(Note: This appears to be a "mitigation" deal -- the old mob "protection racket" -- so that Lowe's is able to build a new building. Without such a "donation," Lowe's would likely not receive its building permit and construction would be stalled or completely stopped. The FOUR states -- though Vermont is the only state named -- are New Hampshire, New York, Massachusetts, and Vermont. Water is coming under more and more control, and just look how this is worded in the Nature Conservancy press release: "The Nature Conservancy, the Lake Champlain Basin Program, the Lake Champlain Committee, the State of Vermont, the US Fish and Wildlife Service, the Natural Resources Conservation Service and local watershed groups are all essential players in the race to protect ... water resources.")

December 15, 2005

By Free Press Staff Report

No author provided at originating website address/URL.

Burlington Free Press

Burlington, Vermont

http://www.burlingtonfreepress.com

To submit a Letter to the Editor: letters@bfp.burlingtonfreepress.com or  http://www.burlingtonfreepress.com/letters.shtml (website form; 250-word limit)

Montpelier, Vermont - The Vermont chapter of The Nature Conservancy announced Wednesday a contribution of $205,000 from Lowe's Companies Inc., to support the protection and restoration of waterways in the Lake Champlain and Connecticut River valleys.

The contribution is part of a $1 million donation from Lowe's Charitable and Educational Foundation (CLF) that will help protect wildlife habitat and public recreational areas across four Northeastern states.

"This money is not to buy land, it's not to be used for easements; it's purely for those programs to help water quality," said Emily Boedecker, director of communications for the Vermont chapter of The Nature Conservancy. "To have that freedom to apply it toward water resources anywhere in Vermont is a pretty big deal for us."

Projects ranked for funding include reforesting streambanks and flood plains to improve wildlife habitat, partnering with farmers to prevent soil erosion, removing invasive plant species from lakes, streams and flood plains, and organizing volunteers to clean up waterways.

Efforts will target the ecologically significant watersheds of the Hubbardton, Missisquoi, Poultney and West rivers and Otter Creek.

In 2000, Lowe's proposed building a 151,415-square-foot store off Shelburne Road in South Burlington.

The site is in the watershed of Potash Brook, a polluted stream a hundred feet from the Lowe's site.

The Conservation Law Foundation, an environmental advocacy organization, asked the Water Resources Board to make Lowe's obtain a more site-specific permit.

In August 2004, the Water Resources Board determined the developer did need the more stringent permit. In October, Lowe's asked the Supreme Court to overturn that decision and allow construction to begin. A decision is pending.

Lowe's has obtained the more stringent permit, called an "individual permit."

However, CLF has appealed that decision to the state Environmental Court.

Copyright 2005, Burlington Free Press.

http://www.burlingtonfreepress.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20051215/NEWS02/51 2150310/1007/NEWS05

More of the same:

 http://nature.org/wherewework/northamerica/states/vermont/press/press2181.html