On December 8th, the Vermont Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC) received approval from the Interagency Committee on Administrative Rules (ICAR) to move forward with its plans to revise the Use of Public Waters Rules (UPWR) regarding wakesports.
The DEC’s proposed modifications address public concerns about safety and the environment by doubling the minimum size of the wakesports zone to 100 acres and relocating this activity further from shore and other users. If adopted, these changes will reduce the number of Vermont’s inland wakesports eligible lakes by 12, from 30 to 18.
RWVL supports these revisions, especially the stronger focus on aquatic invasive species (AIS) and decontamination. However, we remain deeply disappointed and concerned about the failure of the DEC to implement the 2024 Home Lake Rule and its decision to eliminate this rule from the UPWR during the current rulemaking process. Leaving the rule on the books without a commitment to enforce it would also be an unsatisfactory solution. We also believe there are key areas where the wakesports rule can — and should — be strengthened before adoption.
Key Dates in the DEC Rulemaking Process
Two hybrid public meetings are scheduled, the first in Brandon on January 27 and the second in Barre on February 4. You may join in-person or online via Microsoft Teams. The public comment period is now open and will close on February 20.
RWVL strongly encourages you to attend and speak at one of these meetings and/or submit written comments for the public record. If we are to get these rules adopted, we will need dozens of people at the hearings and hundreds of letters of support. For now, we ask you simply mark these dates on your calendar.
What’s Next?
RWVL is currently working to clarify several outstanding issues and plans to publish another newsletter in early January. In that update, we will share our perspective on the proposed rules and outline how we believe they should be strengthened further. We will also provide talking points that we hope you will find helpful as you prepare your comments and/or written submissions.
In the meantime, please forward this newsletter to family and friends who share our concerns about wakesports on Vermont’s inland lakes. And please encourage them to sign up for our occasional newsletters to remain informed during the rulemaking process.
Regardless of whether “your” lake ultimately falls off the wakesports eligible list or remains on it, your continued support is needed to achieve a stronger and more effective wakesports rule. Thank you — again — for standing with us to protect Vermont’s lakes for present and future generations.
