Mountain Times – Volume 49, Number 17 – April 22-28, 2020

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10 • OPINION The Mountain Times • April 22-28, 2020 > Reopening: Governor Scott, ACCD outline protocols for the first phase of reopening Vermont’s economy. More to be announced each Friday. from page 1 The state’s latest modeling, presented Friday, shows ACCD provides clarification on the growth rate in new Covid-19 cases has averaged below Phase 1 of business reopenings 4% for the last 12 days, the rate at which cases double has slowed dramatically, and the number of people requiring “In the days and weeks to come we will work to restart hospitalizations remains stable. Vermont’s economy in the wake of Covid-19. As we move “We’re seeing some promising results and continue forward, businesses and employees must understand to trend below even the best-case scenarios predicted that how they work is essential to resuming and maintaining in recent forecasting,” said Governor Scott. “This is all a business operations. Preventing outbreaks and result of the hard work and sacrifice of Vermonters across limiting the spread of Covid-19 is the only way to avoid the state, and I can’t thank you enough.” future business and social disruption,” wrote Lindsay “These forecasts show we can continue to slow the Kurrle, Secretary Vermont Agency of Commerce & Community number of new Covid-19 cases if we continue to stay Development (ACCD), April 17 in the organi- vigilant, meaning staying home, avoiding large gatherings, zations guidance memo. “The success of this phased staying 6 feet away from others, using a cloth face restart will depend in large part on the ability of employzations covering when in public and washing our hands,” added ers and employees to adhere to the public health, safety, the governor. “But what these trends also show is that with and social distancing measures essential to limiting the the right precautions, we can take small steps to get more spread of illness.” Vermonters back to work and avoid a spike in cases that Business operations deemed “essential” may continue would put lives at risk.” to operate under pre-existing guidance with the Governor Scott outlined a measured, phased approach addition of the mandatory health and safety requirements to reopen the economy — balancing the need to improve for all business operations listed below. overall social and economic wellbeing with the need to Phase 1 goes into effect on April 20 for industries and prevent a resurgence of Covid-19 outbreaks. businesses that can comply with the following: The order, and a corresponding guidance memo from 1.1 Outdoor businesses & construction operations ACCD (below), detail specific measures for those businesses • Those who exclusively or largely work outdoors authorized to reopen to ensure continued social (such as civil engineering, site work, exterior distancing. Applying these measures, it also clarifies guidance construction, skilled trades, public works, energy to allow more retail operations to operate through and utility work, mining, forestry, environmental phone-in or online ordering, and curbside pickup or monitoring, landscaping, painting, tree work, delivery. parks maintenance, delivery work, etc.) may The governor also outlined five principles, developed resume operations with a maximum of two total in collaboration with the Vermont Department of Health, workers per location/job. the State Emergency Operations Center (SEOC), ACCD • Interior construction may occur in unoccupied and others, which will guide the state’s Restart Vermont structures, adhering to social distancing standards, planning and decision-making process. They are: with no more than two workers maintain- 1. Keep our eyes on the data: The administration ing social distance between them whenever will continue to be guided by data and modeling, possible. and track any changes to case trends, infection • Supporting services that were not previously and death rates. deemed essential may resume operations with 2. Maintain health care readiness: The administration the minimum number of employees necessary to will continue monitoring and maintaining support curbside pick-up and delivery services; the state stockpile and distribution of personal adherence to the mandatory health and safety protective equipment (PPE) and testing materials requirements and compliance with 1.2 below to ensure it continues meeting the needs of the required. healthcare system and workers. Additionally, the 1.2 Retail operations (clarifying existing guidance) state will continue to monitor available beds and • Retailers, including those that operate in an ventilators, and make purchases as necessary, to outdoor setting, may conduct limited operations ensure capacity to treat Covid-19 patients. such as curbside pick-up, delivery services, and 3. Increase testing and tracing: The state currently warehouse or distribution operations in support has a robust testing approach but will continue to of curbside, or delivery. work to make testing more widely available and • All orders must occur over the phone or online; strengthen the epidemiology and contact tracing no in-store transactions are allowed at this time. rapid response teams. • Only the minimum number of employees necessary 4. Work Smarter & Work Safer: ACCD’s RestartVT to support curbside pick-up and delivery Team will work with the Health Department and services are allowed at any one store, site, or the SEOC to help businesses develop “Covid-19 location. Operations Plans,” which will include sector strategies for phased opening, including worker and customer protections, and training and monitoring procedures. 5. Play Smarter, Play Safer: The RestartVT Team will also evaluate how to reopen outdoor recreation, retail, restaurants and bars, travel and other activities, focusing on the conditions needed to prevent Covid-19 outbreaks. “Preventing outbreaks and limiting the spread of Covid-19 is the only way to avoid future business and social disruption,” said Commerce Secretary Lindsay Kurrle in her memo to Vermont businesses. “The success of this phased restart will depend in large part on the ability of employers and employees to adhere to the public health, safety and social distancing measures essential to limiting the spread of illness.” The administration will continue to update the public on the RestartVT planning process as details and next Submitted steps are determined. Professional services with 1-2 people can reopen, too. Submitted Construction crews of 1-2 went back to work April 20. 1.3 Low or no contact professional services • Services operating with a single worker (such as appraisers, realtors, municipal clerks, attorneys, property managers, pet care operators, and others) may operate if they can comply with the mandatory health and safety requirements listed above, with no more than two persons (service provider and client) present at one time. Mandatory health and safety requirements All businesses must follow Vermont Department of Health and CDC guidelines: • Employees shall not report to, or be allowed to remain at, work or job site if sick or symptomatic (with fever, cough, and/or shortness of breath). • All employees must observe strict social distancing of 6 feet while on the job. • Employees must wear non-medical cloth face coverings (bandanna, scarf, or non-medical mask, etc.) over their nose and mouth when in the presence of others. In the case of retail cashiers, a translucent shield or “sneeze guard” is acceptable in lieu of a mask. • Employees must have easy and frequent access to soap and water or hand sanitizer during duration of work, and handwashing or hand sanitization should be required before entering, and leaving, job sites. All common spaces and equipment, including bathrooms, frequently touched surfaces and doors, tools and equipment, and vehicles must be cleaned and disinfected at the beginning, middle and end of each shift and prior to transfer from one person to another. • No more than two people shall occupy one vehicle when conducting work. General public mask use Customers, and the public in general, is encouraged to wear cloth face coverings any time they are interacting with others from outside their household. If your business or circumstance does not meet these criteria, additional guidance will be forthcoming. For additional clarification, please visit the ACCD Sector Guidance Page.
The Mountain Times • April 22-28, 2020 • 11 Ed funding: State must decide priorities > from page 1 make a tough decision, it was very likely that the Vermont State Colleges, which is a single corporation, would not be able to continue,” Chancellor Jeb Spaulding said Friday. Saturday, after hearing the proposal, faculty at NVU issued a no confidence vote in the chancellor, and in a separate letter to trustees called Spaulding’s recommendations a “shortsighted massacre with lasting and irrevocable consequences.” On Sunday afternoon, Gov. Phil Scott weighed in as well. The governor said while he did not support “adopting the current plan as proposed or asking taxpayers to bailout a system that is no longer financially viable,” he believed a third way was possible. “I’m calling on the Legislature to begin work immediately on a statewide plan to rethink, reform and strengthen the education system in ways that are fair and equitable to every student, every community and every taxpayer,” Scott said in a statement. Trustees for the Vermont State Colleges met Monday, but postponed a decision on Spaulding’s restructuring proposal for at least a week to allow for further debate and discussion. Whether Spaulding’s plan is ultimately adopted or not, it is likely to reignite a debate about funding for public higher education — and public education writ large. Vermont perennially ranks at the bottom nationally in state support for its colleges, forcing the schools to rely on student tuition and fees for over 80% of their revenues. On Monday, April 20, at a press conference, Governor Scott said the plight of “Vermont State Colleges is just the tip of the iceberg,” and that tough budgetary choices “would affect K-12, too, down the road.” “There’s going to be a lot of need,” he continued, listing hospitals, K-12 schools and municipalities as just a few of those that are also going to face budgetary shortfalls and warned of even more difficult decisions that lawmakers are going to have to make in the coming months. “There is not an infinite amount of money… We’re going to have to prioritize… I think it’s time that we rethink our public education system in its entirety.” The state of Vermont spends over $1.8 billion on K-12 education, plus about $100 million for higher education each year, Scott said, Monday. But this year, the state will face a shortfall in projected collections to cover those costs. According to the Joint Fiscal Office’s latest projection, “the Education Fund deficit for FY 2021 could be as high as $150 million. The deficit in the Education Fund is caused mainly by a decrease in consumption tax revenues,” wrote Sue Ceglowski, executive director for the Vermont School Board Association, in a letter ot the board April 20. The VSC faced a $4.2 million deficit prior to the pandemic and additional losses of about $10 million because of it, Spauding said. “If we better coordinate, we could have a better system with less money… This maybe is the opportunity to get creative and develop the best education system we can. We’re small, unique, and we can be nimble, if we think outside the box we can get a better product for kids in the end. For the full spectrum of students from early education through to higher ed.” Xander Landen and Lola Duffort/VTDigger contributed to this report. By Glenn Russell/VTDigger The VSC campus of Northern Vermont University-Lyndon in Lyndonville, one school proposed to close. By Shelby Perry, Northeast Wilderness Trust There are nearly two miles of cascading tributaries of the Ottauquechee River on the Bramhall Wilderness Preserve. > Bramhall Wilderness: Northeast Wilderness Trust purchased 359 acres in Bridgewater from page 1 executive director of the Wilderness Trust. “They are remarkably effective at storing vast amounts of carbon, and they offer habitats to a wide array of species that will need space to move and adapt as the climate becomes hotter and more unpredictable.” The Preserve lies just south of the Appalachian Trail as it winds its way down from the Green Mountains to the Connecticut River. Nearly two miles of waterways, including the North Branch of the Ottauquechee River and two smaller tributaries, tumble through the steep hills of the Preserve. Dense hemlocks shade the water, creating prime habitat for native brook trout. Northeast Wilderness Trust is working with the Vermont River Conservancy (VRC) and the Vermont Housing & Conservation Board (VHCB) on the permanent conservation of the land. VRC and VHCB will co-hold forever-wild legal protections on the preserve. “We are excited to partner with Northeast Wilderness Trust for the sake of public access to the rivers in the beautiful Bramhall Preserve,” said Lydia Menendez Parker, asst. director of VRC. “Low-impact recreational access paths from the parking pull-out will support those adventurers looking for a place to dip in the cool, refreshing waters and cast a line.” VHCB played a key role in in protecting the land with a $160,000 grant. Gus Seelig, executive director of VHCB, said: “Situated as it is in the center of 60,000 acres of managed forestland in federal, state, municipal and private ownership, this core block of land will remain forever wild and provide permanent public access for swimming, hunting, fishing, and hiking. The Bramhall Wilderness Preserve will create a unique learning laboratory for scientists, naturalists, and educators to compare natural processes over time to the managed forestland surrounding it, helping community members and visitors to better understand the ecological benefits of old forest.” Last semester, Woodstock High School ran a wilderness studies class about nature, conservation, and wildlands. The students spent two field days on the preserve for experiential outdoor learning. “It is vital that students take time in school to develop their personal relationship with nature, wilderness, and society,” said Sophie Leggett, a student who served as teaching assistant for the class. “Moreover, we are lucky to be working with the Northeast Wilderness Trust to have a deep and meaningful educational experience with local wilderness. Using the Bramhall Preserve “The fact that this dream I have had most of my life is now a reality [for] the acres my mom left me—that they are now and will be forever wild—is still sinking in,” said Bramhall. as a lens for more global thinking, this class is a step in developing personal and cultural values surrounding wilderness.” The Wilderness Trust prohibits timber harvest, vehicles, trapping, mining, agriculture, subdivision, and development on all forever-wild properties. “Paedra has allowed nature to take charge on this land for decades and we will continue that legacy,” said Shelby Perry, stewardship director of Northeast Wilderness Trust. “From this day forward, the forest will always continue to grow old and wild per her wishes, providing diverse wildlife habitat and storing carbon indefinitely.” The new Bramhall Wilderness Preserve is part of the Wilderness Trust’s Wild Carbon initiative. Through this program, the new Preserve will be aggregated with other Wilderness Trust properties across four states. The goal of the program is to sell carbon credits from the combined properties to generate funds for future wilderness conservation. “We are far from living in a carbon-neutral world,” explained Sophie Ehrhardt, the wildlands partnership coordinator for Northeast Wilderness Trust. “This carbon project will provide an original model for other organizations who want to preserve land. This program creates income from carbon storage rather than timber harvest.” The Wilderness Trust’s first Wild Carbon sale was completed in 2016 on two of its preserves in Maine. “Funding to protect wild places is scarce,”Ehrhardt added, “so carbon credits are a creative way to build a wilder future.” Although enough funds were raised to buy and create the Bramhall Preserve, the Wilderness Trust is still working to raise $204,000 to secure the long-term stewardship and care of the property. For more information, visit newildernesstrust. org/bramhall or call 802- 224-1000.
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Mountain Times – Volume 49, Number 17 – April 22-28, 2020

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