Vermont Land Trust - Conservation Can't Wait: Economic Case Statement

Conservation Can’t Wait

Save Vermont’s public funding for our
working landscape

The impact of conservation on Vermont’s economy can be seen in every community... the productive farms that make the most of Vermont’s fertile soil, the thriving farmers’ markets that spur our strong local food movement, the famed agricultural products that are sold across the country, and the millions of acres of forests that drive our maple and timber industries and attract visitors from around the world.

For over two decades, critical public funding administered through the Vermont Housing and Conservation Board (VHCB) has led to the development of affordable housing and the conservation of productive farmland, recreational land, natural areas, and historic properties.

These investments provide both a short-term economic stimulus and also secure assets that contribute to long-term economic health. VHCB is one of the most successful programs in Vermont’s history and is viewed as a national model.

When VHCB was created in 1987, the legislature decided to fund it with one half of the property transfer tax. Yet, over the past eight years, the percentage of the property transfer tax allocated to VHCB has steadily declined; last year it was less than 30 percent. The original allocation of 50 percent was an appropriate solution to the level of pressure on housing affordability and land development in Vermont. The cuts in funding have resulted in the loss of hundreds of affordable housing units and thousands of acres of conserved land. More ...

Conservation Can't Wait!

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Organizations partnering in the Conservation Can't Wait campaign:

American Farmland Trust

Preservation Trust of Vermont

The Nature Conservancy of Vermont

Audubon Vermont

Vermont League of Conservation Voters

Trust for Public Land

Upper Valley Land Trust

Green Mountain Club

Vermont Natural Resources Council

VT Affordable Housing Coalition

Catamount Trail Association

Lewis Creek Association

South Hero Land Trust

Middlebury Area Land Trust

Lake Champlain Land Trust

Greensboro Land Trust

Stowe Land Trust

Smart Growth Vermont

Annette Lorraine, PLC

Northern Rivers Land Trust

Land Trust Alliance

Why is Conservation Important to Vermont?
Vermonters share their stories

Leicester: "It is difficult to overstate the positive impact of VLT and conserving our farm on our farm business, and that of our neighbors, Andy and Deb Hogan. They were a young couple hungry to start farming, but needed a way to get started on their own." More...

Wells: "My diversified dairy and beef farm has depended on the availability of the abutting Moore farm for over 35 years. It provides needed hay and pasture. When word got out that the elderly owner was considering selling, he received many calls from brokers wanting to list the farm. With extensive frontage and wonderful views, it would quickly have been subdivided and developed." More...