 Good afternoon, folks. Welcome. Welcome to Little River State Park on behalf of Vermont State Parks, Michael Snyder, commissioner of Forest Parks and Recreation. Director of State Parks, Craig Whipple, Secretary Julie Moore. We're really thrilled to have the Governor having his weekly press conference here to help us kick off the unofficial beginning of summer and our serious beginning of our camping season at Vermont State Parks. More on that shortly, but with that I'll introduce Governor Scott. Welcome, Governor. Thank you. Well, good afternoon, everyone. Great to see you here at Little River State Park. I have fond memories of camping here years ago. Well, it may not feel like it. Memorial Day weekend, which we just celebrated, marks the unofficial start of summer. This means the start to welcoming folks to our state parks, which for the most part are in full swing for the summer, including a huge network of multi-use trails. We have high hopes for another successful year. The outdoor recreation is a major contributor to our $2.8 billion tourism economy and a primary reason why 13 million people visit the state each year, why young professionals relocate to Vermont and why Vermonters choose to remain in the state. Last year, we saw over 1 million visits to our parks. This was an impressive 45% increase over the last 10 years. I think people are realizing how important it is to get outdoors with friends and family and our great selection of state parks is an easy way to do it. We're seeing a similar uptick at popular trailheads in both state and municipal forests. With increased use, there's more urgency to make sure our infrastructure is in good repair. It meets the needs of the park and trail visitors, many of them Vermonters. That's why we're making improvements to some of our busier trail networks. For the last several years, we focus on increasing capital construction dollars for our parks infrastructure, which is important because many of these were originally built between 1930 and 1960. Modernizing is important, even in the world of camping. Recent construction of small cabins on our campgrounds is a prime example. Traditional camping is still strong, although there's also an interest in having a little more creature comfort. Instead of sleeping on the ground in tents, a growing number of people prefer our rustic cabins with beds, chairs, tables, four walls, and a roof. When I was a kid, my dad decided he wanted to take up camping, take the family out camping. And as some of you know, my dad was a double amputee as a result of World War II. But he decided he was pretty independent and we had a station wagon at the time and I remember him buying a tent that fit on the back of the station wagon that would overlook the back of the station wagon. But then we'd have to sleep on the ground. And that lasted about one weekend and he said that he'd done enough camping on the ground in the service. So we went and bought a pop-up camper at that point. So we spent the summer doing that and unfortunately passed away the next year. But back to our state parks, I think you would have appreciated the camp creature comfort of today. So back to our state parks. These cabins we offer now have an occupancy rate of 85 to 90%, compared with a 40% system-wide. Interest continues to grow, showing this a clear demand for more. So I'm pleased to have worked with the team here and with the support of the legislature to fund an effort that will build at least 20 more cabins, increasing the total inventory from 45 to 65. And here's what I really love about this initiative. In addition to increasing our capacity for overnight visitors, these simple structures are an excellent training project for those learning technical skills in carpentry, excavation, and electrical. As many of you know, tech schools are important to me because I'm a product of them. So I've asked our Forest Parks and Recreation Department to work with career and technical centers across the state and have students build these valuable and useful structures. This way, it becomes a project to build important tourism infrastructure, while at the same time teaching useful, practical skills to our young people. Skills that can help them prepare for well-paying, meaningful jobs in Vermont. The truth is, we need more of our youth involved in the trades. As the average age of a construction worker is about 56. So this is a great way to achieve multiple goals we have as a state. This is just one of the many initiatives our Parks Department is working on to encourage camping and outdoor recreation. So I'll now turn it back over, I think, to Commissioner Schneider to share more on some of our summer programs. Thanks, Governor. Thank you for your support of Vermont State Parks and the rustic cabin program. Being fairly modest, this was the governor's idea, and we were thrilled at it. The idea of an increased investment through our capital program to work with the tech center, schools and students to build cabins just like this in response to this growing and changing demand. And thank you again for helping us kick off the season, Governor. And I would just quickly, briefly, there's a lot we could say. I think you know, actually, Vermont is a nationwide leader in outdoor recreation as a driver of economic development. The governor has been a leader in this and establishing Volrec-Vermont Outdoor Recreation Economic Collaborative with non-government partners around the state, for-profit, non-profits. And it's been very exciting. And it's led to, in addition to the traditional things we do in state parks like the venture Vermont or statewide scavenger hunt, very popular for families and Vermonters and visitors alike. Check out the Parks Pass program. Libraries throughout the state have a, you can check out a Parks Pass like checking out a book to come to the parks. We have the Parks Prescription program where we work with medical providers to literally write prescriptions to children who might need a little less screen time, a little more outdoor time to have a Parks Pass as a prescription to get out. And on and on it goes. Through Volrec, we've initiated and partners at the Outdoor Gear Exchange more recently our first time happy campers program which is helping folks who might have an interest in coming to a park and doing some overnight camping but have a barrier they don't have the equipment, they don't have the know-how with generous donations from Outdoor Gear Exchange and their manufacturers and suppliers providing camping gear for first time campers and then our wonderful park staff helping them, welcoming them, helping them get set up, understand how to use the equipment and how to orient to the park. We have, you know, this range of opportunities in state parks and I would just close by saying that we see the parks as kind of gateways to so much more and the outdoors and when people get outside we see tremendous economic benefit as the governor said, over a million visitors to state parks last year and nearly 90 million dollars of related spending to parks visitation for our economy. There's local economic development, there's health and wellness benefits, family togetherness and an environmental connectedness. That's a powerful package. The parks are one avenue to that and we continue to do the other things expanding our trail networks for mountain biking, hiking, back country skiing, doing that with statewide partners like our member based trail organizations throughout the state and right here at Little River State Park some world class single track mountain biking that we've increased in the last several years. You drove by a new parking lot going in that's all part of stewarding our recreational assets and growing them and leveraging them for even greater economic development and wellness. So we're really proud of it. I appreciate your support for that and other duties as a son, right? Keeping litter out of our parks. So we're here to take and I would rely on Craig who's a master of guiding our staff in the state parks. They're very successful. We're extremely proud of that. Craig's here to help answer whatever questions you might have. I understand there might be a couple of other things on your mind as well. But with that I'll step back and we'll open it up to questions. Craig's only been here for what, three or four decades? A few days, yeah. Are the new cabins going to be across all parks statewide? We haven't decided where they're going to go. We're working with the tech centers now. So depending on the interest of the tech center the cool part of this program is that we've got parks all over the place and you've got tech centers all over the place. So we're hoping to scatter it around and spread it to whichever tech center this fits into. Because I think there seems to be a whole lot of interest from the tech centers. But some of them already have class projects in the queue and this wouldn't fit. So we're just kind of working out those details. So we hope to spread them all over the place. What are the amenities like in these cabins? For people who might come to the parks and get at Bear Bones campsite where they pitch a tent and have a fire pit. What are these like? It's a long ways from that. You can come in here in a minute and take a look at them. But there's a futon to sleep on. There's some bunk beds. There's a table and chairs. Electricity. Windows to close. Windows screens. And there's a picnic table and a fire ring. So you cook and you spend time outdoors like all the rest of the people in the campground. But you have this shelter to be in. And there's no plumbing in these. So you use the showers and other restroom facilities like all the other people in the campground. And we put them on existing campsites. So we haven't really increased the number of campsites in most cases. But we've just upgraded certain tent, otherwise tent sites to put the cat in. Generally speaking, what do they cost to stay in per night and how much do they actually cost to build one of these things? When we build them with a contractor, it's generally averaging about $40,000 a piece. All in. Everything. Yeah. Building with a tech center, we're not sure how the costs are going to work out for that. To rent them, it costs you $53 a night, mostly. If you're a remonder, we charge you $51 a night. Thank you. You're welcome. There are a few around the, we said prices, there's some variable pricing around in Burton Island, you're going to pay more. Some other places, they're a little bit higher. Across the board, mostly. You talked about the prescriptions for park passes. This has been in place since the last administration. You know how many of these prescriptions are being written on an annual basis? We have, this is in partnership with the governor's council on physical fitness and sports. We've been doing it with them for about four seasons now. We print 12,000 in little pads like that. The doctor puts a patient's name, age, signs and dates it, and they take this to the park and it's free admission. We issue about 12,000 of those to 140 or so doctors across the state. Last year, there were 750 that got actually redeemed at the state park. And our partners, and we get together and sort of debrief this and some of us tend to freak out like, oh, only 750. But the other way to look at it is 12,000 times a doctor has said, this is good for you, get outside. And that's why we do this. It's a way to present that message coming from somebody with your health interests in mind. And will the prescription get you any discount on the cabin price? Sorry. It's just for a day entrance. Do you have a projected opening for some of the flooded parks like Sandbar? I could tell you that Sandbar is opening very soon. We're kind of playing it day by day. Allberg Dunes, we have two things going on. One is high water levels and the other is construction of a brand new parking area, bath house. So we're trying to get both of those done and looking at an opening date of June 14th. Folks should know that the reason for those delayed openings in the lake parks is high water and interfering with infrastructure and operating and just enjoyment. So it's unplanned and it happens. I would give a shout out to our folks in the Northwest region in particular really on their toes and doing their best to get these things opening up and running. Green Mountain Power is currently doing work here both at Little River and over at the Waterbury Reservoir as part of their renewal of their permit to generate hydro. Is there similar work being done at other parks by Green Mountain Power or some other entities such as that? You're right. It's related to their relicensing and we're thrilled to have that partnership and there's several projects all around the reservoir. You saw at the big dam here a new boat launch. There's one across another boat launch across the way at Waterbury and it's really restricted to this area here related to the Green Mountain Power Dam here. Is there other work being done at other parks that are also conditional permit permits or anything like that? We have a lot of work going on all over. We try to keep most of that kind of construction work in the off season and on camping season not to interfere but I think this is probably the only one to a dam relicensing that I know of. Governor Scott, someone else mentioned high water and flooding impacts. You today on your administration completed work of the preliminary assessment that you forwarded on to FEMA. A significant step for those affected communities? Well sure, if we can receive the money. Obviously it's in great need. As you might recall we toured some of the damage down in the Windsor County area Bethel area in particular and they have a lot of damage that needs to be repaired. A lot of expense and obviously they're moving forward but we're trying to do all we can to make sure that we secure the funding. You fully expect that we'll receive it? We far exceeded the threshold. I believe that we will receive the funding but you never know in this day and age we're just doing what we can but I have confidence. There are going to be a number of unhappy people outside the Hilton tonight where you're going to meet Governor Walker. Can you reiterate why you felt that you belonged there and what statement you'd like to make to the union and the pro-choice folks who are not happy? Yeah, obviously. I want to make sure that we provide for the safety of those who disagree with us and we protect that right but this is an event that I go to every year and I didn't invite the speaker but I felt an obligation to make sure that we welcome Governor Walker here to our state. I got to know him just a little bit when I was at the National Governance Association meetings and again we don't align politically but I thought it was an opportunity to just say thanks for coming and I hope he comes back. Is there something you hope to hear from me tonight or something you would like to tell him tonight? Well, maybe he has a lesson lesson learned in some respects. He lost his last election. He was a two-term governor in Wisconsin and maybe he'll have some some thoughts about what he went through and what maybe he did could have done differently. I just don't know. I haven't really heard him speak but I think it's an interesting story to hear. So if you and he are not politically aligned and given the state of the Vermont Republican Party and the results of the last couple of elections is this a good type of national Republican to invite here that's going to help propel you to greater thanks? Yeah, well again, I think that there's a number of Republicans throughout our country that would be ideal for us to hear from but I didn't have any opportunity to weigh in on that and again, I think he has an interesting story to tell. Would he be on your list? No, to be quite honest I think that there are other others throughout the country that would be interesting to hear from I believe. But it's not my call and we'll see what happens in the future. What would you say to the pro-choice and union folks who are going to be outside and might associate you with him? Well, I think Vermonters know me. You know, I'm pro-choice. I always have been as well. You know, I've had we've had our share of disagreements with the union but there have been times when we work together. Look with the NEA this year. We had a joint press conference with them with an initiative. So, Vermonters know me. I'm a centrist. I'm open-minded and always willing to listen to other points of view and I think that that should be the message here that we should be we see ourselves as being so tolerant so compassionate. We should practice that and we should listen to others and I think this is an opportunity to do so. Didn't you just a few weeks ago though to attend an event with a very conservative Republican activist woman? I chose not to go to that event. I wasn't really invited so to speak. This is an event that I go to on a yearly basis. You've suggested the direction that the party leadership with GOP party leadership that Vermonters is taking is maybe a little too conservative that maybe there needs to be a change do you feel like changing your mind here do you still feel that way or do you still feel that the party is taking too conservative a direction? Well, the party had an election they chose who they wanted to lead the organization I had an opportunity to put a candidate forward and we didn't, we're unsuccessful but it's what the majority wanted at the time so I respect that I'm still going to move forward in the same fashion that I have for the last 20 years I'm independently minded I'm a centrist and I'll call them as I see them Can you give us any insight into some of the bills that you're planning to either veto or let go into law by signing or by without signing? All the above. I, we continue to wait for bills. I signed a few more today the capital construction bill was probably the largest couple in terms of judiciary bills that I signed haven't vetoed anything yet Can we expect any? You never know there are a few that I'm again trying to weigh in my mind I'd like to see the bills and read them but we haven't received them yet I've seen almost three weeks since they passed age 57 Any insight as to why? Yeah, interesting Haven't seen that one or the gun bill, to be honest with you That's been a while too No, I know it takes some time for them to go through they want to make sure they're technically correct from their standpoint and then they've got a bit of a back lock There's a lot of bills that pass at the end of the session, which normally happens so it just takes a little time to get through them No decision yet on the gun bill? No decision on the gun bill What led you to make the decision that you let age 57 come along? Well, I just felt as though there was a lot of pent up fear and what I'm seeing across the country led me to try and tone down that fear a bit because I knew that I wasn't going to veto the bill so I just thought it was appropriate for me to just come forward and say if everything is technically correct the bill will go forward What about plastic bags? Same with that I haven't seen that one yet either but as I've said before it seems as though there's been some agreement as to that initiative if everything is technically correct I would say that that would move forward as well There's some money out there available on gas grant money for school safety upgrades I guess this is part 2 or phase 2 that you're in now How is that going? Are you comfortable with how schools are updating their security and security protocols? Well, I'm not sure that we can ever do enough but I think as you might recall over a year ago when I passed and signed those bills there was money that was attached for safety improvements in schools and they went to work and I was very proud of local law enforcement as well as our public safety and state police because they went throughout the state and did an assessment as to what the needs are in the individual schools So we put that money to work in a fairly short order and I thought that that was important to do and we'll do the same here It appears so I mean, again we've seen some threats since and we have to be vigilant and make sure that we see something say something and that was part of the campaign as well with the NEA You gotta go by and take a look at the 4F35s that have to do with data Yeah, I was surprised to hear that they landed in Burlington but I think they're off limits I haven't Maybe, I don't know These are Air Force I believe but maybe they aren't, maybe they're a National Guard They're out of out of Utah, out of Hills I think it's Air Force So I'm not sure that I haven't received any invitation I haven't really had the time to do so There was a lot of speculation at the end of the session about whether you would veto the minimum wage bill or the paid payment lease bill and I know that either are obviously coming to you but could you give folks some insight into where your thinking was and is on those two bills as you knew they stood at the end of the session I think it's important for everyone to understand first of all, I vetoed both of those last session Different versions but last session and these were not my initiative I believe this is a different approach with minimum wage, I believe that we should be focusing on the economy that supply and demand does come into play and I believe wages are rising so I think this would have a detrimental effect on some of the rural parts of our state and so I was obviously cautious about that I want Vermonters to make more money I mean that's the bottom line I think that's an area that we agree with I agree with the legislature on it's just how we get there so from that standpoint just not my initiative the family leave, again I think we both agree that there should be a family leave plan of some sort I was disappointed that the voluntary family leave did not pass but we're only midway through we have the second half coming up and nothing was put into play so we'll continue to advocate for the voluntary family leave plan I mean with New Hampshire to only scuttle on your side because you have gone ahead and we had a pretty big dispute about it yes we could but I believe that theirs is still in play they have another month I believe in their legislative process so they still continue to move forward they're governor vetoed pay family leave but he's working with the legislature to forward his voluntary plan it seems there's no question these will be back in January and more than likely try to get them to you quickly so do you think you'll be working with legislative leaders either over the summer and fall or in early January to come up with something that could be signed rather than having this speculative game of well maybe we'll pass this and maybe he'll sign it or not always willing to talk as I said throughout the session and I would offer the same with our voluntary plan that always willing to talk over the summer about the attributes of that plan and why I believe it's a good idea and a good first step and a way for us to try this out and a way that isn't going to be detrimental and we can test drive it see how it goes you say you're always willing to talk but some of the legislative leaders express profound frustration that they couldn't draw you into a conversation about what you would and would not support and how to structure those two bills well again remember those weren't my initiatives I know so we start from not my initiatives to an area where I made my points today quite known to them so I don't think it's fair to say that they wanted to hear first of all and secondly what I didn't tell them was whether I was going to veto it or not I tried that strategy two years ago they didn't like that when I told them what I wasn't going to do and what I was going to veto so this is a different approach now that it doesn't matter would you veto a 12-20 an hour and a hybrid paid leave system just halfway through the season here and we're just at half time so I don't know if I would divulge anything for the second half of the session here just one other thing one percent increase in tuition at state colleges and that's a victory well, zero would have been a victory but the three million dollars that I had advocated for and put forward would have taken care of that they were shorted a bit so they had to come up with a one percent for the one percent so I think it's reasonable one percent is again a lot of money for some but certainly well within the small increases that we're seeing across the country I think a lot of colleges and universities are going up substantially higher than that will higher be a priority for you next year? it continues to be obviously we with projects like this for instance I just think that we need more in trades training more higher education and more traditional four year programs and it's part of our economy as well here in Vermont we're blessed to have some strong institutions the University of Vermont and Norwich University and Middlebury College and so forth the same mics so we need to continue with that but also trying to attract more people into the state and then find ways and opportunities to keep them here is there anything about the budget bill that's heading to your desk that concerns you? no I mean not in totality I think they did a pretty good job we started out a lot further apart but towards the end I believe that we're well within range so I was pleased with the result I mean again just want to make sure that everything's technically correct and there's no surprises in there but all in all I think I don't see any big issues with that so are you a camper or a glamper? camper camper good answer don't believe it thank you very much for coming appreciate it to see the cabins they are spectacular I saw the first of them at Burton Island that's right and it was pretty interesting you're going to check this one out while I'm right here I'll take a look