Vermont

Conservation bill aims to preserve half of Vermont’s land mass by 2050

Published

1 year ago

May 22, 2023

Conservation bill aims to preserve half of Vermont’s land mass by 2050

MONTPELIER, Vt. (WCAX) – A bill on the way to Vermont Gov. Phil Scott seeks to conserve up to half of the state’s land in the next three decades. But some are worried about the impacts of conserving so much land.

On a late spring day, Jim McCullough, a former Vermont lawmaker, reflects on his family’s history of owning land.

“My family’s place of living since 1841 if you go to the first cousin,” he said.

McCullough and his wife, Lucy, enrolled their land, originally owned by the son of Vermont’s first governor, in the Use Value Appraisal program. That gave them a tax break in exchange for keeping the land undeveloped.

Now, the Catamount Community Forest encompasses 393 acres in Williston with Nordic skiing, biking and hiking trails.

“We aren’t making land anymore is the saying, but we are using and abusing it more and more,” McCullough said.

A bill on its way to Vermont Gov. Phil Scott looks to give other landowners a similar path to conserve land. H.126 creates a blueprint for maintaining an ecologically diverse state, coming up with strategies to work with landowners, with the aim of conserving 30% of the state by 2030 and 50% by 2050.

“This is an opportunity to step back and say, ‘How can we do this well in Vermont?’” said Jamey Fidel of the Vermont Natural Resources Council.

Vermont has several programs for conservation, such as enrolling in current use or selling development rights to organizations like the Vermont Land Trust. This bill would explore additional ways to keep land open.

“It’s really to develop strategies to work with landowners that would like to achieve conservation. What are the tools that are necessary to help them, what incentives are helpful?” Fidel said.

But others are worried about the impacts of conserving so much land. At a recent meeting of Vermont foresters, dozens met with state officials to find ways to support landowners in the stewardship of their land.

Ed Larson of the Vermont Forest Product Association says they are working to understand what the planning process means for their industry in the long run.

“Our rural communities really depend on a viable forest product industry as well as agriculture to maintain their viability. It could have a ripple effect on Vermont’s rural economy,” Larson said.

Gov. Phil Scott vetoed a similar bill last year over concerns it focused on permanent land conservation instead of other options.

“It’s not just about quantity of conservation but quality of conservation,” Vt. Natural Resources Secretary Julie Moore said.

This year, the bill gives landowners a larger range of conservation tools, not just permanent conservation.

“There may be other programs and tools we have to try to protect that ecology and meet the landowners’ interests,” Moore said.

Lawmakers delivered the bill to the governor in the final days of the legislative session. He’s expected to act on the bill in the coming days.

Source link

Related Topics:conserving Featured forest gov land mass news Phil preserving scott vermont WCAX Williston

Click to comment

Vermont

Winooski teacher named Vermont’s 2025 Teacher of the Year

Published

5 hours ago

October 1, 2024

Press Room

Winooski teacher named Vermont’s 2025 Teacher of the Year

WINOOSKI, Vt. (WCAX) – Top marks for a teacher in Winooski. Winooski high school teacher Caitlin MacLeod-Bluver is Vermont’s 2025 Teacher of the Year.

The Vermont Agency of Education says the history and English teacher is also a reading specialist who creates responsive learning environments where students feel respected and valued.

She’s been at Winooski High for six years and has been a teacher for 14.

In addition to teaching, MacLeod-Bluver is an instructional coach and part-time lecturer at the University of Vermont.

Her role as teacher of the year will begin in January 2025.

Source link

Vermont

2 riders injured when motorcycle hits bear in Vermont

Published

13 hours ago

September 30, 2024

Press Room

2 riders injured when motorcycle hits bear in Vermont

CAVENDISH, Vt. (WCAX) – Two people on a motorcycle were injured– one of them critically– when they hit a bear in Cavendish.

It happened at about 6 p.m. Sunday on Route 131.

EMTs arrived minutes later to provide aid to the two victims. A helicopter was requested to airlift the person with critical injuries.

The Proctorsville Fire Department says the bear was seen running away into the nearby woods.

First responders remind drivers to travel with caution as many different species of wildlife are on the move this time of year.

Source link

Vermont

Cathedral Square Corporation is selected as a Top Workplace in Vermont for 2024

Published

20 hours ago

September 30, 2024

Press Room

Cathedral Square Corporation is selected as a Top Workplace in Vermont for 2024

Cathedral Square Corporation has been selected as a Top Workplace in Vermont for 2024.

The organization was founded in 1977 by St. Paul’s Cathedral in Burlington to address a shortage of affordable senior housing, a situation that Cathedral Square Chief Executive Officer Kim Fitzgerald said still exists today. Still, Cathedral Square has been doing its part to solve the problem for the past 47 years.

“We now have 28 properties in Chittenden, Franklin and Grand Isle counties,” Fitzgerald said. “We serve just over 1,300 people. Of those 28 properties, 26 are for independent living and two of them are long-term care communities.”

One of those long-term care communities is Memory Care at Allen Brook, with 14 residents, which Fitzgerald said is “truly affordable.”

“We are 100% Medicaid and 100% Section 8 for the rent,” she said. “Truly affordable and memory care don’t usually go together. You can spend $12,000 to $15,000 a month (on memory care). We have a wait list. We could build 10 more of those communities if we could afford it and had the staff.”

Cathedral Square wants to care for its staff as well as its residents

Speaking of staff, Fitzgerald said her mission is to care for Cathedral Square’s employees just like the organization cares for its elderly residents.

“People who come to work for Cathedral Square want to make a difference in people’s lives,” she said. “We are making a difference in peoples’ lives. It’s also about supporting each other.”

Fitzgerald said she cultivates a culture of family and togetherness on her staff.

“Living that work-life balance is important to us,” she said. “We have an active wellness committee that makes sure people are supporting each other from a health perspective. I’m also proud of the fact that we have a 20-plus club of people who have worked with the organization for more than 20 years.”

The 20-plus club as six members, including Fitzgerald, who takes everyone out to lunch every year.

“It’s a time for me to connect with them and find out what they see has changed over 20 years that they like and don’t like,” Fitzgerald said. “I value them so much for their longevity.”

Fitzgerald will celebrate 25 years with Cathedral Square Corporation this fall. She has been CEO for 10 of those years.

“I feel very honored and blessed,” Fitzgerald said. “We’ve all had difficult times. Being there for each other, supporting each other and caring for each other is what we do for residents and the people we serve. It’s important to do that within our staff as well.”

Contact Dan D’Ambrosio at 660-1841 or ddambrosio@freepressmedia.com. Follow him on Twitter @DanDambrosioVT.

Source link