Vermont is hardly ‘leading’ the way. Bureaucracies have been at this for decades. I learned this in the70’s in Michigan when I built a house. I could not even apply for a permit until I was blessed by the Soil Erosion Tzar. I needed to install a ‘silt fence’ to prevent any soil I might disturb from washing away. The Tzar admitted he was a one-man operation. He spent half his time issuing permits, and the other half driving around looking for violators so he could collect the fines to pay his salary. I’m quite sure by now he has teams to do both, but still drives his issued car.
I lived then at the top of a glacial moraine. Now I live at the bottom and now have to deal with the Swamp King. I believe he’s called the Wetland’s Administrator, or something like that. I can’t even plant a garden without fearing a daily fine of $10,000 unless I have the proper permit. Reading the letter of the regulations, I’m not even allowed to put out a bird bath in the spring without a permit. I then need another permit in the fall to take it in for the winter. I’ve avoided this by not having a bird bath.
Zoning one of worse things we have allowed government to control.
“until I was blessed by the Soil Erosion Tzar”
Some states you have to get blessed by a Radon Tzar. I think Vermont is one.