Vermont
Final Reading: A US-Canada trade war could pose an existential threat to Vermont’s forest economy – VTDigger
Vermont silviculturists and the folks who make Silverados may have more to bond over than one might expect. Namely: the tangle that President Donald Trump’s tariffs are creating for their products that travel back and forth across the Canadian border during manufacturing.
Oliver Pierson, the state’s director of forestry, and Katharine Servidio, manager of the forest economy program for the Vermont Department of Forests, Park and Recreation, mapped out that tangle for the House Committee on Agriculture, Food Resiliency, and Forestry on Wednesday.
As sawmill capacity in the U.S. has retracted, New England’s loggers have looked to Canada to process timber felled on this side of the border. Vermont has felt that loss acutely with the 2023 closure of a Bristol sawmill and the 2024 shuttering of one in Clarendon. A recent Seven Days story reported that an estimated 150 sawmills have closed across the state since 2000.
Vermont imported $52 million in sawmill and wood products from Canada in 2024, according to Pierson. The neighbor to the north is also Vermont’s biggest export market for sawlogs and hardwood.
Pierson and Servidio couldn’t put a number on it, but said “a high percentage” of Vermont lumber — especially softwood — goes to Canada, where it gets sawed and processed before it comes right back into the U.S. Once it’s back on this side of the border, the wood is crucial for expanding Vermont’s housing stock: softwoods are used for framing and walls in new construction while hardwoods are prime finishing material for floors, cabinets and the like (think maple, oak, ash).
“So why would anyone think it was a good idea to tariff it going up and tariff it coming back if it was our product?” Rep. Richard Nelson, R-Derby, asked.
There is a case for bringing more milling back to America, Pierson said, but “it wouldn’t be tomorrow. It wouldn’t even be a year or two from now when we’d be able to stand up additional processing capacity.”
With a “long-view” on the industry, Servidio said she sees that tariffs can offer “a potential opportunity” to Vermont, but that can only come if there is more certainty on whether tariffs on forest products are here to stay.
In the short term, Servidio and Pierson said that they expect that U.S. tariffs on lumber imported from Canada and retaliatory Canadian tariffs on Vermont timber will be debilitating for the logging industry in the state: “The key takeaway point here is if there is this trade war that’s protracted, it could be expected to put some U.S. loggers out of business,” Pierson said. “That’s on top of challenges that the industry is already facing for other reasons: climate change, market variability, (and) workforce issues.”
Next week, the committee plans to hear from the Vermont Forest Products Association and, potentially, from lumber companies. The state should know by April 2 — next Wednesday — if those on-again, off-again U.S. tariffs on Canada and Mexico will, in fact, go into effect.
— Olivia Gieger
In the know
The Legislature and Gov. Phil Scott are currently locked in a heated political battle over the immediate future of the motel emergency housing program. Without legislative action, next week, on April 1, the program’s winter-weather rules will expire — triggering restrictions on how long unhoused people can stay. A new 80-day time limit enacted last year resulted in the evictions of more than 1,500 people from motels over the course of the fall. That restriction was waived for the winter months but is set to kick back in again on Tuesday.
Read more here about the current stalemate and the reactions of program participants staying at Colchester’s Motel 6.
— Carly Berlin
The University of Vermont Health Network has reached a tentative agreement with the Green Mountain Care Board to resolve a dispute over the fact that the hospital network brought in roughly $80 million more patient revenue in the 2023 fiscal year than it was allowed to.
Under a proposed settlement announced Tuesday, the network would pay $11 million to “non-hospital” primary care providers and $12 million to the insurer Blue Cross Blue Shield. It would also fund a team of consultants and an “independent liaison” to review the network’s finances and operations.
The settlement also includes restrictions on bonuses paid out to hospital executives. In the 2026 fiscal year, at least half of executives’ bonuses would be tied to specific factors: reducing the usage of emergency departments, payments from New York hospitals to Vermont hospitals, and reducing prices charged to commercial health insurers and revenue from those insurers.
Read more about the settlement and the public discussion about the terms at Wednesday’s Green Mountain Care Board meeting here.
— Peter D’Auria
On the move
The Senate suspended its rules Wednesday afternoon to give both preliminary and final approval to H.2, a bill that would delay the full implementation of Vermont’s Raise the Age initiative for at least two more years, keeping 19-year-olds accused of misdemeanors and low level felonies under the jurisdiction of adult criminal court.
The push was to get the bill to Gov. Phil Scott to sign before the current legal deadline for implementation, next Tuesday, April 1. The bill also would increase the age at which children can be charged with juvenile offenses from 10 to 12 years old.
Also, on Wednesday, the Senate approved S.18, which would create a licensure process for freestanding birthing centers, exempt those facilities from the Green Mountain Care Board’s certificate of need process and require coverage by the state Medicaid program. In the same vein, on Tuesday, the chamber approved S.53, which would create a certificate program for doulas and require Medicaid to cover their services.
In other action, the Vermont House gave preliminary approval to H.244, which would require the state to spend 70% of part of its advertising budget on in-state media outlets. The body also approved H.401, which provides licensing exemptions for food manufacturers grossing less than $30,000, as well as H.474, which would make several significant changes to Vermont election law.
— Kristen Fountain
Visit our 2025 bill tracker for the latest updates on major legislation we are following.
Vermont
Vermont Conversation: As Vermonters go hungry, the Trump administration threatens cuts to food assistance – VTDigger
The Vermont Conversation with David Goodman is a VTDigger podcast that features in-depth interviews on local and national issues. Listen below and subscribe for free on Apple Podcasts, Spotify or wherever you get podcasts.
Hunger stalks the Green Mountains like a silent and stealthy predator. Two out of five people in Vermont experience hunger, according to Hunger Free Vermont. And the problem may soon get much worse.
The Trump administration has proposed sweeping cuts to SNAP, formerly known as food stamps, the nation’s largest food assistance program. The Senate is currently considering a budget reconciliation bill passed by the House that includes billions of dollars in cuts to SNAP and Medicaid. Up to 13,000 Vermonters may have their food assistance reduced or eliminated if the measure is approved. Many legal immigrants, including refugees and asylees, will no longer be eligible for food benefits, according to Ivy Enoch of Hunger Free Vermont.
To find out what this means to the people who will be directly affected by the potential cuts, I visited the largest food shelf in central Vermont, located at Capstone Community Action in Barre. The food shelf is open three days a week. When I visited, a steady stream of people of all ages came through the doors, quietly but gratefully filling grocery bags of food. Volunteers buzzed about helping.
Emmanuelle Soumailhan, coordinator for Capstone’s food shelf, said that the food shelf gets about 800 to 1,000 visitors per month, double the traffic it received before the Covid pandemic. The potential for federal cuts has her concerned that “we’re not going to have enough food and we’re going to see a surge of people … (and) we’re just going to run out of money.”
Stephanie Doyle came to the food shelf to get food for her family. She said that her SNAP benefits did not cover her family’s food needs for the month. “You just can’t afford getting fruits and vegetables and all that stuff that you need to do to be healthy, especially when you have a child that you’re taking care of.”
Doyle wants to ensure that her teenage daughter is “fueled really well in school so that she has a chance to thrive and get a good education just like all of the other kids who have more.”
Leslie Walz, a retired school nurse from Barre, was volunteering at the food shelf. She was outraged by the prospect that SNAP funding would be slashed.
“I don’t know what’s going to happen to these people that are dependent on the food shelf here,” she said. “Many of them don’t have a place to live. They’re living out of their cars. They were living in motels. It’s essential. It can’t be cut, not if we have a heart.”
Liz Scharf, director of community economic development and food security at Capstone, insisted that philanthropy and charity can not replace lost federal funds. She is hopeful that the most draconian cuts will be avoided.
“I just hope that in the end we’re a country that decides to make sure our people are cared for, rather than giving money to the highest wealth individuals in this country through tax breaks,” said Scharf.
Disclosure: David Goodman’s wife, Sue Minter, was the executive director of Capstone Community Action from December 2018 to January 2025.
We’re Jammin’
Sunday 15
The annual Strawberry Festival at Middletown Springs Historical Society continues a half-century of sweet summer tradition. Fruit lovers revel in a craft fair of local artisans’ wares, acoustic tunes, kids’ activities and a quilt exhibit. Berries by the quart and decadent shortcake made with fresh fruit,homemade biscuits, vanilla ice cream and whipped cream make a lip-smacking grand finale.
Get Out and Play
Saturday 14 & Sunday 15
Vermont Days welcomes residents and tourists of all ages for a weekend of free access to state parks, historical sites and museums across the Green Mountain State. Early summer vibes reach new heights with lakeside lounging in beach chairs or a pastoral mid-hike picnic at the peak. If angling is more your speed, Saturday’s glorious Free Fishing Day makes waves with lifted license requirements.
Swamp Things
Friday 13
Friday the 13th generally bodes superstition, but there’s nothing to fear when the bayou comes to Burlington for a High Country Boil at Hotel Vermont. Southern spice meets Northern attitude at this twisty take on a traditional Cajun meal, accompanied by two-step dance lessons, local brews and live music by Louisiana’s Pine Leaf Boys — bringing a unique blend of zydeco, swamp-pop and soul to Yankee ears.
If It Ain’t Brogue
Saturday 14
The Vermont Institute of Celtic Arts invites clans clad in flannel and tartans to Greensboro for the Vermont Highland Games at Highland Center for the Arts. Folks explore their heritage — or learn about others’ — with myriad music performances, cultural demos and seminars throughout the day. Gleeful guests try everything from Gaelic to step dancing and show their strength in a rousing tug-of-war.
Free to Be You and Me
Ongoing
Hexum Gallery exhibits resplendent works by 21 LGBTQ+ artists from across the country at the “Family Jewels” group show in Montpelier. Connoting a bit more than just jewelry, the cheeky title alludes to the gallery’s playful-yet-elegant curation of paintings, drawings and mixed media, where unabashed queer joy, imagination and the importance of chosen family permeate the space.
Field of Dreams
Sunday 15
Batter up! Families hit it out of the park when they cheer Dad on at Billings Farm & Museum’s Father’s Day “Base Ball” in Woodstock. A friendly, historic game — adhering to the sport’s 1860 rules — awaits players (not just dads), replete with wood-shaving baselines, straw-filled canvas bases, and metal home and pitcher plates. Ash bat reproductions and bare-handed fielders complete the theme.
Tea’s Company
Sunday 15
Patrons enjoy a proper partea at the Afternoon Tea & Tea Etiquette Talk at the Governor’s House in Hyde Park. The elegant inn affords an ideal backdrop as fancy folks lift pinkies and dig into a full English spread, while questions about quaffing quandaries — milk first or last? — are answered. Now, go forth and host that formal steep sesh you’ve always dreamed of!
Dear Reader,
Vermonters are facing a growing affordability crisis. From housing and health care to child care and groceries, many people are struggling to keep up.
These pressures affect communities in every corner of the state.
That’s why VTDigger is launching a new reporting beat focused on wealth, poverty and economic opportunity in Vermont. This beat will dig into the root causes of economic hardship, examine the systems meant to offer support and elevate the stories of Vermonters navigating these challenges every day.
Thanks to our partnership with Report for America, we have secured partial funding for the role. Now, we’re asking our readers to help us close the gap and bring this position to life.
In order to launch this beat, we need to raise $50,000. A generous Vermont donor will match all gifts made before Saturday, June 14. Will you be one of the readers who makes this new beat possible?
Why this work matters now
Vermont has long depended on imported wealth to sustain its economy, but is this model still working?
This new reporter will explore the challenges and opportunities facing different communities. From rural poverty and housing insecurity to the impacts of demographic shifts sparked by the pandemic, this beat will cover a broad range of topics including:
- Root causes of Vermont’s affordability crisis
- The experiences of Vermonters most affected by economic challenges
- Regional disparities and areas for change
- Gaps in state services and nonprofit safety nets
- How economic policy affects Vermonters differently depending on geography, age and background
This beat will help ensure that policy conversations are grounded in reality, informed by evidence and inclusive of the full range of Vermonters’ experiences.
Backed by Report for America and readers like you
VTDigger is honored to be selected as a host newsroom by Report for America, a nonprofit journalism service program that places talented reporters in local newsrooms to cover underreported topics. The program covers a portion of the reporter’s salary, but requires that the remainder come from community support.
Unlike some chain-owned commercial media, VTDigger is a nonprofit news organization that does not charge subscriptions to read our work — so readers from all economic backgrounds have access to the information they need. But, we can only hire and sustain our team with our readers’ support. We don’t receive federal funding, and every dollar we raise, we put into fulfilling our mission.
You can help us close the gap and launch this vital work. If you value fact-based reporting that explains complex issues, amplifies unheard voices and holds power to account, please consider making a donation.
Your support — whether $15 or $500 — will be doubled and help us launch this beat with care, accuracy and a community mandate.
Thank you for your readership and support.
Sincerely,
Lesli Blount
Chief Revenue Officer, VTDigger
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