2012 Vermont Statutes
Title 10 Conservation and Development
Chapter 87 HARVESTING GUIDELINES AND PROCUREMENT STANDARDS
§ 2750 Harvesting guidelines and procurement standards

§ 2750. Harvesting guidelines and procurement standards

(a) The secretary of natural resources shall develop voluntary harvesting guidelines that may be used by private landowners to help ensure long-term forest health. These guidelines shall address harvesting that is specifically for wood energy purposes, as well as other harvesting. The secretary may also recommend monitoring regimes as part of these guidelines.

(b) The commissioner of forests, parks and recreation (the commissioner) shall adopt rules or procedures to modify the process of approving forest management plans and forest practices for lands enrolled in the use value appraisal program, established under 32 V.S.A. chapter 124, in order to address long-term forest health and sustainability. These modifications shall include requirements for preapproval by the commissioner or designee of whole-tree harvesting and for applying the guidelines developed under subsection (a) of this section to harvesting on lands enrolled in the use value appraisal program.

(c) For contracts to harvest wood products on state lands, the commissioner of forests, parks and recreation shall ensure all such harvests are consistent with the purpose of the guidelines developed under subsection (a) of this section, with the objective being long-term forest health in addition to other management objectives.

(d) The secretary of natural resources shall develop a procurement standard that shall be used by the commissioner of buildings and general services in procuring wood products, including biomass for energy in state buildings. All state agencies and departments that use wood energy shall comply with this procurement standard. The procurement standard shall include the voluntary forest health guidelines developed pursuant to subsection (a) of this section. The procurement standard shall recommend methods to:

(1) assure compliance with those forest health guidelines and applicable laws; and

(2) obtain review of potential impacts to natural resources such as rare, threatened, or endangered species, wetlands, wildlife habitat, natural communities, and forest health and sustainability as defined by the commissioner of forests, parks and recreation in consultation with the commissioner of fish and wildlife.

(e) The procurement standard developed under subsection (d) of this section shall be made available to Vermont educational institutions and other users of biomass energy for their voluntary use.

(f) Working with regional governmental organizations, such as the New England Governors' Conference, Inc. and the Coalition of Northeastern Governors, the secretary of natural resources shall seek to develop and implement regional voluntary harvesting guidelines and a model procurement standard that can be implemented regionwide, consistent with the application of the guidelines, rules, procedures, and standards developed under subsections (a), (b), and (d) of this section. (Added 2011, No. 170 (Adj. Sess.), § 16a, eff. May 18, 2012.)