Association of Vermont Conservation Commissions

GCC completed an ash tree inventory of all town roads and properties, partially funded by a grant from Urban & Community Forests, and actively participated in Emerald Ash Borer Awareness Week. They expanded their focus on trees by successfully applying for an Arbor Day grant from UCF to plant trees on town property in collaboration with students from Guilford Central School. Then they received UCF's 2021 Tree Steward of the Year award for their service to local trees. All this met our goal of.. Read More

In February 2017, the town of Georgia along with help from Vermont Land Trust purchased and conserved a property now called Silver Lake Woods. The land is comprised of 179 acres of predominantly forested land located in East Georgia at the end of the Class IV section of Silver Lake Rd. The land ranges from level or mildly sloping to quite steep among some small cliffs and ledge outcroppings. The parcel includes several forest types including a mixed pine-hemlock-hardwood community, a hemloc.. Read More

A primary focus of the Conservation Commission’s advocacy work is the support of the town’s wildlife population. In the context of Cornwall’s fragmented landscape, the long-term survival of larger mammals depends upon their ability to move with safety between the town’s core forest blocks, wetlands, and other natural areas. Maintaining the connectivity linkages between them is critically important.

For several years the Commission has gathered information, mostly anecdotal, abo.. Read More

Since 2003, the Hartford Conservation Commission has managed the 6.5 acre David Chang Conservation Area which is located on the Ottauquechee River in Quechee. In the summer of 2021, with financial assistance from the AVCC Tiny Grant, the Hartford Conservation Commission carried out a follow-up on invasive plant control started in 2020 in the David Chang Conservation Area. Located along the Ottauquechee River and is known to support three rare/threatened/and endangered species: Great Sa.. Read More

The knotweed mitigation program using goats was started during the summer of 2020. We (Huntington Conservation Commission) had located a goat farmer who wanted to use his goats to eradicate knotweed in problem public spaces. The first season was successful, with still a long way to go. With the AVCC Tiny Grant funding for this year, we were able to house and keep the goats on the town property for a second year, continuing their Japanese knotweed mitigation. We were able to match the AVCC fun.. Read More

Starting in 2016 the Westford Conservation Commission, in partnership with the Vermont Land Trust, led an effort to conserve a parcel of forested and agricultural land across the road from the Westford School. Over the next two years, the WCC worked with VLT to bring the project to completion, conducting community outreach and fundraising and eventually acquiring the parcel in 2018. The 130-acre forested portion of the parcel was conserved and became the Maple Shade Town Forest (MSTF), and th.. Read More

Cornwall has had a Conservation Fund since 2016, proposed and defined by the Conservation Commission and Cornwall Planning Commission and approved by the Select Board. However, up until March 2021, there had been no approved appropriation of money into it. At the March 2020 Cornwall Town Meeting, voters approved the creation of a Conservation Fund Planning Group to study how towns in Vermont fund their conservation activities. This group collected data and communicated via email, telephone .. Read More

The Enosburgh Conservation Commission received and $300 grant for the purchase of two trail cams. The trail cams have been up and running in the Enosburgh Town Forest since August. We've produced a series of Youtube videos edited from the captures and have gotten good responses from these on our social media. The cameras are moved around once a month depending on whether or not they are getting any triggers. We've captured video of Fisher, Bear, Deer, Grouse, Fox, Raccoon, Coyote and more. .. Read More

The Brattleboro Conservation Commission was awarded the 2019 AVCC Tiny Grant for the purposes to help eradicate the invasive Japanese knotweed from portions of West River Park. With assistance from Tiny Grant Program, the Brattleboro Conservation Commission was able continue with a second season of managing Japanese knotweed along the banks of the West River in the West River Park. The funding allowed the Conservation Commission to purchase loppers, pruners, tarps and work gloves so that comm.. Read More

After an earlier attempt narrowly failed to win voter approval, in late 2004 the Richmond Conservation Commission tried again. In a single day at a holiday fair, volunteers gathered enough signatures on a petition that compelled the Selectboard to put an article before voters on Town Meeting Day 2005 calling for the establishment of a Conservation Reserve Fund. The commission then worked with the Selectboard to write the article, setting a funding level of one cent on the tax rate for five ye.. Read More