The Vermont Statutes Online
The Statutes below include the actions of the 2025 session of the General Assembly.
NOTE: The Vermont Statutes Online is an unofficial copy of the Vermont Statutes Annotated that is provided as a convenience.
§ 421. Purposes
This chapter is designed to preserve and to enhance Vermont’s scenic values. (1966, No. 67 (Sp. Sess.), § 2, eff. March 14, 1966.)
§ 422. Acquisition of rights and interests in land for scenery protection
(a) Power to acquire. To further carry out the purposes set forth in section 421 of this title, the Agency of Transportation, the Departments of Forests, Parks and Recreation,
Fish and Wildlife, Environmental Conservation and the Division for Historic Preservation,
hereafter called Department, may acquire land and any rights and interests therein
by purchase with any authorized funds, donation, device, exchange, transfer from any
other governmental agency (federal, state, or local). All proposed acquisitions,
exchanges, and transfers of lands or rights therein shall be submitted to the Natural
Resources Interagency Committee for review of conformance to the plan prepared under
section 424 of this title. The recommendations of the Interagency Committee on Natural Resources need not
be binding on the departments.
(b) Types of interests to be acquired. The Department shall determine the types of rights and interests in land to be acquired
in order to fulfill the purposes of section 421 of this title. In the case of acquisition subject to a right of occupancy and use or reconveyance,
or lease, the Department shall, so far as possible, give priority to the former owner
in selecting the grantee or lessee, as the case may be.
(c) Injunction. In any case where rights and interests in land are divided between the State and private
co-owners, the Department may begin injunction proceedings to enforce compliance in
accordance with the provisions of this chapter. (1966, No. 67 (Sp. Sess.), § 3, eff. March 14, 1966; amended 1983, No. 158 (Adj. Sess.), eff. April 13, 1984; 1987, No. 76, § 18.)
§ 423. Improvement of land
To further carry out the purposes set forth in section 421 of this title, the departments listed in subsection 422(a) of this title may improve lands held for those purposes with publicly owned and controlled rest
and recreation areas which may include, among other things, sanitary facilities, and
other facilities reasonably necessary to accommodate the traveling public. (1966, No. 67 (Sp. Sess.), § 4, eff. March 14, 1966.)
§ 424. Planning provisions
The Vermont Planning Council shall carry on a continuing comprehensive planning process
to inventory and classify scenic corridors, areas, and sites, and analyze the scenic
values and various elements thereof in keeping with the purposes of section 421 of this title, including the general location of areas of special need and specific proposals for
such new areas. The Vermont Planning Council shall prepare and submit to the Governor
for adoption, and from time to time, revise, a comprehensive plan for the protection
of the State’s scenic resources. This plan shall become a part of the State’s comprehensive
master plan.
The Vermont Planning Council shall cooperate with federal and local governments, and
with interested private groups and individuals in joint planning to protect and to
develop historic, cultural, and scenic resources. (Added 1966, No. 67 (Sp. Sess.), § 3, eff. March 14, 1966; amended 1967, No. 167, § 6, eff. April 15, 1967.)
§ 425. Repealed. 2015, No. 40, § 28.