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Public Input Sought on E-Biking Policy for Vermont State Forests and Parks
FPR has released its draft E-biking policy for VT State Forests and Parks. Public input is sought and due by 11/28.
Read article Public Input Sought on E-Biking Policy for Vermont State Forests and Parks
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Stowe’s Kirchner Woods gets accessibility makeover
Check out this great article published yesterday in the Stowe Reporter. A big shout-out to Stowe Land Trust and Stowe Trails for all they are doing to make mountain bike and pedestrian trails in Stowe more accessible. Thanks to Trail Accessibility Hub partners Vermont Adaptive and VMBA for their work guiding the process at Kirchner Woods. VOREC Community Grant Program made the assessment possible. Local gumption, volunteer spirit, and trail manager leadership updgraded the trails.
VT Conservation Plan DRAFT Framework Published: Public Input Due November 14
A new draft outline of the Vermont Conservation Plan (VCP) is out, and the Project Management Team needs to hear from you! Once complete, the VCP will guide how Vermont pursues its mandated goal of permanently conserving 30% of the State by 2030 and 50% by 2050. This document lays out the background and rationale for what has been developed thus far, as well as the three major objectives and the underlying proposed pathways, or focus areas, for achieving these goals.
Public Meetings on New Act 250 Tiers
Last year, the legislature passed Act 181, which creates new land designation “Tiers” intended to change the Act 250 permitting process. “Tier 1” areas where…
TAH Impact Survey
The Trail Accessibility Hub is charting our future. Join us! Tell us what went well, what we could do differently, and why expanding access to…
Conference on Parks, Trails, and Recreation – Register Today
The Vermont Recreation and Parks Association (VRPA) and the Vermont Trails & Greenways Council (VTGC) are excited to host the 82nd Vermont Conference on Parks,…
Trail User Survey
The Vermont Trails and Greenways Council (VTGC), along with five partner organizations*, was awarded an eighteen-month grant from the Vermont Recreation Economic Collaborative (VOREC) to address trail accessibility in Vermont. As part of that grant, VTGC is conducting a trail user survey to gather feedback from people with mobility challenges or disabilities about their experiences when using Vermont’s trails to enjoy nature or pursue recreation activities such as biking, walking, hiking, bird watching, or paddling. VTGC and its partner organizations will use this feedback to better understand the obstacles that prevent people with mobility challenges and disabilities from accessing trails in Vermont, and identify opportunities to address and overcome those obstacles. The survey will be available through Friday, May 23th. The resulting data will be the topic of conversation at a roundtable event in early summer (date TBD) which survey respondents are invited to attend. The survey will be open through May 23; please share widely with your networks. Contact independent consultant Gretchen Elias at gretchenelias@mac.com with questions or for more information.
*Community Geographics, Northern Forest Canoe Trail, Upper Valley Trails Alliance, Vermont Adaptive Ski and Sport, and Vermont Mountain Biking Association
Outdoor Recreation Day, February 12, 2025 @ the Statehouse
On February 12, VTGC co-hosts the second annual Vermont Outdoor Recreation Day. Join fellow outdoor enthusiasts, businesses, trail organizations, and agencies as celebrate outdoor recreation’s contribution to peoples’ wellness, community vitality, and economic growth. RSVP today. Interested in having a table to promote your organization? Email us at info@vermonttgc.org if you’d like to host a table.
Take Action: Urge Lawmakers to Support S.4
Please Take Action: VTGC is urging you to email the Senate Transportation Committee to ask them to Support S.4, a bill that would clarify that municipalities have explicit authority, but not obligation, to maintain Legal Trails. The bill would also provide towns with the authority to regulate the use of Legal Trails within their municipality, including what types of vehicles have public access on these trails.
Vermont House Committee on Commerce and Economic Development Hosts Outdoor Recreation Introduction
e House Committee on Commerce and Economic Development asked VTGC to provide an introduction to our organization and an overview of the VTGC 2025 Policy Priorities. Please see the presentation here and check out the video of our testimony (27:30). Chair Mike Marcotte from the Commerce Committee is the lead sponsor on our key priority bill that aims to study a pathway to a mechanism for recognition of private landowners who provide public access trails. We eagerly await the introduction of this bill that includes:
