Vermont’s intact forests are critical for storing carbon, maintaining wildlife habitat, and keeping our air and water clean – but they are steadily being chipped away by development. The state has been losing forestland at an estimated rate of about 1,500 acres per year, with much of that loss driven by fragmentation from roads and scattered rural subdivision. Act 181 aims to reverse this trend by encouraging growth in areas with existing infrastructure and mitigating the potential impacts of new rural development within unbroken forest blocks.
Read more in our interview with Mike Snyder, former Commissioner of the Vermont Agency of Natural Resources in the Department of Forests, Parks, and Recreation here.
How you can get involved:
*The “Road Rule” is likely on pause given current conversations across the state and in the Legislature. You can see our response to the ongoing developments here.
Act 181 re-introduced the “Road Rule” as a trigger for Act 250, which targets large road networks that cut deep into forests and farmland for review. The goal is to ensure impacts of such construction are mitigated – whether through Act 250, or avoiding Act 250 by shortening road lengths or closer to an existing road.
Vermonters have a real opportunity to shape how the “Road Rule” is implemented by engaging with the Vermont Land Use Review Board. The Board will be developing rules and guidance that determine how road-building and subdivision patterns are reviewed, and public input can directly influence how strong those protections are. Residents can participate by submitting comments, attending hearings, and working with local conservation and planning groups to ensure the final rules prioritize keeping Vermont’s forests intact and connected.
Act 181 instructed the Land Use Review Board to conduct a rulemaking process to add Criterion 8C as part of Act 250 review. Criterion 8C requires that development not result in an undue adverse impact on forest blocks and habitat connectors. This rulemaking is in the early stages, and there will be opportunities for public input and a public hearing.