[arctichomesteader]

I think this information will be of interest to many, especially those who own land in VT or those who may want to buy land in VT. The following bill on Act 250 was passed by a House committee last week. It expands Act 250 in many ways, dropping the elevation threshold down to 2,000 feet, but also protecting forests and wildlife habitat connection corridors.

https://legislature.vermont.gov/Docu...~2-14-2020.pdf

To get an idea of how much of VT's land this will likely cover, check out the BioFinder map: https://anr.vermont.gov/maps/biofinder

This map has been created over the past several years and identifies land as interior forest or connecting habitat on basically the same grounds that will be used for the purposes of Act 250 (at a forest health conference last spring, a presenter from VT Fish and Wildlife quite plainly stated that there were some looking at including it in Act 250). Once you open that map, and click begin, click to expand "landscape components" and click on the boxes for interior forest blocks and connectivity blocks. It's quite a substantial amount of the state's land area. My own property is mapped as such despite the fact there's a very obvious clearing with a cabin on it.

[arctichomesteader]

https://vtdigger.org/2020/02/28/hous...ntious-debate/

Rural Vermonters who own land are in for a very rude awakening if this is passed by the Senate and signed by the governor.

[arctichomesteader]

While it wasn't yet passed by the senate they apparently plan to take it up in August. One individual, representing the ski areas of the state, provided a map that shows around 72 percent of VT's land will fall under the forest block/wildlife connecting habitat provisions.

https://legislature.vermont.gov/Docu...~6-12-2020.pdf

https://legislature.vermont.gov/Docu...~6-12-2020.pdf

Significantly, one environmental activist's criticism apparently contributed to the delay, and that criticism is that the agriculture and forestry exemptions from Act 250 should be eliminated in these mapped areas: https://legislature.vermont.gov/Docu...~6-24-2020.pdf

The issue of property rights isn't even mentioned in any meaningful way in any of this. The committee has completely ignored my own written comments and testimony and I can't even find it was entered into the records as it should have been.

My own land is in areas previously mapped by the ANR as a forest block (as would almost all of Essex County under this). Rural Vermonters are in for a heart attack when they realize fully what this bill is going to do to them. If it passes and my land is classified in the final rulemaking as falling under this I have every intention of seeking help from outside organizations to fight it in court. I would encourage anyone who values private proeprty rights to do likewise. If a federal court rules this is a taking by regulation, the state will be on the hook for a considerable sum to compensate impacted landowners.