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ARPA Three-Acre Program

Property owners with three or more acres of “impervious surfaces” are required to install modern stormwater treatment practices. Stormwater treatment practices at these 3-Acre sites are essential to implement the Lakes Champlain and Memphremagog phosphorus pollution cleanup plans. It will cost approximately $260 million to implement the 3-Acre requirements in the Champlain and Memphremagog watersheds. A significant ARPA investment will support and accelerate this work. The Governor proposed a total of $60 million in ARPA funding to be allocated between State Fiscal Year 2022-2025.

Sign up here to receive ARPA 3-Acre Stormwater funding updates (opens in new tab)

Funding and Support Programs

The initial $36 million is being used to provide landowners and municipalities with technical support on permitting aspects, construction oversight, and construction. Funding will support landowners as well as public-private partnerships. As programs develop, emailed announcements will be sent when this page is updated with more information. Sign up for updates at the bottom of this page.

Detailed Information - click to jump to each section:

3-Acre Permit Obtainment Assistance

Notification will be sent when this program opens.

  • Beneficiary payments to 3-acre landowners to assist in obtaining the 3-acre permit. With landowner permission, payments may be made directly to the landowner’s contracting engineer for related permit services. To verify funding eligibility and receive payment(s), permittees must provide information about their 3-acre site and Request for Direct Payment form if they wish for their consulting engineer to be paid directly.
  • Permit obtainment assistance formula: $240 permit admin processing fee + ($860 * number of permitted impervious acres) + up to $30,000 in engineering fees, not to exceed $49,999.
  • Eligible 3-acre manufactured housing community sites may ignore the engineering fee cap in the benefit formula above.  An overall payment cap of $49,999 still applies.
  • Eligible 3-acre sites: all 3-acre sites located in the Lake Memphremagog, Lake Champlain, and impaired stormwater basins, except:
    • State and federally owned properties
    • MHCs participating in State-provided 3-acre permit engineering services
    • Schools eligible to participate in the Green Schools Initiative
    • Businesses that do not attest they are a "small business enterprise"
  • Coming soon: Apply for a permit obtainment rebate on ANR Online.
    • Search for the ARPA 3-Acre Permit Rebate Form" after creating an ANR Online account.
    • Coming soon: Watch this video to learn how to submit an assistance elligibility application using ANR Online.
    • Download the W-9 Form guidance.
  • Download the full details of the 3-Acre Permit Obtainment Assistance Program.
  • Program runs through October 31, 2024.

3-Acre Construction Assistance for High-Need Residential Projects

Under development - some details subject to change. Notification will be sent when this program opens.

  • For high-need residential 3-acre properties, including properties located in low-moderate income communities and all Manufactured Housing Communities.
  • This program aims to fully fund as many eligible projects as possible in this category of 3-acre sites. Landowners can apply for construction funding assistance.
  • Assistance may be in the form of up to two advance payments to landowners who provide a net 60 invoice for 3-acre construction-related expenses or services:
    • Pre-construction: Permittee must provide construction invoice and proof of 3-acre permit authorization.
    • Post-construction: Permittee must provide final construction invoice and engineer certification that project has been constructed according to GP 3-9050 standards.
  • Open application period – landowners or their engineers can apply when their project is ready. Program will end October 31, 2026.

Permit Obtainment Engineering Services for Manufactured Housing Communities (MHC)

  • For 3-acre MHCs that choose to receive engineering services that result in obtaining the 3-acre permit at no cost to the MHC.
  • Program process:
    • A request for proposals was released inviting engineering firms to indicate their interest in providing 3-acre permit obtainment services for MHCs signed up for this program.
    • This work commenced in early 2023. Participating MHCs were connected to the selected engineer and permitting work has begun.
    • The engineer works with each MHC to gather the information needed to put together a 3-acre permit application (a Full Notice of Intent). The engineer will then submit the Full NOI to the DEC Stormwater Program on the MHC’s behalf.
    • The State pays the engineer directly for their work related to the MHC’s 3-acre permit obtainment.
    • Once an MHC has its 3-acre permit authorization, more funding will be available for the construction of a stormwater treatment practice at the site through the “Construction Assistance for High-Need Residential Projects” program (see above for more information).

Public-Private Partnership Projects

  • DEC issued a request for proposals for up to 10 large individual grants to design and construct stormwater treatment practices. The locations have already been identified for public-private partnerships that serve the joint needs of private landowners and their sponsoring municipalities.
  • The State initiated this part of the program in late fall of 2021 by issuing a request for proposals to municipalities that have already developed public-private partnerships.
  • Seven projects were selected for funding and are in the process of implementation.
  • Explore the 3-acre public-private partnership projects (opens in new tab).

Equity Considerations

ARPA funds will help disadvantaged communities address the public health and economic crises caused by the COVID-19 pandemic and help protect them from future crises. The Vermont Department of Environmental Conservation will prioritize inclusion and engagement with under-represented groups to advance environmental justice, equity, diversity, and inclusion through design and delivery.

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