The VTGC has become an active advocate for trails organizations both in the Statehouse and with the Department of Forest, Parks and Recreation (FPR). Our advisory role provides VTGC a unique position in shaping the conversation and the future of outdoor recreation in Vermont. The breadth and diversity of the outdoor recreation organizations and businesses that make up the VTGC membership gives us a depth of expertise that can help educate lawmakers making difficult land use and recreation decisions in Montpelier. Your Voice Can Make an Impact! Are you passionate about a current policy or outdoor recreation issue?VTGC member voices are critical to our ability to advocate for sustainable funding for stewardship to improve Vermont’s Trail System and to create accessible, inclusive, and sustainable outdoor recreation opportunities across the State. Nothing motivates elected officials or government administrators as much as receiving authentic, real-life input from their constituents, as your experience in creating, maintaining and protecting trails assets gives you a critically valuable perspective. We invite you to get involved in advocacy today as VTGC member participation will have a tremendous effect on legislative and rule making outcomes and there are many opportunities in the 2024 session to become involved. VTGC Legislative Priorities Become a VTGC member today Interested in becoming a VTGC Advocate? contact: sharon@vermonttgc.org.
MARCH 14 UPDATE
Thank you for your support! H.673, an act relating to Vermont's outdoor recreation economy, just passed the H. Agriculture Committee by a vote of 10-1-0 and the bill now advances to the House Appropriations Committee. Please let the Committee know Vermont's Outdoor Rec community supports this bill!
This bill includes a comprehensive outdoor recreation economic impact study, an FTE coordinator for the VT Trails and Greenways Council and the development of general & accessible Best Management Practices (BMPs) for the Vermont Trail System to ensure we sustainably grow outdoor recreation's contribution to Vermont's economy while strengthening the system of stewardship it relies upon.
Here are three reasons to support the comprehensive economic impact study included in this bill, specifically:
Please reach out to the House Appropriations Committee to urge them to support this bill: dlanpher@leg.state.vt.us; RScheu@leg.state.vt.us; pbrennan@leg.state.vt.us; tbluemle@leg.state.vt.us; edickinson@leg.state.vt.us; kdolan@leg.state.vt.us; jharrison@leg.state.vt.us; rholcombe@leg.state.vt.us; mmihaly@leg.state.vt.us; wpage@leg.state.vt.us; TSquirrell@leg.state.vt.us; ttoleno@leg.state.vt.us; eviera@leg.state.vt.us
Outdoor Recreation Bill Overview
The key bill VTGC is working closely with the Department of Forest, Parks and Recreation (FPR) to pass is The Outdoor Recreation Bill H. 673, This bill is the evolution of the 2023 omnibus recreation bill and includes three key components:
The goal of the economic impact study is to better understand the economic benefit of outdoor recreation assets at the state and local level, as well as the true cost of annual trail stewardship, which has largely been borne by non-profit trail stewardship organizations. Specifically the economic impact study will:
The study will also include recommendations for future investments to maintain and grow Vermont’s outdoor recreation economy. Critically, it would build off the work of the Move Forward Together Vermont process currently underway, which combines the development of a Statewide Comprehensive Outdoor Recreation Plan (SCORP) and the VOREC Action Plan. Lead sponsors of the bill include Rep. Mike Rice, D-Dorset, and Rep. Katherine Sims, D-Craftsbury. Progress thus far on the bill
Thank you to everyone who participated in the first-ever Vermont Outdoor Rec Day (VORD)! With 85-registered, we filled the halls of the Montpelier Statehouse with recreationists and outdoor businesses of all kinds and from all over the State. We started the day with a panel focused on the "Future of Outdoor Rec in Vermont," which featured Greg Western from Cross Vermont Trail Assoc., Izzy Johnson, from Color the Valley, and Jessica Brodie, from Vermont Recreation and Parks Association. We then went to the House Chamber where Kelly Brush, from the Kelly Brush Foundation, provided a devotional and a Joint Resolution naming February 16th as Outdoor Recreation was presented and adopted. Some of our VORD participants went to Legislative Committees to testify and then joined everyone in the Cedar Creek Room for a press conference where we urged the Legislature to:
We finished the day with strategic lunch discussions on these topics. It was all meaningful and your participation made a huge impact! Thank you!
Kelly Brush giving the Devotional at Outdoor Recreation Day, February 16, 2024. photo credit: John Atkinson
Other bills VTGC is following include:
Act 250 reform is a major focus of the Administration, the Rural Caucus, and of Democrats seeking a solution to the housing crisis that has left Vermont with one of the lowest vacancy rates in the country and in need of 30,000-40,000 new homes by 2030, Based on recent previous experience with Act 250 reform, which included the proposal of an even more onerous oversight program for trails, the VTGC has been working diligently to keep recreational trails out of the current reform effort. While we firmly believe Act 250 is not the right regulatory tool for trails, the path to get to a truly viable alternative requires modernizing the Vermont Trail System in cooperation with our partners at VT-FPR. While it might seem appealing to work trails into the current legislation, the reality is that any efforts could just as easily create a much worse situation for trails and would jeopardize our work to develop a lasting, consensus solution.
So far, many of the Act 250 legislative proposals follow the recommendations that the Natural Resource Board included in their December 2023 Report. These recommendations include a tiered approach to applying Act 250 exemptions, which include:
We’ll keep you posted on the bill’s progress through enews and our website’s legislative page. If you’d like more frequent updates, sign up for the VOBA enews or reach out to the VOREC Program Manager Jackie Dagger and request to be added to that weekly legislative digest.
There is also a lot of activity at the federal level.
We encourage you to contact Senators Welch and Sanders and Representative Balint to voice your concerns and encourage them to support trails and outdoor recreation.
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