MONTPELIER, Vt. (WCAX) – Vermont lawmakers have been working on major bills reforming Act 250 as well as changes to trapping rules, both controversial issues that have highlighted a broader cultural clash in Vermont, a debate that’s been amplified by a late-session PR blitz.
You may have seen the ads on Channel 3. The Vermont Trappers Association has paid for TV spots and other online content opposing the reorganization of the makeup of the Fish and Wildlife Board to include non-hunters. And the Vermont Forest Products Association opposes changes in Act 250 that would impact farms and sawmills.
“Both campaigns are trying to craft marketing materials in which people are looking to engage,” said Sebastiaan Gorissen, a digital media & communications professor at St. Michael’s College.
Experts we spoke with say discussions around Act 250 resonate with those concerned about natural resources, housing, and economic development. “To the extent that these individuals are tapping into that concern, it reflects a broader concern about Vermonters and Act 250,” said Matt Dickinson, a political science professor at Middlebury College.
The ad buys are rare. We’ve seen them on hot-button issues like banning flavored tobacco or the clean heat standard. The high-quality spots also feature state lawmakers from politically diverse backgrounds and two Scott administration commissioners. Dickinson says they are intended to appeal directly to voters who can put pressure on lawmakers. “These are not just economic interests that are johnny come lately. These are at the heart of what it means to be a Vermonter,” he said.
Advocates for animal wellbeing are also looking to get their message out to the public, too, and will be hosting a press conference at the Statehouse next week.