On Saturday, September 23, Governor Phil Scott will attend Vermont Day at the Big E, New England's largest fair, in Springfield, Mass. Vermont Day and the Vermont Building exhibits provide the state an opportunity to highlight its products, culture and heritage for more than 1 million attendees each year. This year, the state has expanded its offerings beyond products, with the Agency of Agriculture, Food & Markets teaming up with the Department of Tourism and Marketing to showcase how Vermont is a great place to live, work and do business.

Deer hunters who applied for a Vermont muzzleloader season antlerless deer permit by the August 24 deadline can now go to the Vermont Fish & Wildlife website (www.vtfishandwildlife.com) to see if they won a permit.

Vermont health officials have confirmed the year's first case of human illness due to West Nile virus. An Addison County resident was diagnosed earlier this month with neuroinvasive disease - a more serious form of the illness which affects the nervous system.

The current warm, sunny weather has created ideal growing conditions for cyanobacteria in Vermont waters, especially at Lake Carmi and St. Albans Bay in Lake Champlain.

The Vermont Agency of Natural Resources (ANR) and the Vermont Agency of Agriculture, Food & Markets (AAFM) announced a suite of projects aimed at protecting and restoring the Lake Carmi watershed. The Lake Carmi Implementation Team will lead the coordination of these projects and provide regular updates to the community.

In an effort to provide some relief to those impacted by Hurricanes Harvey and Irma, the Vermont Department of Taxes has announced it is extending filing deadlines to Jan. 31, 2018, for filers living in hurricane disaster areas. The affected individuals and businesses may file returns and pay any taxes that were originally due during this period by the new due date.

Biologists are asking the public to report snake sightings this fall to the Vermont Reptile and Amphibian Atlas to help document the extent of the state's eleven snake species.

The Vermont Agency of Agriculture, Food & Markets is pleased to announce the availability of over $1M in grants for the FY18 grant cycle.

Hunters traveling outside Vermont to hunt deer or elk need to keep in mind that a regulation designed to protect Vermont's wild deer from chronic wasting disease remains in effect, according to a reminder from the Vermont Fish & Wildlife Department.

As late summer weather continues to bring warmth, plenty of sunshine, and scattered showers, fall foliage colors are developing nicely, albeit gradually, throughout most of Vermont. The Northeast Kingdom is fast approaching peak color and is expected to be at 50-75 percent peak at many locations over the coming weekend.

The Vermont Fish & Wildlife Department is reminding hunters of a law designed to help keep Vermont deer healthy by not using any type of deer urine-based or deer body fluid attractant scents.

Tree stands get hunters out of sight and smell of wary deer, but they can also get hunters into trouble. Here are some tips from the Vermont Fish & Wildlife Department to help stay safe and get the most out of your tree stand hunting experience.

Fall heralds the season waterfowl hunters look forward to all year. But before hunters begin building waterfowl blinds, the Vermont Fish & Wildlife Department reminds them to pay attention to the materials used and to avoid spreading invasive plants. The transport of invasive plant species is illegal in Vermont.

Please join us for a celebration and dedication of Vermont's newest state park, Taconic Mountains Ramble, September 23, 2017 at 10:00 AM. Come explore the park, walk the trails and enjoy the early fall foliage.

The Vermont Fish & Wildlife Department reminds us that baiting or feeding deer and bear is prohibited at all times in Vermont.

The Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC) in conjunction with the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) will be promoting Septic Smart Week and will encourage homeowners and communities to learn more about and properly maintain their septic systems. Governor Scott signed a formal proclamation to declare September 18-22 Septic-Smart Week in Vermont.

Governor Phil Scott was joined by state and local officials and treatment and recovery professionals to announce significant progress in providing access to opiate addiction treatment for individuals in need.

Vermont will once again share its culture and heritage with more than one million attendees at the Big E, New England's largest agricultural fair, which commences this week in West Springfield, Massachusetts. The fair will run from September 15 - October 1.

Vermont's annual fall foliage show has begun and although it is still early, there is already some great fall color in every region of the state. Some individual trees throughout Vermont are already on full display in front yards; on town greens; along country roads, rivers, and streams; in cemeteries, and around ballfields and parks.

Hunting can be a valuable tool for private land conservation but managing hunters can be intimidating, particularly if you are not familiar with hunting or experienced problems with hunters in the past. To help, the Vermont Fish & Wildlife Department is holding a free seminar this summer for landowners interested in learning more about hunting and managing hunter access.