Marlboro voters learned the Hogback Mountain Conservation Association has raised enough money to buy 593 acres of the old Hogback Mountain Ski Area. Bob Anderson, the president of the Hogback Mountain Conservation Association, said the reaction from town voters was so enthusiastic that the town moderator had to ask them to stop clapping so other matters could be discussed. "This is a great day for Hogback," said Anderson. "It’s been overwhelming to me the number of people who have been touched by this place and who have supported this purchase and its conservation."

In the late 60's the construction of I-89 and I-91 opened up the previously isolated state of Vermont to rapid development and increased tourism.  After a few disastrous construction projects in Southern Vermont, Governor Deane Davis got worried and formed a state-wide commission to create land-use regulations and government oversight.  When it passed in 1970, Act 250, the Land Use and Development Act, was arguably the most progressive piece of environmental legislation in the United States.  It's been praised and vilified, lauded and criticized. Vermont Public Radio looks back at 40 years of Act 250, examine its successes and failures, and discuss whether it can still effectively tackle our 21^st century problems and concerns.

Tight budgets will likely have lawmakers scrutinizing Vermont's current use law this legislative session, with the hope of squeezing savings from it. Current use is widely seen as having played a powerful role in maintaining and enhancing Vermont's rural and agricultural heritage. A recent report issued by the Council on the Future of Vermont says that between 93 percent and 97 percent of Vermonters stated recently that they value the working landscape and its heritage.

Update on Wednesday, January 27, 2010 at 10:02AM by VCF Staff

A state program credited with preserving millions of acres of forest and farmland from development became the first prominent example of the fiscal year 2011 budget crisis facing lawmakers, with House members Tuesday giving tentative approval to cuts in the so-called Current Use program.

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A proposal to cut funds for a program credited with preserving millions of acres of forest and farm land from development drew a blistering rebuke from the logging industry Thursday.

Lawmakers have committed to finding $1.6 million in savings in Vermont's Current Use program, a 30-year-old initiative that dramatically lowers taxes on tracts of land used for agriculture and forestry. A proposal drafted by a broad coalition of conservation-oriented organizations – including the Vermont Land Trust, Vermont Farm Bureau, Vermont Natural Resources Council and Vermont Nature Conservancy – would deliver those savings in the fiscal year 2011 budget.

WCAX News reports that "the new federal agriculture census says more farms are cropping up around Vermont." According to the census, "there are nearly 7,000 [farms in the state],up 6 percent from the last census in 2002. While the number of dairy farms dropped to 1,200, organic farms are becoming more popular,while other farmers are becoming more diverse in the products they offer." In addition, "the number of vegetable farms increased 20 percent" and "the average age of a farmer rose from 53 to 56."

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Vermont Public Radio reports that the Vermont State Park system has set up a Facebook account where "park users can share their favorite parks and their favorite locations and things to do in the parks." Vermont Forest and Parks Commissioner Jason Gibbs hopes the State Park's Facebook friends will help "spread the word about the many opportunities that exist within Vermont's state parks and recruit new visitors."

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Vermont Public Radio reports that Governor Jim Douglas has put forth a plan to cut money for Vermont's housing and land conservation program to save money for various human service programs. Under the Governor's plan, "all funding for the state's land conservation program would be frozen for one year," and the affordable housing budget would be reduced by $4 million. Douglas believes that new federal funds can help fill the $4 million gap. In response, "the Vermont Housing and Conservation Coalition says the proposal would derail dozens of important projects." Kenn Sassarossi with Housing Vermont noted that the "federal funds [would] come with restrictions that would force the cancellation of projects in Springfield, Troy, Newark, South Burlington, East Barre and Shelburne."

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The Burlington Free Press reports that "key groups will hold a public meeting next month to discuss the role of the Champlain Canal in the introduction of invasive species to Lake Champlain." According to experts, "The movement of water and boats through the canal is a likely path by which some invasive species have reached the lake. The canal links Champlain with the Hudson River." Fifty invasive species have made Lake Champlain their home and have"altered the lake ecosystem and cost millions of dollars in control efforts." Those invaders include zebra mussels, Eurasian water milfoil, white perch, alewives and water chestnuts. Notably, the Lake "the is home to fewer invasive species than surrounding water bodies. In the Great Lakes, 184 invasives have been catalogued, 87 in the St. Lawrence River and 91 in the Hudson River."

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Vermont Public Radio reports that "a rare type of forest in northern Vermont is being protected at the Woodside Park in Essex." The land was donated by Guy Neveu to the Winooksi Valley Park District. "The parcel is a mix of maple, ash and hickory more typically found in southern Vermont. It also includes red maple, pitch pines, witch hazel, white ash, black cherry, round-leafed tick trefoil, handsome sedge and Minnesota sedge."

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The Brattleboro Reformer reports that last week "the Vermont Housing and Conservation Board (VHCB) awarded The Hogback Mountain Conservation Association a $318,590 grant toward the purchase of the land which lies between Hogback Mountain and Mount Olga in Marlboro." The land includes properties on both sides of Route 9 in the vicinity of the Hogback Mountain Overlook, and the Association was charged with raising about $1.7 million to preserve the 560-acre plot. Notably, "the VHCB grant puts the group about 75 percent of the way toward its goal of investing in the property and preserving it for recreational use into the future." Hogback Mountain Conservation Association member Dan MacArthur explained, "We've always been hopeful and optimistic, but we've been working on this for a number of years and we never really knew if it was possible. It may be a Marlboro town forest but we want this to be a regional center point for hiking and cross country skiing. It no longer feels like just a pipe dream."

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Vermont Public Radio reports that the Cox Brook, a tributary of the Dog River in Northfield, will soon run free for the first time in seven decades after a construction crew removes an old concrete dam from the river. "The project eliminates a safety hazard caused by the aging dam, and will open up miles of spawning habitat for wild trout." Constructed in 1932, "the dam was built  for a saw mill that was never completed. [The dam] doesn't generate power, and the concrete wall blocked trout from the Dog River from reaching several miles of spawning habitat." According to Clark Amadon, president of the Mad-Dog chapter of Trout Unlimited, a group that protects fish habitat, "The project is unusual because once a dam goes up, they're hard to take down." Notably, "the Dog River is one of very few Vermont streams that are not stocked with fish raised in a hatchery. The big brown trout, the colorful brook trout and the rainbows here are all wild and they need clean, running water to spawn."  Madeline Lyttle a biologist with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service said that reconnecting the Brook with the Dog River is very important because the River "has a very unique, very lucrative fishery."

Vermont Public Radio reports that the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency says the owners of the Pleasant Valley Farm, a farm in Richford, "will be fined and ordered to make amends for illegally converting 40 acres of wetlands into hay fields." The owners have "agreed to spend more than $100,000 on mitigation and fines, including restoration of 29 acres of wetland" and said they "didn't knowingly violate regulations."

Vermont Public Radio reports that a telephone survey conducted last winter by the the University of Vermont's Center for Rural Studies has found that  Vermonters cherish the state's working landscape, its sense of community, and its independence. The survey was conducted for the Council on the Future of Vermont which has spent several months holding forums around the state to explore Vermonters' values, challenges, opportunities, and priorities. Of the 700 people questioned for the survey, 97 percent said they value the state's landscape and heritage, and 93 percent said they are proud of living in Vermont. The respondents also said that "Vermont's future is bright" but worried about things that threaten Vermont's values including "the cost of living, high tax rates, and the difficulty of surviving as a farmer." Notably, "the council's goal over the next six months is to take all of this information and use it to tell Vermonters what their neighbors think about the state of affairs" in the state. The Council hopes that the infomration will "give policymakers and average citizens the perspective that will help them preserve their values and solve future challenges."

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The Burlington Free Press reports that "eleven Vermont municipalities will receive their share of $1.6 million in tax credits for revitalization of buildings in downtowns and village centers." The money is part of the Vermont Neighborhoods Program, a state tax credit program that "is designed to work with the federal tax credit program to leverage a combined state-federal credit valued between 30 and 40 percent of eligible expenses." In order to become a Designated Downtown, "communities must have both a downtown revitalization organization and demonstrate their commitment and capacity to support such a program, as well as meet several other requirements. Village Centers go through a similar, but abbreviated process." Thus far, "22 downtowns and 78 village centers are designated, and all older and historic buildings in these designated areas are eligible for investment incentives."

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The Burlington Free Press reports that "NRG Systems and Earth Turbines, two quickly growing sister companies in Hinesburg, have bought land and formed plans to expand the businesses and build what could be the "company town" of the future." NRG Systems CEO Jan Blittersdorf explained the vision for the town. "What we are playing with is how to make a community where you can live and work ... to avoid this suburban sprawl that has been so prevalent over the last few decades."

"Wind NRG Partners LLC, a land holding company for the Blittersdorfs, purchased two abutting parcels, 4.3 acres and 4.7 acres, along Vermont 116 near Riggs Road for a combined $675,000, according to recent real estate transactions. In addition to housing considerations, the nine acres allow the two companies to expand office and manufacturing operations."

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