RUTLAND — Through a grant provided by the Vermont Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC), the Rutland Regional Planning Commission (RRPC) has launched a multi-pronged outreach effort focused on improving water quality in compliance with the Vermont Clean Water Act (VCWA) which was made law this past spring. The goal of the outreach is to address sources of water pollution in the Rutland Region which include local roads and farms.
The RRPC will work with municipal staff and boards around the region to provide information about the requirements for municipalities triggered by the VCWA and provide assistance for stronger municipal protections against flood hazards and river corridor erosion, stormwater master planning, and other town plan or zoning changes to improve water quality. RRPC staff will also update fluvial erosion hazard/river corridor maps for the towns and help compile information to use in developing implementation plans under the municipal roads stormwater general permit.
As part of DEC’s Tactical Basin Planning program, the RRPC will work closely with DEC staff to facilitate municipal participation in the development of the update to the Otter Creek Basin and South Lake Basin Plans. In addition to facilitating municipal input, the RRPC will assist in mapping key intervention areas to reduce phosphorus run-off.
The Rutland Regional Planning Commission is a quasi-governmental non-profit organization (one of 11 in Vermont) with 27 member towns. The RRPC promotes the coordinated planning and development of the Rutland region, advocates for the needs of its member towns, and strives to build a thriving regional economy while enhancing the area’s quality of life.
