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A 2007 UVM study highlighted the need for farmland conservation to protect Lake Champlain water quality. The study found that the conversion of farmland to housing endangers Lake Champlain because acre for acre much more phosphorous runs off streets, parking lots, and suburban lawns than off farmland. Construction of expensive sewage treatment facilities is only part of the solution according to the researchers. The answer is to invest in farmland conservation.

Conservation is Key to Good Energy Policy

Vermont’s energy future and economic future are inextricably linked. Many Vermont farmers are at the forefront of devising new methods for creating on-farm energy through methane digesters, wind turbines, and biofuels. By protecting working farms and forests we are creating options for future energy independence and a stronger economy.

Conservation is Strongly Supported Across Vermont

Nine out of 10 Vermonters are concerned about increasing pressure to convert open land to residential, commercial or other development, according to a 2008 Council on the Future of Vermont and UVM’s Center for Rural Studies, which polled over 600 Vermonters.

The survey also showed that over 97 percent of Vermonters place the greatest overall value on the state’s working landscape and heritage.

Now More Than Ever... Conservation Can’t Wait

The conservation of more than 600 farms and thousands of acres of forestland have clearly supported our economy. Continued strategic conservation investments will produce the best economic stimulus—for today and for the long-term benefit of our state. No economic development strategy is complete without conservation and the Vermont Housing and Conservation Board.

When the opportunity to protect land comes along and it is not taken, the chance may never come again.

Blue Ledge Farm

Our protected working lands and our natural areas are the foundation of both Vermont’s economy and environment. Right now, more than ever, Vermont cannot afford to let up in protecting our most valuable public assets—our farms and forests.

Right now, Vermont has the opportunity to protect 40 high quality farms and thousands of acres of forestland. Protecting family farms and forests means producing local food, creating jobs, and adding cash into our economy. Protecting our farms and forests is key to our energy future, water quality, public health, food security and our quality of life. When the opportunity to protect land comes along, the chance may never come again.

For more information if your land will qualify for the Land Trust :

http://www.vlt.org/Appraisal_Req_Gifts_Land.pdf

Tax Benefits for placing your land in Land Trust:

http://www.vlt.org/Tax_Benefits_Donating_Easements.pdf

As a landowner - more information on Land Trust Benefits:

http://www.vlt.org/landowner_information.html

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

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Kathy's Blog

Lake Champlain, Burlington’s Hill Section, and historic shipwrecks
The Lake Champlain Quadricentennial brought some renewed attention to the lakeâ€™s many shipwrecks. These Lake Champlain, particularly Burlington, shipping ...more