This week, a bill that would make changes to Vermont’s Act 181 is receiving testimony in the House Committee on Environment.

Certain provisions in Act 181 could trigger a permitting process through Vermont’s land use protection law, Act 250.

A rule related to road building and some lands identified as “critical natural resource areas” by the state’s land use review board are expected to take effect this year.

Last month, legislation passed the Senate and is currently in the House to push those deadlines back by a few years. For Corinth resident Neil Ryan, that not enough.

“The group of people that was largely left out of the process: Rural Vermonters are having this imposed upon them with no say,” he said.

Ryan and his family have built their own farms for generations. He believes if the provisions take effect, it would be very difficult for future generations to accomplish what he has.

“The difficulty of the Act 250 process, the costs associated with the Act 250 process, we wouldn’t have started those farms likely,” he said.

However, Ryan said he does support the portion of Act 181 that allows towns to opt into being exempt from the permitting process altogether. This is meant to assist housing development.

On Tuesday, regional planning commissions told lawmakers that many towns have opted in. Still, Vermont is not on track for its goal of 40,000 + homes by 2030.

“We’re not saying rural housing growth should stop or slow,” Executive Director of the Northwest RPC Catherine Dimitruk said. “Were saying those additional units that we need, we should be doing all we can to encourage and incentivize.”

The bill will remain in House environment for the foreseeable future.

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