SCC at the 2026 Vermont Downtown and Historic Preservation Conference

June 2026

As climate change intensifies flood risks across Vermont, municipalities and preservation professionals face hard choices about protecting the built environment. SCC’s Founding Principal Peyton Siler Jones will be joining Jane Lazorchak, Climate Action Office Director at Vermont Agency of Natural Resources,​ and Laura V. Trieschmann, State Historic Preservation Officer​, to co-present at the 2026 Downtown and Historic Preservation Conference in St. Albans on Thursday June 4th about community climate planning that meets this moment.

This session will be from 1:45 – 3:00pm at the St. Albans Museum. During this session Laura will discuss the National Park Service guidance on rehabilitating flood-damaged historic structures, offering design strategies that balance flood resilience with historic preservation standards. Jane and Peyton will introduce Vermont's Draft Municipal Climate Planning Guides and SCC’s ongoing pilot program for the guides and dig in to a particular Vermont community case study that highlights the tensions, and opportunities, of flood resilient historic downtowns. Participants will leave the session with a practical framework for making informed decisions about climate vulnerable historic assets.