Vermonters who value outdoor access, healthy forests and clean water recently celebrated the enactment of a new law establishing ambitious, long-term goals for protecting land in the state. But as laudable as this step is, the important and hard work starts now.
H.126, the Community Resilience and Biodiversity Protection Act, sets targets of conserving 30 percent of land in the state by 2030 and 50 percent by 2050. It also sets the stage for Vermont to chart an intentional and inclusive pathway for protecting treasured natural areas, while meeting housing needs, enabling smart growth, supporting sustainable farms and forests, and preserving the character of our state.
As someone who has worked for 20 years on national conservation policy and was drawn to Vermont for the healthy, outdoor experiences it offers our family, I’m excited to see the state stepping up. This measure positions the state to lead in a national and global effort to combat the loss of nature and biodiversity, which has accelerated in tandem with the climate crisis.
The above excerpt was originally published in VTDigger.
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