What Makes Vermont Special?
Annual Report 2005-2006 Dear Members and Friends of the Vermont Land Trust, As the Vermont Land Trust enters its 30th year with a new Board Chair, forester Nancy Patch, and shortly a new President, Gil Livingston, it seems a good time to reflect on all that has been accomplished and where the organization is heading.
For Vermonters, the relationship between land and people is fundamental to the quality of our everyday lives, to our economic wellbeing, and to our sense of heritage and place. When Rick Carbin founded VLT in 1977, he saw clearly that land conservation should not be an end in itself, but must fit within the overall needs and goals of our communities, including affordable housing and economic development. This vision allowed land conservationists to team up with affordable housing advocates in 1987 to lobby for the creation of the Vermont Housing and Conservation Board (VHCB). It also drives VLT’s efforts to strengthen Vermont’s agricultural and forest economy through securing the land base and helping farmers strengthen their operations.
Since 1990 when Darby became President, VLT’s conserved lands jumped from 29,500 to over 455,000 acres. With the support of VHCB, John Merck Fund, Freeman Foundation and many others, VLT has been able to protect over 600 working farms. It helped conserve many of Vermont’s largest forestland parcels, including the Champion and Atlas lands. And it teamed up with The Nature Conservancy of Vermont to do a better job of incorporating biodiversity protections into its easements. When David became Chair five years ago, the Board of Trustees began to define a “land ethic,” a set of principles for which we strive and which offer guidance for VLT’s decisions, not just about land conservation and stewardship, but about the investment of endowments, use of land assets, and its other actions as a citizen of Vermont.
Now, looking ahead, we see VLT deepening its relationship with the human and natural community: by assisting farmers in diversifying Vermont’s agricultural economy; by serving as a catalyst for a new Vermont-branded flooring product that will give landowners more opportunity to manage their forests; by building its expertise in natural resource evaluation and conservation design; by encouraging Vermont communities to plan for conservation, as well as development, so that VLT will act in concert with community goals; and by helping ensure that the benefits of land conservation will accrue to all Vermonters.
Transitions can sometimes bring a sense of sadness for an era passing. For the two of us, the transition now underway at the Vermont Land Trust brings only a sense of excitement and an eagerness to see what lies ahead. We are grateful to have had the opportunity to help lead this wonderful organization. Thank you.
Sincerely,
David R. Marvin - Chair, VLT Board of Trustees
and Darby Bradley - President, VLT
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