Vermont Ecosystem Restoration Grant to Support Shoreline Stabilization Grant Program

The Vermont Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC) awarded the Northwest Regional Planning Commission (NRPC) a $106,036 ecosystem restoration grant to support the shoreline stabilization grant program.

The NRPC will provide up to 50 small grants to individual Lake Champlain shoreline property owners in Franklin and Grand Isle counties in Vermont for technical assistance, including site-specific design, advice, implementation and other services necessary to stabilize the eroded lakeshore. Selected projects will enhance wildlife habitat, focusing on nonstructural, predominantly vegetated bio-engineered and bio-technical erosion control and stabilization solutions. A shoreline supporting a mix of trees, shrubs and non-lawn groundcover typically withstands the erosive forces of water and waves better than structural controls and is more lake-friendly.

Shoreline erosion contributes to water quality problems in Lake Champlain. As the soil erodes into the lake, it pollutes the water with phosphorus and other harmful nutrients that feed the growth of blue-green algae. In spring 2011, flooding reached historic levels in the lake, resulting in an unprecedented amount of shoreline destabilization in Franklin and Grand Isle counties.

Ecosystem restoration grants are made available to Vermont municipalities, agencies and organizations as part of the Ecosystem Restoration Program’s ongoing efforts to reduce surface water pollution from phosphorus and sediment. Funded projects typically involve efforts to improve stream stability, protect against flood hazards, lessen the effects of storm water runoff, and protect and restore riparian wetlands.

Source: Agency of Natural Resources