We have been notified by VTDEC's Lakes and Ponds Program of an upcoming public meeting to receive public input on proposed changes to Vermont’s Use of Public Waters Rules. On April 15, 2024, the new rule under Vermont’s Use of Public Waters Rules went into effect regulating wakeboats and wakesports on Vermont’s inland lakes. There are 30 inland lakes eligible for wakesports including Great and Little Averill Lake. The ALA and seven other lake associations, representing nine lakes that are eligible for wakesports, have submitted petitions to the Watershed Management Division under the Use of Public Waters Rules requesting to prohibit wakesports on individual lakes.
In accordance with the “procedure for evaluating petitions to adopt, amend or repeal surface water and wetland rules,” the Lakes and Ponds program will hold a public meeting for five of the petitioning lakes associations to foster public participation in the petition process prior to making a determination on whether or not to initiate formal rulemaking. These include Great and Little Averill Lakes, Echo Lake in Charleston, Lake Parker (Glover), Shadow Lake (Glover), and Lake Willoughby.
The meeting will take place December 10, 2024 from 4:00 pm to 8:00 pm at The Gateway Center 84 Fyfe Dr., Newport, VT 05855 or online via Microsoft Teams, using the link at the meeting time: Join the meeting now
Meeting ID: 271 524 703 497
Passcode: jhv7DQ
OR: Dial in by phone
Your ALA leadership will be present at the meeting but you can submit your own comment now! Let VTDEC Lakes and Ponds know how you feel about wake sports on our lakes. You can see the testimony that Gennette and I submitted last year for inspiration. Please submit written comments to anr.wsmdlakes@vermont.gov . Public comments will be accepted until 4:30 p.m. on December 23, 2024. When submitting a public comment, please include the word "wakesports" in the subject line AND "Great and Little Averill Lake" for which you are providing a comment.
Registration to provide verbal comments at the public meeting will be available two weeks prior to the meeting. Note that equal weight is given to comments that are made in person, virtually, or in writing.
Here is the draft meeting agenda - note the Averill Lakes Association is up first!
4:00: DEC intro to the petition process and meeting purpose
4:15: Averill lakes petitioner overview
4:25: Averill lakes petition comments
5:00: Echo Lake petitioner overview
5:10: Echo Lake petition comments
5:45: Lake Parker petitioner overview
5:55: Lake Parker petition comments
6:30: Shadow Lake petitioner overview
6:40: Shadow Lake petition comments
7:15: Lake Willoughby petitioner overview
7:25: Lake Willoughby petition comments
8:00 Wrap-up
Copies of all the petitions, along with any updates and pertinent information are available at the following link: https://dec.vermont.gov/watershed/lakes-ponds/lakes-and-ponds-rulemaking.
More information about the wakesports regulation can be found here: https://dec.vermont.gov/watershed/lakes-ponds/vermont-use-public-waters-rules/wakeboats
Bernie Gracy President, Averill Lakes Association
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