Technical Assistance to Communities

VNRC is working to develop creative new planning and zoning strategies in Vermont to promote forestland conservation and reduce forest fragmentation and parcelization. We are reviewing forestland conservation planning strategies that exist in the state and developing new planning templates for municipalities. VNRC is available to assist communities on this issue in the following ways:

• Work with local municipalities and residents to identify priority forestland resources and create a vision for forestland development and conservation in the community.
• Review the strengths and weaknesses of existing municipal planning and zoning strategies to conserve forestland and reduce the impacts of forest fragmentation and parcelization in rural resource lands.
• Develop new templates for municipal zoning bylaws and town plan policies that adequately identify and conserve important forestland parcels and forest resources such as wildlife habitat, watershed functions, recreation resources, timber production areas, etc.
• Develop and/or strengthen subdivision regulations to adequately review the impacts of proposed development to forestland resources and ensure appropriate consideration of impacts that may not be covered under state review of development projects.
• Develop incentive based policies for landowners and developers to cluster development and maintain rural settlement patterns in town.
• Assist towns in designating growth centers if applicable.
• Inform municipalities of state and federal landowner assistance and incentive-based programs designed to keep forestland and wildlife habitat intact and viable.
• Offer natural resource planning assistance on issues such as water quality and groundwater protection, wildlife habitat protection, and farm and forestland conservation.

If your municipality is interested in receiving planning assistance for forestland conservation, please contact Jamey Fidel, VNRC Forest
Program Director at 223-2328 ext 117 or jfidel@vnrc.org.