Vermont Trails and Greenways

Recreation, trails and conservation in partnership with public land managers.

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Nearly 500 acres of private land conserved in perpetuity near the Appalachian Trail in Wallingford

https://www.vermontpublic.org/local-news/2025-03-13/nearly-500-acres-private-land-conserved-perpetuity-near-appalachian-trail-wallingford

Nearly 500 acres of private land at the entrance to the popular Robert T. Stafford White Rocks National Recreation Area in Wallingford have been conserved in perpetuity as public land.

That’s according to the Trust for Public Land, which secured funding for the acquisition.

The property is home to the popular Ice Beds Trail network and features views of Otter Creek, the Taconic Range and the Green Mountains.

“It’s just a remarkable place, in part because of the really fascinating geology of the White Rocks area’s quartzite cliffs,” said Shelby Semmes, who leads the Trust for Public Land’s work in Vermont. “It’s a great destination in late summer when it’s very hot and humid. When you walk on the Ice Beds Trail, you feel like you’re walking into a refrigerator because ice gets stored there.

Read article Nearly 500 acres of private land conserved in perpetuity near the Appalachian Trail in Wallingford

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Move Forward Together Vermont: Strategic Vision for Strengthening Vermont’s Outdoor Recreation Economy Released

The State of Vermont is proud to announce the launch of Move Forward Together Vermont, a strategic vision for the state’s outdoor recreation economy over the next five years and beyond. This guide to the future of outdoor recreation in Vermont comes after extensive engagement with thousands of Vermont residents, business owners, outdoor recreation planners, funders, and users. Over an 18-month period, focus groups, surveys, and feedback sessions yielded an unprecedentedly robust set of data that shaped the vision and prioritized actions for strengthening Vermont’s outdoor recreation economy.

NBRC Announces Combined $24 Million in Fall 2024 Awards Through Catalyst, Forest Economy, and Timber for Transit Programs

https://files.constantcontact.com/0665f138701/770cef09-c333-49b4-8575-684b8e1bce5b.pdf

CONCORD, N.H. (January 23, 2025) – Today, the Northern Border Regional Commission (NBRC) announced
just over $24 million in new awards as part of the Commission’s Fall 2024 round of funding across all three of
its competitive programs. The 37 new awards will benefit communities throughout the Commission’s member
states of Maine, New Hampshire, New York, and Vermont.

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:

First Vermont Trail Accessibility Hub Summit charts bold vision for inclusive outdoor recreation

On Wednesday, June 14, Bolton Valley Resort’s Timberline Lodge played host to the inaugural Vermont Trail Accessibility Hub (TAH) Summit, bringing together more than 50 thought leaders and advocates to advance trail accessibility across Vermont. This collaborative event united representatives from more than 30 organizations and agencies, setting the stage for a transformative future in trail-based outdoor recreation. 

Vermont’s outdoor recreation valued at $2.1 billion in 2023 

VT Digger

Many Vermont residents value the outdoors. What they may not know is just how much the Green Mountain State’s outdoor recreation economy is worth.  Outdoor recreation contributed $2.1 billion in value added, or 4.8% of the state’s gross domestic product in 2023, according to data from the U.S. Department of Commerce. That means it made up the second-highest percentage of state GDP, after Hawaii.  Since the Department of Commerce’s Bureau of Economic Analysis started tracking this data a few years ago, Vermont has maintained its position near the top, said Rebecca Washburn, director of the lands administration and recreation division of the Vermont Department of Forests, Parks and Recreation in Vermont.

Dread your commute? These folks suggest trying a trail instead  

VT Digger

Imagine a commute without the worry of traffic jams, potholes or detours, a path to town that’s nearby, maintained and linked to routes just like it all over the state.

That’s the Cross Vermont Trail Association’s vision — to create a web of trails for bikers and walkers to have easy access and safe travels between north-central Vermont towns.

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This website was created in collaboration with the Vermont Outdoor Recreation Economic Collaborative (VOREC). This project was supported by a grant from the Northern Border Regional Commission. Funding for this project was made possible in part with a Rural Business Development Grant from USDA Rural Development.

Vermont Trails and Greenways Council
PO Box 183 
East Montpelier, VT 05651
info@vermonttgc.org
EIN: 22-3075047