Navigating the Act 250 Database

General Database Overview

The Act 250 database contains Act 250 records, including permit-related documents, jurisdictional opinions (JOs), Environmental Board (EB) appeals decisions, and Environmental Board declaratory rulings (DRs).

In October 2016, the Board launched a paperless application process. Prior to that date, electronic application records are limited, with some older permits having no scanned documents in the database. Documents that exist only on paper may be reviewed at the district offices. Work is ongoing to digitize and upload all Act 250 decisions and associated documents to the database. 

To access any Act 250 application document or decision not provided in this database, contact the appropriate district office or our records officer.

Beginning in 2025, audio-visual recordings of recent hearings will be available through our YouTube channel. 

NOTE: The construction of improvements for some telecommunications projects and certain energy generation and transmission projects are authorized by Vermont’s Public Utility Commission rather than an Act 250 District Commission. Contact the Public Utility Commission or search its ePUC filing system to view these authorizations.

Database Search Guide

Be specific in your search request - a maximum of 500 results can be returned.

Searchable fields:

• Project Number - Enter a land use permit, EB docket, DR, or JO number
• Project Name - For example, the name of the residential subdivision (e.g., “Grouse Valley Estates”). Results might be limited, because not all projects have a name, and this field isn’t always populated.
• Project Address - Generally, the project’s street address. This field is currently missing from many older records.
• Town - Generally available for most applications and decisions.
• Participant Name - Landowner and developer names are most commonly included in this field, which is missing from many older records.
• District - Select the Act 250 district number from the dropdown list. If the project straddles more than one district, then this field is typically populated with the number of the district where the majority of the project is located.
• Description - Most entries include a brief project description, which may be searched for key words. Older projects often have very limited descriptions.
• Status Date (From/To) - To narrow your results, searching for applications or decisions by year or a date range (e.g., 01/01/2008–12/31/2010) is recommended.
• Status (multiple check boxes) - Applications and decisions are assigned various statuses throughout the process from pre- to post-decision.
• Application Type (multiple check boxes) - To narrow your results, records can be limited to JOs only, or by type of application review process. (administrative amendment, minor, or major review). “Major(Minor)” is a project that began as a minor application review, and later was reviewed at a hearing.

Act 250 Permits

Our database contains records and documents for most of our permits. Most permit-related records received from 2017 to present were received and processed electronically and converted to digital if received in paper form. Documents before that time are a mix of paper and digital with older records stored in paper form in filing cabinets in each regional district office.

The numbering convention for permits changed over time.

Current numbering convention @X####-#

• @X = County code, comprising district number (@) and initial of the county (X) 
• #### = Project tract number (sequential within the district) 
• -# = Amendment number (appears after a hyphen) 

*Plus Pittsfield, Granville, and Hancock, which are not in Windsor County.

Some permits are changed after they are issued. Those permits include the numbering convention with additional notation.

Early years numbering convention

* Exceptions: 6L, which are in District 5 (Lamoille County); 4A, which are in District 9 (Addison County); 1B, which are in District 8 (Bennington County). 

Some permits are changed after they are issued. Those permits include the numbering convention with additional notation.

Jurisdictional Opinions

Most JOs from 2008 to present are available in the database. Older records are stored in paper form in filing cabinets in each regional district office. 

Numbering convention

• JO 1-123 (district #, JO #)