2011 Annual Report to the General Assembly - Vermont Housing ...

Top to bottom: The Catamount Trail Association used
VHCB funds to purchase a trail easement in Lowell,
establishing a protected backcountry ski trail
corridor from the top of the Lowell Mountains to the
base of Hazen’s Notch that is over 6 miles in length;
Harvey and Donna Smith sell naturally raised beef
on their New Haven farm, conserved this year
with the Vermont Land Trust; Bikers enjoy a ride in
Barre’s historic quarry area on Millstone Hill. The
Trust for Public Land is working with the Town of
Barre to conserve 343 acres with an expansive trail
system.
Catamount Trail Association photo
Millstone Trails l Association photo Vermont Land Trust photo
NATURAL AREAS and RECREATIONAL LANDS
Conservation projects over the past 18 months include investments in two
town forests and recreational areas with miles of existing trails (Millstone Hill
in Barre and Cady Hill in Stowe), and three additions to Nature Conservancy
Preserves in Fair Haven, Guildhall and Dummerston. VHCB also funded three
riparian projects protecting habitat and providing public access, in Middlesex,
Duxbury and Enosburgh, as well as the acquisition by the town of Wells of lakeshore
property and town forestland.
HISTORIC PROPERTIES
In fiscal and calendar year 2011, the board invested in historic buildings
available for public use in Brighton and Stowe, helping to protect Vermont’s
cultural landscape, a critical component of our state’s identity and appeal to residents
and visitors alike. VHCB works with the Preservation Trust of Vermont
and local towns and historical societies to protect historically-significant public
buildings in Vermont’s downtowns and village centers.
ECONOMIC and ENVIRONMENTAL BENEFITS
Conservation helps keep farmland in farming and forestland forested—in
other words, maintains the working landscape treasured by both locals and
tourists. Investments in our working landscape strengthen the agricultural and
forestry industries, enhancing those economies. Protecting recreational lands
reaps economic benefits as well. For example, a study of one popular mountain
bike center in East Burke estimated that bikers contribute $1.5 to $2 million to
the local economy each year. VHCB’s contribution to major conservation and
recreation projects that include mountain bike trails in Barre and Stowe will
help to support multiple businesses in those areas.
Conservation investments in farm and recreation lands along river corridors
promote flood resiliency, preventing development in areas needed by rivers to
access their natural floodplains, which in turn mitigates impacts on alreadydeveloped
village centers and downtowns. Protecting public access to trails
and to water augments public health efforts by providing opportunities for
Vermonters to get outside and exercise, whether by walking, swimming, biking,
hunting or skiing. Attractions like the Long Trail, the Catamount Trail and
the Cross Vermont Trail attract hikers, skiers and cyclists, bringing millions in
tourist dollars into the state.
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