Vermont § 4607 - Powers and duties of the Vermont Working Lands Enterprise Board

§ 4607. Powers and duties of the Vermont Working Lands Enterprise Board

• (a) Duties. The Vermont Working Lands Enterprise Board is charged with: (1) optimizing the agricultural and forest use of Vermont lands and other agricultural
  resources; (2) expanding existing markets and identifying and developing new profitable in-state
  and out-of-state markets for food, fiber, forest products, and value-added agricultural
  products, including farm-derived renewable energy; and (3) identifying opportunities and challenges related to access to capital, infrastructure,
  product development, marketing, training, research, and education. (b) Powers. The Vermont Working Lands Enterprise Board shall have the authority: (1) to design and conduct an ongoing public engagement process, which may include taking
  testimony and receiving information from any party interested in the Board’s activities; (2) to gain information through the use of experts, consultants, and data to perform analysis
  as needed; (3) to request services from State economists, State administrative agencies, and State
  programs; (4) to obtain information from other planning entities, including the Farm to Plate Investment
  Program; (5) to serve as a resource for and make recommendations to the Administration and the
  General Assembly on ways to improve Vermont’s laws, rules, and policies in order to
  attain the goals set forth in section 4604 of this title; (6) to establish an application process, eligibility criteria, and criteria for prioritizing
  assistance for awarding grants, loans, incentives, and other investments in agricultural
  and forestry enterprises and in food and forest systems; (7) to award grants and other investments, which may include loans underwritten and administered
  through the Vermont Economic Development Authority; (8) to enter into performance contracts with one or more persons in order to provide investment
  and services to agricultural and forestry enterprises, including: (A) technical assistance and product research services; (B) marketing assistance, market development, and business and financial planning; (C) organizational, regulatory, and development assistance; and (D) feasibility studies of facilities or capital investments to optimize construction
  and other cost efficiencies; (9) to identify workforce needs and programs in order to develop training and incentive
  opportunities for the agriculture and forest product sectors after consulting with
  the Department of Labor; (10) to identify strategic statewide infrastructure and investment priorities considering: (A) leveraging opportunities; (B) economic clusters; (C) return-on-investment analysis; and (D) other considerations the Board determines appropriate; (11) to develop an annual operating budget, and: (A) solicit and accept any grants, gifts, or appropriations necessary to implement the
  budget pursuant to 32 V.S.A. § 5; and (B) expend any monies necessary to carry out the purposes of this section; and (12) to identify growing markets and opportunities for the livestock and poultry sectors,
  including promoting independent animal welfare certification programs. (c) Staff support. The Agency of Agriculture, Food and Markets shall provide administrative support to
  the extent authorized by the Secretary of Agriculture, Food and Markets, and with
  the assistance of the Department of Forests, Parks and Recreation to the extent authorized
  by the Commissioner of Forests, Parks and Recreation, in order to support the Board
  in the performance of its duties pursuant to this section. (Added 2011, No. 142 (Adj. Sess.), § 1, eff. May 15, 2012; amended 2015, No. 39, § 24; 2017, No. 75, § 7; 2019, No. 83, § 8; 2021, No. 105 (Adj. Sess.), § 145, eff. July 1, 2022; 2023, No. 6, § 65, eff. July 1, 2023.)