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AN UPDATE ON VTS MODERNIZATION
TLDR Trail managers have until September 15th to weigh in on the future of the Vermont Trail System (VTS) by providing feedback on 1) a proposed update to the system, and 2) a draft…
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Clearing the path for more accessible outdoor spaces
Before Edie Perkins heads out to explore a new trail, she runs through a mental checklist.
Is there accessible parking? How far is it from her car to the trail? Is the surface hard-packed or uneven? For most people, those questions barely register. For Perkins, who uses a wheelchair, they determine whether she can venture out at all.
“Exploring new places is always exciting. It can also be a little frightening…there are so many things that able-bodied people don’t understand about accessing the outdoors,” she said.
Perkins, a lifelong cyclist who lives in South Burlington, was paralyzed from the chest down in 2017 after a car hit her while she was biking. Now she uses a wheelchair or a hand-cycle on trails. Recently, she visited the Vermont Institute of Natural Science (VINS) in Quechee, a forested campus known for its treetop boardwalk and network of accessible trails.
VINS’s trail system was improved with support from the Upper Valley Trail Alliance (UVTA), a member of the Vermont Trail Accessibility Hub (TAH). The Hub is a statewide initiative led by the Vermont Trails & Greenways Council (VTGC), and a partnership of six organizations working to expand access to trails for people of all abilities.
30 x 30 and the Vermont Conservation Plan
Many Vermonters are aware that Vermont has a legal mandate to conserve 30% of the state by 2030, a requirement set in place in 2023…
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.
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
