VERMONT TRAILS & GREENWAYS COUNCIL

PROMOTE THE DEVELOPMENT, MAINTENANCE, AND PRESERVATION OF HIGH QUALITY, PUBLIC ACCESS TRAILS AND GREENWAYS IN VERMONT. ACCOMPLISHMENTS INCLUDE HELPING SECURE SIGNIFICANT PUBLIC FUNDS FOR FLOOD RECOVERY, RAISING AWARENESS OF STEWARDSHIP NEEDS, AND PROVIDING TESTIMONY ON RELEVANT LEGISLATION. THE COUNCIL COHOSTED THE FIRST EVER OUTDOOR RECREATION DAY AT THE STATEHOUSE, BRINGING TOGETHER NEARLY 100 TRAIL ADVOCATES, AND HOSTED A SITE VISIT FOR INTERESTED LEGISLATORS TO BETTER UNDERSTAND THE CONNECTIONS BETWEEN TRAILS AND THRIVING LOCAL COMMUNITIES. EDUCATE, INFORM, AND CONNECT THE RECREATIONAL TRAILS AND GREENWAYS COMMUNITY IN VERMONT. ACCOMPLISHMENTS INCLUDE THE REDESIGN AND LAUNCH OF A NEW WEBSITE, HOSTING A STATEWIDE TRAILS SYMPOSIUM, AND CIRCULATION OF A MONTHLY EDUCATIONAL NEWSLETTER TO NEARLY 500 RECIPIENTS. IN TERMS OF EDUCATIONAL EVENTS, THE VTGC PARTNERED WITH THE VERMONT RECREATION AND PARKS ASSOCIATION TO HOST THE VERMONT CONFERENCE ON RECREATION AND TRAILS SYMPOSIUM IN THE FALL OF 2024, WHICH BROUGHT TOGETHER HUNDREDS OF PARTICIPANTS ACROSS PUBLIC AGENCIES, PRIVATE NONPROFIT ORGANIZATIONS, AND MUNICIPAL GROUPS TO SHARE SUCCESS STORIES, LEARN ABOUT NEW METHODS AND TOOLS, AND STRENGTHEN OUR COLLECTIVE NETWORK. ADVISE THE VERMONT AGENCY OF NATURAL RESOURCES ON ALL MATTERS RELEVANT TO RECREATIONAL TRAILS AND GREENWAYS. ACCOMPLISHMENTS INCLUDE THE DEVELOPMENT OF A DRAFT COOPERATIVE AGREEMENT BETWEEN THE DEPARTMENT OF FORESTS, PARKS, AND RECREATION, PROVIDING GUIDANCE ON UPDATES TO THE RECREATIONAL TRAILS PROGRAM (RTP) GRANT PROGRAM, FORMALLY SUPPORTING THE DEVELOPMENT OF VERMONT'S STATEWIDE COMPREHENSIVE OUTDOOR RECREATION PLAN (SCORP), AND PARTICIPATING IN THE VERMONT OUTDOOR RECREATION ECONOMIC COLLABORATIVE (VOREC) STEERING COMMITTEE. WHILE THE VTGC HAS LONG BEEN RECOGNIZED IN STATUTE AS AN OFFICIAL ADVISORY BODY TO THE VERMONT AGENCY OF NATURAL RESOURCES THROUGH THE DEPARTMENT OF FORESTS, PARKS, AND RECREATION (FPR), VTGC BOARD AND STAFF WORKED CLOSELY WITH FPR REPRESENTATIVES TO DEVELOP A FORMAL PARTNERSHIP AGREEMENT THAT OFFICIALLY DEFINES HOW BOTH ORGANIZATIONS WILL INDIVIDUALLY AND COLLABORATIVELY ADVANCE THE LANDSCAPE FOR TRAIL BASED RECREATION IN VERMONT. VTGC HAS ALSO BEEN CLOSELY INVOLVED IN THE VERMONT CONSERVATION STRATEGY INITIATIVE, WHICH WILL DEFINE VERMONT'S APPROACH TO MEETING 30 BY 30 AND 50 BY 50 CONSERVATION GOALS, ADVISING HOW RECREATIONAL TRAILS CAN HELP ADVANCE THE DESIRED LAND PROTECTION OUTCOMES.