Correcting the record…

A recent newsletter published by the Vermont Natural Resources Council (VNRC), a private non-governmental organization, contained numerous inaccuracies regarding the Lake Bomoseen Association (LBA) and its role in the permitting process for ProcellaCOR. We believe it is important to correct the record.

In 2021, the LBA applied for a permit to use an herbicide to manage Eurasian milfoil, an invasive species that has been present in Lake Bomoseen since 1982. The permit was denied in 2024. In that decision, the Vermont Agency of Natural Resources (ANR) and the Vermont Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC) outlined specific elements of the application that would need to be amended but would not let us amend the submitted application; instead, they encouraged the LBA to reapply after addressing those items.

The LBA did not appeal the decision and did not submit a revised application.

An individual, Lindsey Waterhouse, filed an appeal with the Vermont Environmental Court and later the Vermont Supreme Court. He was not considered a legal appellant, and the case was dismissed without consideration of the merits. That dismissal was issued on November 7, 2025.

The DEC and ANR recognize ProcellaCOR as an accepted, scientifically vetted method of milfoil control, with its use subject to extensive research and strict regulatory oversight.

The recent VNRC newsletter included known inaccuracies regarding the permit process, the authorship of the appeal, and the positions of state agencies. These errors were subsequently repeated by local media outlets, prompting both the LBA and Mr. Waterhouse to contact VNRC to request a correction and retraction.

We believe clarification is particularly important because, within days of the publication of these inaccurate reports, the homes of LBA board members were vandalized. While we cannot definitively link the vandalism to the reporting, the timing is concerning and cannot be ignored.

We recognize that the topic of ProcellaCOR is controversial. However, facts matter. The portrayal of the Lake Bomoseen Association as an organization seeking to “poison the lake” is simply false. The initial application for ProcellaCOR was submitted at the urging of the DEC in response to well-documented increases in milfoil. ProcellaCOR has undergone extensive review, has been approved by regulators, and has been used successfully in 12 lakes throughout Vermont and hundreds across the country.

We live in a time when public discourse can quickly become polarized and emotionally charged. But Lake Bomoseen belongs to all of us. Productive conversation must be grounded in accurate information, mutual respect, and a shared commitment to the lake’s long-term health.

The LBA is a volunteer board made up of individuals who care deeply about Lake Bomoseen and are committed to preserving its health and vitality for future generations. We welcome thoughtful dialogue, differing viewpoints, and continued community engagement — and we ask that discussions remain factual and civil. Our goal has always been, and remains, to protect and preserve Lake Bomoseen in a responsible, science-based manner.