Act 181, the Act 250 modernization bill that passed last year, includes important policies focused on protecting forests and critical resource areas. The bill includes a provision to encourage planning to minimize the fragmentation of forests when large development occurs in intact forest blocks and wildlife connectivity areas. Act 181 also provides essential oversight of very long road construction, which will incentivize more compact design, and ensure that environmental impacts are considered before long roads are built. In addition, Act 181 includes a provision to determine how to protect the state’s most sensitive and critical resource areas through the Act 250 development review process, or through alternative programs. We are working to ensure these policies are implemented and not rolled back.

Another priority is the implementation of Act 59, which aims to conserve 30% of Vermont’s land by 2030, and 50% by 2050. Act 59 recognizes the urgent need to work with willing landowners who want to conserve their land to build up flood resilience, protect biodiversity, maintain working lands and natural areas, and mitigate the effects of climate change. The initiative is moving into Phase 2 to develop a conservation plan with strategies to meet the conservation goals while maintaining our working lands, recreational opportunities, and a resilient state.

Specifically, our 2025 forest and wildlife priorities include:

• Ensuring the robust implementation of Act 181 to better protect our forests, wildlife, and critical resource areas.
• Supporting the Phase 2 implementation of Act 59 to develop a conservation plan with strategies to accelerate land conservation in Vermont, and maintain biodiversity, natural areas, working lands, and recreational areas.  

Promoting awareness around the need to improve Vermont’s threatened and endangered species law and enhance recovery planning to improve the status of hundreds of imperiled species in Vermont.