Welcome to the Official Website for Vermont Governor Jim Douglas!
Featured Priority
Governor's Summit on Pathways to Economic Stability
Governor's Calendar
No Public Events Scheduled
9:00 a.m. 2009 Governor’s Youth Leadership Conference, Sheraton Hotel & Conference Center, South Burlington
6:00 p.m. LR Jones State Forest Centennial Celebration, Plainfield Opera House, Plainfield
11:00-11:45 a.m. Press Conference, Pavilion Building, 5th Floor, Montpelier
RECENT NEWS
Vermont Ranks 1st in Overall Health for Third Year in a Row in 20th Anniversary Edition of America’s Health Rankings™
Montpelier, Vt. — United Health Foundation, the American Public Health Association and Partnership for Prevention today released the 20th Anniversary Edition of America’s Health Rankings™ showing that Vermont ranks 1st when compared to the health of other states. This is the 3rd year in a row that Vermont has been at the top of the rankings.
“I’m so pleased that Vermont continues to receive national recognition for successfully implementing comprehensive health reforms that incorporate aspects of high quality, coordinated public health and health care – particularly the Vermont Blueprint for Health – along with expanding coverage to the uninsured,” said Governor Jim Douglas. “The successes we’ve realized in Vermont have not come easily – they’ve required teamwork, compromise and a willingness to address the tough issues surrounding public health care – but they are vital for the people of our state and for all Americans.” Read More
Vermont Awarded $860K Federal Grant to Track Healthcare-Associated Infections
Montpelier, Vt. – Governor Jim Douglas announced today that the Vermont Department of Health was awarded a two-year $860,000 grant by the Centers for Disease and Control and Prevention (CDC) that will enable the state to strengthen its healthcare-acquired infection (HAI) prevention activities.
“In 2007, Vermont was the first state in the nation to publicly report hospital-specific healthcare-acquired infection rates using the CDC’s reporting system, and this grant will help keep Vermont at the forefront of patient safety and quality improvement,” said Governor Douglas. “Continuing to improve our overall healthcare system is a key element of Vermont’s health care reform efforts.”
The grant award will be used to hire a State HAI Prevention Coordinator, develop a Vermont HAI Prevention Plan, enhance hospital collection and validation of HAI data, and provide comprehensive infection prevention training for health care workers. Read More
Governor Announces $500,000 Available for Recreation Trails
Grant program expands outdoor opportunities for Vermonters
Montpelier, Vt. – Governor Jim Douglas today announced $500,000 in funding will be available for the 2010 Recreation Trails Program. Vermont’s Recreational Trails Program is a matching grant program of the federal Highway Administration for the acquisition, development, rehabilitation and maintenance of trails, and trail-related facilities, for non-motorized, motorized, multiple-use or compatible recreational trail use.
"These grants provide opportunities for Vermonters to spend more time outdoors on our trails and they encourage outdoor activity and healthy living,” said Governor Douglas. “By improving access to public lands and waters, these grants also support both local tourism and recreation businesses.”
The deadline for grant applications to the Department of Forests, Parks and Recreation is January 15, 2010. All applications are reviewed and ranked by a five-member citizens’ committee based on established criteria. Read More
Governor Douglas Joins with Governor Lynch and Governor Carcieri to Highlight Student Achievement
Vermont, New Hampshire and Rhode Island were among a small number of states to show improvement in mathematics
Montpelier, Vt. – Governor Jim Douglas has joined Governor John Lynch (D-NH) and Governor Donald Carcieri (R-RI) in writing to U.S. Education Secretary Arne Duncan to highlight the progress made by the three New England Common Assessment Program (NECAP) states on the National Assessment Education Progress (NAEP).
“It’s important that education leaders at the federal level recognize the achievement of our three states,” Governor Douglas said. “These results are a testament to the high standards we expect and the progress we have made. Vermont and our fellow NECAP states can serve as an example as Washington works with the states to transform our system of education for the 21st century.”
In the recently released Mathematics 2009 National Assessment of Educational Progress at Grades 4 and 8, Vermont, New Hampshire and Rhode Island were three of the four states, as well as the District of Columbia, to show progress at both the 4th and 8th grade levels. Read More
NEW YORK, VERMONT TO REPLACE LAKE CHAMPLAIN BRIDGE
Pier Analysis Completed, Rehabilitation Ruled Out As Viable Option
Montpelier, Vt. – New York Governor David A. Paterson and Vermont Governor Jim Douglas have received a report from their states’ respective transportation agencies which finds that it is not feasible to rehabilitate the Lake Champlain Bridge. Engineers have declared that the 80-year-old span is too unstable to be renovated, and recommend demolishing the bridge for the safety of motorists and boaters. The states will accept these recommendations based on the overwhelming safety issues enumerated in the report and will begin planning the construction of a new bridge in its place. We expect the Federal Highway Administration to concur with this recommendation based on their preliminary review of the report.
An underwater inspection of the bridge’s concrete piers and underlying foundations found cracks and significant deterioration in the non-reinforced concrete substructures well below the water level that render these supports so fragile that a sudden collapse could occur.
“Safety was our primary concern when we closed the Lake Champlain Bridge last month and it is our chief interest now,” Governor Paterson said. “We must make a decision that protects those who cross the bridge, as well as workers and engineers, and therefore we have no choice but to tear down the dangerously deteriorated bridge. Both states are committed to moving quickly to reestablish the critical link by building a new bridge in this corridor to serve commuters, farms and businesses.”
“Reports indicate that the bridge is highly unstable and our harsh winter will only aggravate its condition. For everyone’s safety, the bridge must be dismantled in a controlled fashion quickly so that a replacement bridge can be erected in its place,” Governor Douglas said. “In the meantime, both states are working to install temporary ferry service as close to the bridge as possible so that motorists can once again begin crossing Lake Champlain between Addison and Crown Point.” Read More