The Vermont Agency of Agriculture, Food & Markets (VAAFM) is hosting six public hearings throughout Vermont for farmers, stakeholders, and the public to provide testimony and comment on the RAP Proposed Rule. A hearing will be held at Vermont Law School (Chase Center) on THURSDAY, JUNE 23, 2016 from 12:30pm-3:30pm.

As a result of Act 64—the Vermont Clean Water Act—signed into law in June 2015, the Agency of Agriculture was tasked with updating the Accepted Agricultural Practices (AAPs) to further reduce the impact of agriculture on water quality across the state. The RAPs are an updated version of the AAPs, the rules in place since 1995 which regulate farms in order to protect water quality, re-written to a higher level of performance.

To date, VAAFM has held more than 80 small stakeholder and large public meetings on the RAPs to solicit feedback from farmers, stakeholders and the public. Over 1800 constituents have attended these meetings since October, 2015. Summary outreach materials, including the recording of a webinar explaining the RAP Proposed Rule in detail, are available on the Agency website: http://agriculture.vermont.gov/water-quality/regulations/rap

These public hearings open to the public. A print copy of the RAP Proposed Rule can be requested by e-mail, phone or in writing. Email AGR.RAP@vermont.gov or call (802) 828-2431 for more information. Written public comment can be submitted to the Agency’s RAP e-mail inbox at AGR.RAP@vermont.gov or by mailing comment to the Agency of Agriculture at 116 State Street, Montpelier, VT 05620.

A public comment period on the RAP Proposed Rule is open until July 7, 2016. The RAP Proposed Rule is available on the Agency website: http://agriculture.vermont.gov/water-quality/regulations/rap