The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, New England District received a permit application to conduct work and place fill in waters of the United States from the Vermont Agency of Transportation for proposed work at various locations along an existing 93-mile-long railbed, formally known as Lamoille Valley Railroad.

The proposed work involves repairing and converting the existing railbed to a year-round recreational trail in the following towns: Sheldon, Fairfield, Bakersfield, Fletcher and Cambridge (referred to as Lamoille Valley Rail Trail Section 11); Morristown, Wolcott and Hardwick (referred to as LVRT Section 12); and Hardwick, Greensboro, Stannard, Waldon, Cabot and Danville (referred to as LVRT Section 13). The work is proposed along the Lamoille River and its tributaries, Black Creek and its tributaries, and many adjacent wetlands in three sections of the 93-mile long LVRT.

The placement of fill and work was previously authorized under the General Permit process for additional sections of the LVRT and are either complete or will be soon. These sections have the same project purpose: to replace or repair culverts and bridges along the LVRT in conjunction with converting the existing railbed to a year-round recreational trail.

The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers is soliciting comments from members of the public; federal, state and local agencies; Indian Tribes; and other interested parties to consider and evaluate the impacts of this proposed activity. The comment period opens June 22, 2021.

The public notice with more detailed information is available for review on the District website at: https://www.nae.usace.army.mil/Missions/PublicNotices, file # NAE-2008-03594.

Public comments on this proposed work by the Vermont Agency of Transportation should be forwarded no later than July 22, 2021, to the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, New England District, Attn: Amanda L. T. Sayles, Regulatory Division, 696 Virginia Road, Concord, MA 01742 or by email to Amanda.L.Sayles@usace.army.mil. Please reference file # NAE-2008-03594.