Vermont

Logging business fined in Vermont

Published

2 years ago

May 13, 2024

Press Room

PLAINFIELD, Vt. (WCAX) –

A logger most of his life, Matt McAllister has seen nearly everything that can go wrong on a logging site.

“I’ve had plenty of issues I’ve had to fix,” McAllister said. “It’s just the nature of the beast.”

But McAllister, a native Vermonter, never lets those issues fester. He says he’s diligent about Acceptable Management Practices, or AMPs, regulations loggers must follow to maintain water quality on logging sites. “We’re not in it for two years. I mean, we’re in it for life. You wanna do a good job, you wanna keep the water clean, you wanna follow the AMPs. Most of it’s just common sense anyway,” McAllister explained.

Still, other loggers cut corners or fail to meet AMPs. Another logging company, Thomson Timber Harvesting and Trucking LLC, was just fined over $32,000 for violating AMPs. Between 2017 and 2020, the agency says Thomson Timber caused water quality and wetland issues on sites in Bridgewater and Thetford. Thomson Timber didn’t respond to our request for comment.

Watershed Forester David Wilcox with the Agency of Natural Resources says the state works hard to educate loggers about AMPs. “It’s a little frustrating. We try to make the rules as easy to follow as possible,” Wilcox explained. He says AMPs are there to preserve the environment: soil runoff can strip wetlands of nutrients, erode water banks and harm wildlife habitats. “We have a responsibility to follow the rules and implement good water quality practices so that we can show that we can harvest in Vermont and protect the environment.”

But even the most responsible loggers can struggle to meet AMPs. McAllister says they’re not only pricey but hard to maintain through increasingly unpredictable weather conditions like this winter. He recently met with Governor Scott to ask for support. “We really do need some help, especially when Mother Nature is at her worst.”

Wilcox says the state is working to offer loggers financial support so they’re better able to meet regulations.

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Vermont

Possible tornado causes damage in small Vermont town during Thursday’s intense storms – The Boston Globe

Published

5 hours ago

June 18, 2026

Press Room

Possible tornado causes damage in small Vermont town during Thursday’s intense storms – The Boston Globe

The National Weather Service is investigating whether a small tornado touched down in Woodstock in eastern Vermont on Thursday afternoon as intense storms swept through the area, uprooting and snapping trees, and causing structural damage.

A damage survey team is expected to assess the damage on Friday morning to confirm whether any tornadoes touched down during the severe thunderstorms, the Weather Service in Burlington, Vt., said.

The suspected tornado occurred some time between 2 p.m. and 3 p.m., according to the NWS. A tight vortex, a marker for rotation, was spotted on radar, although there was no debris signature detected on radar. No tornado warnings were issued at the time.

If a tornado is confirmed to have touched down, the survey team will also determine the size, path, and intensity of the twister.

Some of the damage left behind by what is believed to have been a tornado that touched down Thursday.Chris Markos

The last tornado to touch down in Vermont was just a couple of months ago. On April 16, 2026, an EF1 touched down in Williamstown, Vt., according to the NWS. An EF1 tornado is the second-lowest rating for twisters, according to the Enhanced Fujita Scale, which ranks them based on intensity.

Several supercells had tracked across northern New York into southern and central Vermont, producing large hail and damaging winds, and eventually spawning the tornado, which the Weather Service said was about a half-mile long and 200 yards wide at its peak. The damage survey team also found ”extensive wind damage between Ainsworth State Park and Jackson Center with estimated winds between 70 and 80 mph,“ which was caused by an accompanying microburst, the NWS said.

Large trees are seen uprooted near Staples Pond in Williamstown, Vt., in April.NWS

More than an hour after the Vermont storm, two tornado warnings were issued for southern Worcester County after a pair of tight vortexes were spotted on radar, indicating a possible tornado.

No structural or other damages were found, but storm spotters have submitted reports of a funnel cloud near the Spencer-Leicester town line.

Ken Mahan can be reached at ken.mahan@globe.com. Follow him on Instagram @kenmahantheweatherman. Marianne Mizera can be reached at marianne.mizera@globe.com. Follow her @MareMizera.

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Vermont

Vermont law enforcement officers petition for highway dedication in honor of David Chris Maland

Published

15 hours ago

June 18, 2026

Press Room

Vermont law enforcement officers petition for highway dedication in honor of David Chris Maland

It’s been nearly a year and a half since border agent David ‘Chris’ Maland was shot and killed during a traffic stop near the interstate in Coventry, Vermont. Now, a group of law enforcement officers are petitioning to dedicate a section of I-91 to him.

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Vermont

Vermont woman shot and injured by stray bullet at her home

Published

1 day ago

June 17, 2026

Press Room

Vermont woman shot and injured by stray bullet at her home

SWANTON, Vt. (WCAX) – Police say a woman was shot and injured at her home in Swanton Town by a stray bullet.

It happened Wednesday at about 12:30 p.m. at a home on Ceres Circle in Swanton. Vermont troopers say the stray bullet was fired nearby and went into the woman’s residence.

Police say they have identified those involved, and there is no danger to the public.

The woman was taken to the hospital in St. Albans. We do not know her condition.

Anyone with information is asked to call the state police in St. Albans at 802-524-5993 or to submit an anonymous tip online.

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