Act 59 Listening Sessions

We invite you to join us for a series of public listening sessions to share feedback on Act 59, also known as the Community Resilience and Biodiversity Protection Act. This act sets the goal of conserving 30% of Vermont’s land by 2030, and 50% by 2050. The planning process has been underway for more than two years. Phase 1, completed in 2024, involved a full inventory of Vermont’s conserved lands. Phase 2 is now underway and is currently in the public review stage of the draft expanded framework, which outlines goals, strategic pathways, and proposed actions to guide conservation across the state. These sessions are an important opportunity to help fine tune Vermont’s conservation plan.

The first session will provide an overview of the Draft Vermont Conservation Plan and its objectives. We are pleased to partner with and co-lead this session alongside the Addison County Regional Planning Commission (ACRPC).

The following three sessions will take a deeper dive into the different pathways of Draft Objective 2: Conservation for Communities. Each session will be led by a different partner in different locations in Addison County to bring diverse perspectives and expertise to the conversation. The second session will be led by the Otter Creek Natural Resources (NRCD) Conservation District. The third session will again be led by the Addison County Regional Planning Commission, and the fourth session will be hosted by Middlebury Area Land Trust. The Fifth Session will dive deeper into Draft Objective 3: Strengthening Conservation Capacity and will be led by Middlebury Area Land Trust.

Your participation in these listening sessions is critical to shaping the Vermont Conservation Plan. We encourage you to engage in discussion, ask questions, and share your feedback on the Draft Expanded Framework. We recognize that this initial draft has gaps, needs significant refinement, and will require thoughtful prioritization to ensure we implement the most critical actions first.

With your input, we can sharpen and prioritize these actions to develop a comprehensive plan that guides near term decisions in a strategic and thoughtful way, while honoring the full scope of Vermont’s conservation vision for 2030 and beyond.

Your feedback will help shape how the plan evolves before it is finalized and submitted to the Legislature by the end of June.

Please Provide Feedback Here
 

Listening Session Series

  • Co-led by MALT and ACRPC

    WHEN: Monday March 16, 4:00 - 5:30 PM (Virtual option available)

    WHERE: Middlebury Town Office

    In this session we will provide an overview of the Draft Conservation Plan, its objectives, & the scientific & planning tools behind it.

  • Lead by NRCD

    WHEN: TBD (Check back for updates)

    WHERE: TBD (Check back for updates)

    TOPICS:

    Increase Equitable Access

    • Identifying investments and programmatic opportunities to expand and improve equitable access to conserved lands, land-based enterprises and recreational opportunities.

    Promote Sustainable Working Lands

    • Identifying strategies and investments to make Vermont’s conserved working lands more resilient, ecologically functional, and economically thriving, while continuing to invest in working lands conservation. It also addresses the economic and land use pressures that contribute to farmland loss and forest fragmentation by supporting the viability of farm and forest enterprises. In addition, this pathway emphasizes technical and financial supports that make ecologically beneficial land management practices viable for landowners.

    This discussion will be especially relevant to farmers, forestland owners, and rural residents.

  • ACRPC lead

    WHEN: Wednesday March 25, 7:00 - 8:30PM

    WHERE: Monkton Town Office Conference Room

    TOPIC:

    Strengthen Climate Resilience

    • Identify conservation actions and investments to make Vermont’s communities and conserved lands more resilient in the face of climate change, promoting flood resilience, habitat connectivity, improved water quality and critical resource protection. Investments will protect lands where conservation helps to leverage restoration and enhancement of degraded wetlands, floodplains and riparian habitats, as well as protecting habitats and resources that are particularly important for mitigating the ongoing threats from climate change.

  • Listening Session #4

    MALT led

    WHEN: TBD

    WHERE: TBD (Salisbury)

    TOPICS:

    Promote Outdoor Recreation

    • This pathway will promote diverse outdoor recreation opportunities through strategic investments in land protection that improve recreational access across user groups and demographics, while enhancing connection with nature and protecting ecological values.

    Expand Place Based Education and Outreach

    • This pathway identifies strategies and investments to expand place-based education and outreach efforts that connect residents with conserved lands by coordinating educational programs, expanding outdoor education opportunities and expanding the reach of conservation educational information.

  • Led by MALT

    WHEN: TBD

    WHERE: TBD

    TOPIC:

    Strengthening Conservation Capacity

    • This plan’s success is dependent on having the people, programs, funding and innovations needed to successfully implement Act 59 in years to come. This work includes strengthening the whole conservation community, including the Vermont Housing and Conservation Board, the Agency of Natural Resources, conservation organizations, municipalities, landowners, and the many public and private organizations that support community-level conservation. Phase 1 input reported concerns about underfunding and limited access to financing tools. Stakeholders requested streamlined, permanent funding mechanisms and equitable access to technical support.