Governor’s Budget Outlines Historic Funding Opportunities for Outdoor Recreation
Now more than ever, we see the boundless potential of outdoor recreation for short-term economic recovery—and for long-term stewardship of healthy lands, waters, people, and local economies.
In his recent budget address to the legislature, Governor Scott proposed a more than $20 million investment in outdoor recreation. This major addition in one-time funding for outdoor recreation invests in both short-term recovery from COVID-19 and long-term stewardship of our public lands, human health, and the long-term health of our economy, which is disproportionately dependent on Vermont’s recreational assets. The funding includes:
- $5 million for the VOREC Community Grant program
- $5 million to support recreational infrastructure on state lands and the Vermont trail system
- $10 million for major maintenance in state parks and state forests
- $1 million for the construction of new rustic cabins in state parks
These funding measures are not yet guaranteed. The Governor’s proposed budget will now go through the legislative process and changes may be made before it is approved. But the Dept. of Forests, Parks, and Recreation and the Vermont Outdoor Recreation Economic Collaborative (VOREC) are already planning for the most impactful and efficient means to deploy the funds should they be approved.
This historic funding opportunity reflects Vermont’s culture of outdoor life and our commitment to sustaining and growing all of its benefits. It also reflects the partnerships we value and rely on: the private landowners, nonprofit trail organizations, and public land managers who make outdoor experiences possible, and the outdoor businesses, organizations, and volunteers that support and celebrate these experiences. Now more than ever, we see the boundless potential of outdoor recreation for short-term economic recovery—and for long-term stewardship of healthy lands, waters, people, and local economies.
Read on to learn more about each of these proposed investments.
VOREC Community Grant Program
This $5 million investment would dramatically expand the VOREC Community Grant Program, which provides grants to municipalities and their community partners to support dozens of local- and regional-scale outdoor recreation projects. To date, this grant program has administered $300,000 to nine municipalities, but the community need expressed through grant applications has been nearly ten times the amount available. Investing in community-based outdoor recreation assets through programs like this will provide many benefits to Vermonters and visitors alike, maintaining thousands of miles of trails, supporting dozens of private and non-profit businesses, and encouraging everyone to stay active and connect to the natural world through outdoor recreation.
Recreational Infrastructure on State Lands and the Vermont Trail System
This $5 million investment would be appropriated to the Agency of Natural Resources for infrastructure and maintenance on state lands, with a portion of the funds to be granted to trail organizations to support recreational infrastructure on private lands and possibly municipal lands. The money would support dozens of construction and maintenance projects statewide, repairing trails, adding environmental protections, improving parking, and providing better access for less mobile Vermonters. These funds would be divided between projects on public recreational assets (on both Forests, Parks, and Recreation and Fish & Wildlife lands) and grants to support improvements to the Vermont trail network. Much of the work would be completed by small, local contractors, offering a boost to many businesses during challenging economic times.
Major Maintenance in State Parks and State Forests
This $10 million capital appropriation over the next biennium is proposed for major maintenance in state parks and state forests. This money would fund infrastructure rehabilitation and improvements to maintain and enhance safe and attractive facilities, largely at state parks but also in state forests. This figure compares with $5.8 million that FPR received for the same major maintenance category of the capital bill in the last biennium—and reflects a major infusion in the parks capital program to enhance the department’s normal approach to rehabilitation of facilities. Vermont’s 55 state parks serve as gateways to all kinds of recreation opportunities, and this funding would improve recreation experiences for Vermonters and visitors alike.
New Rustic Cabin Construction in State Parks
This special $1 million capital allocation would increase the Vermont State Parks rustic cabin construction program, enabling the park system to build an additional 21-25 cabins in parks around the state. This appropriation reflects the growing awareness and popularity of cabins in Vermont’s state parks, which have an occupancy rate that’s two times higher than at tent sites and which have more revenue-generating power.