The Agency of Natural Resources (ANR) released a draft rule to guide the management planning process for lands owned and managed by ANR on August 27, 2024. The public is invited to comment on the draft rule until November 1, 2024.
ANR owns and manages approximately 375,000 acres of public lands across the State of Vermont through its three departments: the Vermont Department of Forests, Parks and Recreation (FPR); Vermont Fish and Wildlife Department (FWD); Vermont Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC). These lands provide immense value by supporting diverse wildlife habitats, offering abundant recreational opportunities, preserving vital natural resources, enhancing the state’s resilience to climate change, and contributing significantly to the well-being of our environment and the prosperity of our communities.
Management plans are the guiding documents that determine how these public lands are managed and that outline the approach for balancing these different demands on and for our state lands, as well as meet our stewardship goals and strategies to achieve them. Developing management plans represents an important step in providing responsible stewardship and a shared understanding of management for valued public land assets.
ANR staff will host two public meetings on this topic to present information about the draft rule and invite public comment (information below).
This public comment period precedes the formal rulemaking process, which the Agency expects to initiate in 2025.
Documents for Review:
Public Meetings
We will host two public meetings to present an overview of the draft ANR Lands Management Planning Rule and to receive public comments. Attendance at the meeting is not required to submit a public comment. We will record the meetings and post them to our website as soon as possible after the meeting to ensure that those who cannot attend in person are able to watch. There will not be an option to attend the meeting virtually in real time.
- September 16, 6:00-8:00 PM: Okemo Mountain Resort, Jackson Gore Inn, Roundhouse Room, 111 Jackson Gore Road, Ludlow, VT 05149.
- September 19, 6:00-8:00 PM: Hazen Union High School, 126 Hazen Union Drive, Hardwick, VT 05843
Meeting Format
- Presentation of Draft Rule – 30 minutes
- Public Hearing – 90 minutes. You may sign up to provide 1.5 minutes (90 seconds) of public comment. There will be time for 45 individuals to provide comment.
How to Comment:
- The comment period is August 27, 2024-November 1, 2024.
- You may attend one of the public meetings and sign-up to provide a spoken comment.
- You may attend one of the public meetings and submit comments in writing.
- You may submit your comment via our online comment form.
- You may send an email to ANR.StateLandsPlanning@vermont.gov (subject line: ANR Planning Rule)
- You may mail your comments to:
Hannah Phillips, State Lands Administration Program Manager
Agency of Natural Resources
Department of Forests, Parks and Recreation
1 National Life Drive, Davis 2
Montpelier, VT 05620-3801