Vermont has set the goal of conserving 30% of Vermont’s landscape by 2030 and 50% by 2050. VHCB is taking the lead.
Vermont Conservation Plan (VCP)
Stakeholders across Vermont celebrated the passage of the Community Resilience and Biodiversity Protection Act (Act 59) in June 2023. The Act establishes a statewide vision to maintain an ecologically functional landscape that sustains biodiversity, supports working farms and forests, strengthens community resilience, and upholds Vermont’s historic pattern of compact villages surrounded by rural lands and natural areas. To advance this vision, the Act sets ambitious goals to conserve 30% of Vermont’s landscape by 2030 and 50% by 2050, and directs the Vermont Housing & Conservation Board (VHCB), in coordination with the Agency of Natural Resources (ANR), to prepare a statewide conservation plan. Phase I, the statewide inventory of conserved lands, has been completed and more information can be found below. We are now in Phase II, developing the draft Vermont Conservation Plan. To learn more about the project, explore current drafts, and find opportunities to participate, please visit the Vermont Conservation Plan Project Portal, linked below.
The Draft Conservation Inventory Report is Complete!
Have a look at the Phase 1 Inventory Report, The Annexes (Analyses, Notes, and Recommendations From the Community) and Working Group Reports (Deeper reviews of focal topics, including the management of state lands, aquatic systems, agricultural lands, and conservation categories).
The Technical Advisory Committee (TAC) brings together representatives from the stakeholder groups named in Act 59 to provide input on the Vermont Conservation Plan. The TAC serves as a broadly representative sounding board, helping connect community voices and stakeholder perspectives throughout the planning process. The TAC meets roughly bi-monthly. An agenda for the meeting on September 25, 2025 can be found below. All other agendas and meeting notes can be found on the Vermont Conservation Plan project portal.
How Do We Get There From Here?
Perspectives on the Journey to 30 x 30 in Vermont
Gus Seelig
A Brief Reflection and Look Ahead
Lauren Oates
Water Needs Conservation. Conservation Needs Water.
Nancy Patch
Act 59: Acting Locally in Globally Significant Ways
Stacy Cibula
Growing Conservation: A Story of Three Farms
Bob Zaino
Vermont Fish & Wildlife Department
Randy Kritkausky
An Indigenous Vision of a Pathway to 30 by 30: Our Cultural Advantage
Learn more:
- Read this 2-pager about the Vermont Conservation Strategy Initiative
- Review a summary of the Community Resilience and Biodiversity Protection Act here.
- Still have questions? Review our FAQs here.
Working Groups
Working groups have been established to efficiently and effectively address specific themes or questions requested as part of the Conservation Inventory requested in the Community Resilience and Biodiversity Protection Act in June of 2023, which will then contribute to the larger Vermont Conservation Strategy Initiative moving forward.
Working groups recently hosted roundtables to present their findings and get feedback from the public. See below for recordings, transcripts, working group draft reports, and more.
Conservation Categories
Aquatic Systems
State Lands
Agriculture
Slide-deck presented at each Roundtable event
Ag Working Group Meetings
Ag Working Group Members
Ag Working Group Agreements
Tuesday, 12/5/23*: Agenda | Notes | Slides
* this meeting was not recorded.
Wednesday, 1/10/24: Agenda | Notes | Slides | Recording
Wednesday, 1/24/24: Agenda | Notes | Slides | Baseline Survey Results | Recording
Wednesday, 2/7/24: Agenda | Notes | Slides | Recording*
* passcode to watch recording: +smc28x^
Wednesday, 2/21/24: Agenda | Notes | Materials | Slides | Recording
Wednesday, 3/6/24: Agenda | Notes | Materials | Slides | Recording
*passcode to watch recording 4d8@@JpL
Wednesday, 3/13/24: Agenda | Notes | Recording
*passcode to watch recording: bAB=&&03
Wednesday, 3/20/24: Agenda | Notes | Recording
*passcode to watch recording: BrZsY+=8
Friday, 3/29/24: Agenda | Notes | Recording
*passcode to watch recording: E2#i^ifP
Aquatic Systems Working Group
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