New Podcast Shares Stories About Vermont's Forest Connections

A new podcast will give listeners an insight into the many connections that Vermonters have with forests, their management and the forest economy. Heartwood: Stories from the Vermont Woods is hosted by Vermont Coverts, University of Vermont (UVM) Extension and the UVM Center for Research on Vermont. Initial funding was provided by a grant from the Vermont Agency of Agriculture, Food and Markets and the Working Land Enterprise Board.

New Wood Heat Rebates and Incentives Now Available

Is your home or business ready for a heating update in 2021? Ready to opt out of oil and do your part to help the state meet its goal of 90 percent renewable energy by 2050? Many rebates and incentives are available to Vermonters interested in switching to wood heat this year. Heating homes or businesses with locally sourced wood fuel displaces fossil fuels, keeps dollars in Vermont, and keeps woodlands intact through sustainable local forest markets and management.

“Slow the Spread” Efforts Ongoing in Vermont Despite End to Federal Emerald Ash Borer Quarantine

On January 14th, the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) Animal Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) ended the Federal Emerald Ash Borer (EAB) quarantine to place more emphasis on management and biological controls to combat the pest. In Vermont, while we continue to find new areas of infestation, our forests support overwhelmingly healthy populations of ash to protect as long as possible.

Department of Forests, Parks & Recreation Announces Forest Economy Stabilization Grant Program

The Department of Forests, Parks, and Recreation (FPR) announced the Forest Economy Stabilization Grant Program (FESG), to provide $5 million in Coronavirus Relief Funds available to eligible forest products businesses in Vermont. FPR is working with other state agencies and the Vermont Economic Development Authority (VEDA) to deliver this program to provide economic relief to forest products businesses experiencing economic harm as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic public health emergency.