Clean Water Planning: Vermont DEC is taking public comment on a draft five-year Tactical Basin Plan for the Batten Kill, Walloomsac, and Hoosic River Basin (Basin 1), with a hybrid meeting July 16 in Rupert and comments due July 31. The plan lays out 30 actions across 16 communities to protect and restore rivers, lakes, and wetlands. Working Lands Funding: Vermont’s Agency of Agriculture says it secured $31.7 million in federal disaster assistance for farms and timber operations hit by 2023-24 storms and flooding, with applications expected to open in 2026. Homelessness & Disability Protections: Gov. Phil Scott signed H.938, creating a homelessness response “continuum” and requiring the system to comply with the federal Americans With Disabilities Act, though advocates flag concerns about motel voucher reductions. Renewable Energy Fight: Scott’s veto of HB 710 is drawing mixed reaction as clean-energy supporters praise the pause while others criticize the decision and argue wind expansion isn’t realistically changed by the bill’s language. Local Community News: Westford unveiled veteran memorial banners around the town common, and Lake Forest Senior Living is collecting postcards from all 50 states for the nation’s 250th anniversary, aiming to finish by July 4.