Science to Action: Jericho
Jericho faces the greatest amount of development pressure among the four towns involved in Science to Action due to its connection with Interstate 89 among other sources. Considering this fact, the town had a budget already allocated for the inventory process of the project which allowed it to be very comprehensive, including vernal pools and other details often left out of other inventories. Goals for the project in Jericho included improving wildlife crossings, reducing forest fragmentation, and efficiently planning development.
Jericho
Bylaws, Citizen Science, Forest Land, Inventory, Land Management, Town Plan, wetland, wildlife
Jericho is further ahead than many neighboring towns with its environmental regulatory reform in light of Science to Action progress due to the high amount of development pressure it has experienced recently. It has integrated a great deal of information from the inventory into its town plan and zoning regulations to solidify how to town desires its natural resources to be managed. With success, Jericho and its various environmentally relevant regulations can ideally serve as an model for other towns to act similarly.
Vermont Natural Resources Council
Chittenden County Planning Commission
Vermont Forest Parks and Recreation Department
Vermont Fish and Wildlife Department
Arrowwood Environmental
Jericho Planning Commission
Jericho Select Board
Jericho Conservation Commission
The connection between the planning commission and the conservation commission of Jericho has been crucial in overcoming this interpretation challenge. Additionally, Jens Hilke put together a map of Jericho that showed tiered priority areas that allow for the planning commission to have an easier time deciding on which areas to preserve.
The greatest challenge for the town of Jericho in achieving these goals has been understanding the data from the inventory and translating it into relevant regulations. Developing the language required to dictate exactly what the town residents aim to achieve is a crucial and complex step.
Science to Action