The Vermont Statutes Online

Title 10 : Conservation and Development

Chapter 089 : Community Resiliency and Biodiversity Protection

• § 2804. Conservation plan

  (a) On or before December 31, 2025, the Vermont Housing and Conservation Board, in consultation with the Secretary, shall develop a plan to implement the conservation goals of Vermont Conservation Design and to meet the vision and goals established in section 2802 of this title. The plan shall be submitted for review to the House Committees on Environment and Energy and on Agriculture, Food Resiliency, and Forestry and the Senate Committee on Natural Resources and Energy.

  (b) The plan shall include:

  (1) a comprehensive strategy for achieving the vision and goals of section 2802 of this title while continuing to conserve and protect Vermont’s agricultural land, working forests, historic properties, recreational lands, and surface waters;

  (2) the implementation methods for achieving the vision and goals of this chapter using Vermont Conservation Design as a guide;

  (3) recommendations to provide and increase equitable access to protected and conserved lands and land-based enterprises, including recreational access to and use of conserved lands; and

  (4) recommendations to implement the vision and goals of this chapter while also enhancing the State of Vermont’s current investments and commitments to working lands enterprises, rural landowners, and the broad conservation mission implemented by the Secretary and VHCB, including conservation of agricultural land, working forests, historic properties, recreational lands, and surface waters.

  (c) In developing the plan, the Vermont Housing and Conservation Board, in consultation with the Secretary, shall hold 12 or more public meetings on the plan between July 1, 2023 and December 31, 2025 to solicit input from stakeholders. Stakeholders shall include private owners of forestlands and agricultural lands, land trusts, conservation organizations, environmental organizations, working lands enterprises, outdoor recreation groups and businesses, Indigenous groups and representatives from historically marginalized and disadvantaged communities, watershed groups, municipalities, regional planning commissions, conservation commissions, and relevant State and federal agencies. At least three of the meetings shall be designed to solicit comments from the general public.

  (d) The conserved land inventory established in 2803 of this title shall be updated biennially to track progress toward meeting the vision and goals of this chapter, which shall be publicly available, and the Secretary shall submit a report to the relevant committees on or before January 15 following each update. (Added 2023, No. 59, § 3, eff. July 1, 2023.)