Project Overview

VHCB and its partners have initiated a strategic process to prioritize conservation actions and investments for Vermont in a statewide conservation plan, which will directly work over the next thirty years to protect, maintain and enhance a healthy, ecologically connected and functioning, natural and working landscape.

The “Community Resilience and Biodiversity Protection Act” (CRBPA or Act 59), focuses on improving Vermont’s conservation and environmental resilience. The act recognizes the critical state of biodiversity loss and the need for immediate action to combat climate change. The act emphasizes the importance of protecting natural habitats and biodiversity for future generations. The act sets ambitious targets to conserve 30% of the state’s land by 2030 and 50% by 2050. These targets are also known as 30×30 and 50×50.

This project will culminate in the creation of the Vermont Conservation Plan. The plan will be developed with input from a range of stakeholders, including private owners of forest lands and agricultural lands, land trusts, conservation organizations, environmental organizations, working lands enterprises, outdoor recreation groups and businesses, watershed groups, municipalities, regional planning commissions, conservation commissions, and relevant State and federal agencies. This work will run from May 2025 to June 2026.