Vermont H 434: An act relating to requiring covenants on conservation lands funded by the Vermont Housing and Conservation Board

Bill Text

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VT LEG #380510 v.1
H.434 1
Introduced by Representatives Greer of Bennington, Coffin of Cavendish, 2
Galfetti of Barre Town, Higley of Lowell, Keyser of Rutland 3
City, Labor of Morgan, Lipsky of Stowe, Morgan, L. of Milton, 4
Pritchard of Pawlet, and Tagliavia of Corinth 5
Referred to Committee on 6
Date: 7
Subject: Conservation and development; land; Vermont Housing and 8
Conservation Board; conserved land; covenants 9
Statement of purpose of bill as introduced: This bill proposes to require 10
conservation lands funded by the Vermont Housing and Conservation Board to 11
have covenants that would allow hunting, trapping, and fishing and 12
recreational trails. 13
An act relating to requiring covenants on conservation lands funded by the 14
Vermont Housing and Conservation Board 15
It is hereby enacted by the General Assembly of the State of Vermont: 16
Sec. 1. 10 V.S.A. § 321 is amended to read: 17
§ 321. GENERAL POWERS AND DUTIES 18
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VT LEG #380510 v.1
(e) The Board shall inform all grant applicants and recipients of funds 1
derived from the annual capital appropriations and State bonding act of the 2
following: “The Vermont Housing and Conservation Trust Fund is funded by 3
the taxpayers of the State of Vermont, at the direction of the General 4
Assembly, through the annual Capital Appropriation and State Bonding Act.” 5
An appropriate placard shall, if feasible, be displayed at the location of the 6
proposed grant activity. 7
(f) All recipients of grant funds and funds derived from the annual capital 8
appropriations and State bonding act acknowledge that all conservation lands 9
purchased with any grant funds from this program shall be encumbered with 10
the following covenants: 11
(1) that in furtherance of science-based management of the wildlife of 12
the State of Vermont, hunting, including trapping and fishing, shall be allowed 13
in accordance with State law and without additional restriction; 14
(2) that recreational trail systems shall be maintained at or above the 15
levels of connectivity and trail length existing at the time these funds are used 16
to purchase parcels; 17
(3) that should there be an ecological need to remove a trail section, it 18
shall be replaced with at least an equivalent length of trail and any lost 19
connectivity shall be reestablished; 20

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VT LEG #380510 v.1
(4) that in the absence of an ecological imperative to the contrary, other 1
existing recreational infrastructure shall be maintained to, at a minimum, the 2
levels existing at the time these funds are used to purchase parcels; and 3
(5) that in the absence of an ecological imperative to the contrary, the 4
lands shall be managed with timber harvest as an acceptable practice upon 5
them. 6
Sec. 2. EFFECTIVE DATE 7
This act shall take effect on July 1, 2025. 8