training systems to provide a more robust and diverse training environment reducing the need for service members to travel further to complete their required exercises.

Vermont National Guard Family Assistance Centers
Request: $500,000
Recipient: Vermont National Guard
Location: Colchester, VT

The large deployment of the Vermont National Guard expected next year will have a major impact on the families that remain. This request for funding to support Vermont National Guard Family Assistance Centers (FACs) would be important at any time but is crucial in supporting military families at all times, but especially during a mobilization. FACs are open to all Active and Reserve Components service members and their families of all branches of the military and provide a single location to help family members cope with any issue they encounter as a military dependent.

Vermont National Guard Safety and Security Enhancements
Request: $930,000
Recipient: Vermont National Guard
Location: Colchester, VT

This request includes funds to provide appropriate barricades, surveillance/monitoring equipment, signage and new perimeter fencing at Vermont National Guard (VTNG) facilities. The request includes funds to provide cameras and other monitoring equipment that will have real-time connectivity to the VTNG Joint Operations Center. Improving facility security both prior to and during emergency responses will enable the VTNG to provide support to the lead civilian agency in charge of disaster response and to provide assistance to fire, law enforcement, and emergency medical services.

Vermont Service Member, Veteran, and Family Member Outreach,
Readiness, and Reintegration Program
Request: $5,000,000
Recipient: Vermont National Guard
Location: Colchester, VT

This program, which was started in 2007, allows the Vermont National Guard to employ trained outreach specialists.  The outreach specialists are predominantly veterans who reach out directly to returning and deploying service members and their families, to ensure that they are receiving the health care, mental health, and other assistance that they need. With the largest deployment of the Vermont National Guard since WW II expected in the next year (estimated between 1500-1600 service members), this funding will be critical to assisting service members and their families before, during, and after the deployment to Afghanistan.

MILITARY CONSTRUCTION

Ethan Allen Firing Range Barracks Additions and Alterations
Request: $1,996,000
Account: Military Construction, Army Guard

The Ethan Allen Firing Range is undergoing a major expansion and rehabilitation of its buildings. These funds would allow rehabilitation the barracks, specifically additions and alterations of existing officer and senior enlisted billets. The current facilities are very old and too small, and the increase in size will allow the ability to house a battalion sized unit, as well as enhance training and readiness. Energy efficiency is a key consideration during the rehabilitation.

Expansion of Firefighting Facility at Burlington Airport,
Request: $5,800,000
Account: Military Construction, Air National Guard

The Air National Guard has a crash and fire station facility at the Burlington Airport that is staffed full time. It responds to both the Air National Guard and civilian sides of the airport. The funds would be for a much needed expansion of the existing facility, mostly for storage of large equipment such as fire trucks.

Morrisville Field Maintenance Shop Design Funds
Request: $650,000
Account: Military Construction,

The funds would pay for the design phase of the Morrisville Field vehicle maintenance shop. The new facility will be larger, more modern and conform to the requirements of new Guard vehicles. This facility will improve and support Guard readiness.

Transportation, Housing and Urban Development and Related Agencies

Car Sharing in Vermont
CarShare Vermont, Burlington
$200,000

Many Vermonters would benefit from additional transportation options. These funds would be used to help the non-profit CarShare Vermont expand the vehicle sharing services it offers.

Chittenden County Transportation Authority Buses, Equipment and Facilities, Including Downtown Burlington Transit Center Design
Chittenden County Transportation Authority, Burlington
$4,000,000

These funds would purchase diesel-electric hybrid buses reducing the carbon footprint of the Chittenden County Transportation Authority’s vehicle fleet and save fuel costs.  Additionally,
funding is requested for the Downtown Burlington Transit Center.

Statewide Housing Expansions and Improvements
Housing Vermont, Burlington
$500,000

These funds will be used to support efforts to improve and expand the affordable housing stock in the state. The economic downturn has hit Vermonters hard, and the cost of housing is still a burden and homelessness a great concern. Investments in affordable housing helps the many people that may otherwise struggle to secure sufficient housing.

Housing Expansions and Improvements
Vermont Housing and Conservation Board, Montpelier
$500,000

These funds will be used to support efforts to improve and expand the affordable housing stock in the state. The economic downturn has hit Vermonters hard but the cost of housing is still a burden and homelessness a great concern. Investments in affordable housing helps the many people that may otherwise struggle to secure sufficient housing.

Jericho Pedestrian Bridge
Town of Jericho
$600,000

These funds would be used for the replacement of a state-owned pedestrian bridge. The new bridge, and supporting retaining wall, is needed for the safety of pedestrians.

Preserving Vermont Assets
Vermont Division for Historic Preservation, Montpelier
$500,000

These funds would be spent by the Division for Historic Preservation for improvements, refurbishments or structural rehabilitation for historic structures in the State of Vermont. There are many historic structures in Vermont that are in need of funds.
Senior Facility Improvements
Vermont Association of Area Agencies on Aging, Barre
$500,000

Vermont's population, like that of many states, is increasingly aging and the welfare of senior citizens is an ever-pressing issue. For many seniors, staying active is necessary to successfully age in place and to stay healthy. Vibrant and well maintained social spaces for senior citizens encourage a mobile and independent life for their users. This is of benefit not only to seniors but to their families, the community and the broader societal support network.

Statewide Recreational Improvements
Vermont Recreation and Parks Association, Colchester
$500,000

These funds will be used to boost recreational opportunities in public areas for Vermonters. Difficult economic times have limited the ability of local governments to keep up their support for public works and services.

Vermont Statewide Buses, Facilities, and Equipment
Vermont Department of Transportation
$4,000,000

The requested funds would support public transportation and by replacing vehicles statewide and upgrading the infrastructure of Vermont’s transit system.

Vermont Foodbank Energy Efficiency Improvements
Vermont Foodbank, South Barre
$250,000

The requested funding would allow major energy efficiency improvements to Vermont Foodbank. These improvements are projected to save many thousands of dollars per year in energy costs, thus allowing those funds to be directed to direct service and food resources.

West River Trail Bridge
Windham Regional Commission, Brattleboro
$170,000

The requested funds are to be used for the construction of a trail bridge crossing of the Windhall River in Windham County, near Londonderry, Jamaica and Townsend. The bridge is a missing piece in an extensive trail system in the region.

AGRICULTURE

Northeast Organic Farming Association of Vermont; Richmond, VT
Mentoring and Community Agriculture Initiative
$135,000

The funds would be used for a peer organic dairy technical assistance program, expansion of a farmer apprenticeship system and for the marketing of organic agricultural products. Funding will expand some existing programs to other counties to help perpetuate organic farming and promote local agriculture across the state.

Vermont Community Garden Network; Burlington, VT
Statewide School Garden Initiative
$120,000.

The requested funding would expand community school gardens into a state-wide summer gardening initiative that teaches youth how to grow fresh produce using land on or adjacent to school campuses. The community school gardens will offer hands-on education that directly involve Vermont students, educators, and community members in growing fresh local produce, caring for their environment, and learning about sound nutrition.

The following requests made by Senator Sanders are for changes to federal law in order to better the child nutrition programs administered by the United State Department of Agriculture. The requested changes would be in the form of pilot projects, both existing and new, reflecting the Senator’s hope that positive changes in Vermont can inform national policy.

Create a Pilot Program to Allow More Day Camps in Vermont to Participate within the Summer Food Service Program.
The federal Summer Food Service program currently reimburses youth summer programs if they apply and if half of the campers meet the income qualifications. However, under current rules, if a summer program has weekly enrollment and/or a curriculum that changes over the course of the summer, it is classified as a “camp” and USDA provides reimbursements only for those individual participants qualifying for free or reduced-price meals. In other words, each individual child must provide documentation for these sites under the existing rules. If these sites were re-classified, the application process would be conducted only by the site, and no documentation would necessarily be required from the households of participants. This potential reduction in paperwork could substantially increase participation rates.

Establish a Pilot Program for Vermont to Allow Option to Provide Cash Instead of Commodities for School Lunch, School Breakfast, CACFP and Summer Food Service
To create a pilot program within the Summer Food Service Program for allowing a system to provide cash in lieu of commodities rather than only providing a fixed package of commodities for rural regions. Rural regions, including those in Vermont, can experience major obstacles to collecting federally provided commodities for nutrition programs. Making the trip to pick up these commodities from the USDA site is often extremely inefficient and wasteful. While cash reimbursements in lieu of commodities are permitted for some school districts in both the National School Lunch and CACFP programs, they are not permitted in the Summer Food Program. By allowing cash in lieu of commodities, Vermont schools could demonstrate the effectiveness of this approach while buying fresh and locally produced foods.

Establish a Pilot Program for Vermont to Combine Reduced-Price and Free Meal Categories for National School Lunch Program (and School Breakfast Program)
Currently, the federally reimbursed school lunch and breakfast programs have required two categories of reimbursement: children receiving free meals and those receiving reduced price meals. The State of Vermont has eliminated the reduced price category for breakfasts and the program, which has been effective at addressing child hunger. While this increases the costs of reimbursement, every student eligible would have their meal fully reimbursed, it can also decrease administrative costs by simplifying the application and reimbursement process.

Expand the Number of States Allowed to Participate in the Community Child Nutrition Snack Pilot to Include Vermont
Many youth programs provide meals and snacks for both their summer and after school programs. However, even though a program applies and qualifies for one such program, it still has to apply for the other through a substantial and duplicative process. A pilot involving California has provided year-round reimbursement to sponsors of Summer Food Service Program to continue providing afterschool snacks throughout the school year and on vacations without duplicative paperwork. The system creates a great incentive for community program sponsors to offer a more reliable opportunity for children, instead of just seasonal programs, and meal sites that change depending on the time of year. There is a great potential for expanded access and the pilot would demonstrate the utility of the increased simplicity for the sponsors.

Expand the Pennsylvania Rural Summer Expansion Child Nutrition Pilot Program to Include Vermont
The federal Summer Food Service program and the National School Lunch program have an option to provide reimbursements to schools and organizations for meals served to low-income children during the summer months. Currently, these programs require that a school enroll at least 50% of its students in the free/reduced price meal program in order to operate an “open” site within a given community. An “open” summer food site means that sponsors are reimbursed at the free rate for all meals served without individual income eligibility verification. This is especially important in rural areas where sites tend to have fewer children than in urban areas, yet the level of paperwork does not change. In communities with “open” summer food sites, participation is markedly improved and administrative burden is reduced significantly. Previously, Pennsylvania was named as an eligible state for a pilot program which changed the eligibility requirements for rural areas.

Energy and Water Development

Sustainable Pilots and Initiatives
Vermont Energy Investment Corporation
$475,000

The Vermont Energy Investment Corporation (VEIC) is an innovative yet well established non-profit corporation with substantial involvement in energy efficiency and renewable energy efforts in the state of Vermont. This funding would be used for efficiency retrofits, support for the grassroots work of town energy committees, pilot projects showcasing innovative technology and for other innovative initiatives to further VEIC’s mission.

Student Sustainability Initiatives
Vermont State Colleges
$300,000

This funding will go to colleges and universities across Vermont for student-initiated projects to increase efficiency or promote sustainability in energy consumption. We as a nation must encourage and support innovative efforts by young people to address the national energy crisis, for we will depend on them to help find innovative solutions in sustainability and greenhouse gas reduction. This funding would allow the colleges to engage students in the hard work of setting priorities and researching solutions, or in helping to implement these solutions.

Home Retrofits.
Vermont Housing and Conservation Board
$1,000,000

There is a deep need to reduce heating and cooling energy costs at affordable developments and single-units. The requested funding would leverage private funds to provide more and more thorough efficiency renovations, directly benefitting low and modest income families.

 
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