People who tailgate on the roads across the state might soon be reporting sightings of the Lake Champlain monster, affectionately known as Champ, if a legislative proposal goes through during the next session.
In an attempt to raise money to clean up lakes, streams and rivers, Rep. Dylan Giambatista, D-Essex Junction, has proposed legislation to create a license plate picturing the lake monster of folklore, with the proceeds going to the state’s Clean Water Fund.
“As a kid growing up in Vermont, I loved hearing stories about the Lake Champlain monster. It’s not often policymakers can use folklore to bring attention to a cause, but it makes a lot of sense,” Giambatista said.
The license plate could be a conservation plate, like the current plates that feature trout, deer or a loon; a vanity plate, similar to the Building Bright Futures plate; or a commemorative plate, akin to the Vermont Strong license plates that raised money for the state’s response to Tropical Storm Irene — those plates generated more than $1 million in revenue.
The cost of the Champ license plate is not set yet, but the the Building Bright Futures vanity plate currently costs $24 annually in addition to regular vehicle registration fees and the conservation license plates cost $26 annually.
Giambatista said he hopes the bill begins a debate about ways to raise the $25 million needed annually to meet the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s mandate to clean up Vermont’s waterways.
Under the Vermont Clean Water Act of 2015 and a directive from the EPA in 2016, Vermont was supposed to implement a plan to pay for clean water by the end of 2017.
The Legislature ordered the Agency of Natural Resources to develop that plan in 2017, but no concrete plan to appropriate funding was created.
The Environmental Protection Agency gave Vermont a “provisional pass” for its response to the agency’s 2016 order, but said a funding plan is “critical” in order for the state to meet water quality goals.
Gov. Phil Scott has said his budget will include about $15 million in additional clean water funding, but he has not disclosed a source of funding and as of now the state still has no clear long-term plan to pay for clean water.
Giambatista said Champ license plates will raise awareness about the funding problem.
“I don’t think we know how much money it would raise,” Giambatista said. “What we know is that anytime we can start the conversation on a level playing ground about what the challenge is, we are better positioned to move forward.”
“Some people say lake monsters are scary, but what would be really scary would be our failure to clean up our waterways and jeopardize our state,” Giambatista said.