Vermont Land Trust

Adapt to climate change and foster ecological health.
Management of land plays an essential role in mitigating and adapting to the effects of climate
change, protecting communities from some of its most adverse effects, and providing healthy
habitat for plants and animals. We will test and help to deploy new approaches to land management
that sequester and store carbon, and improve the health of our watersheds, soil, forests, and
broader ecosystems—all in partnership with owners of conserved land.

Support land-based economic vitality
Land is central to the economic, social, and environmental wellbeing of our communities.
Demographic change, growing income inequality, and land transitions, among other factors,
threaten to diminish our prosperity and wellbeing, particularly among Vermonters struggling to
meet their basic needs. We strive to reverse this trend by putting land at the center of economic
vitality. We will mobilize capital and provide services to support the success of working farms and
forests, growth of our recreation and tourism economy, a strong regional food system that feeds us
all, and livable wages across these sectors.

Foster health and wellbeing
From time immemorial, people have understood and experienced the healing power of land for the
mind, body, and spirit. Today, research tells us what Indigenous communities have known and
practiced: that when connections between land and lives are strong, both thrive. We will tap into
the healing power of land by: 1) creating experiences (physically and virtually) that deepen
connection, appreciation, and delight; 2) expanding opportunities that promote health and
wellbeing, particularly in underserved communities; and 3) caring for the health of our land, water,
and soil through hands-on restoration and programming.

Improve racial equity and justice
Now is the time to understand and reckon with persistent racial, cultural, and economic inequalities
shaped by our history of land theft and persecution of Black and Indigenous people. We will learn
and seek to understand these injustices, elevate awareness of persistent inequalities, and seek to
expand land ownership and sovereignty among, and alongside, BIPOC-led organizations and
communities as a path to healing and justice.

Strategies:
Each strategy described below will be achieved through collaboration and deep partnership with the
many trusted organizations, communities, and individuals with whom we have worked over the years,
as well as new partnerships we seek to grow.
1. Climate Solutions
Advance promising natural climate solutions that improve the ecological health and resilience of
Vermont’s lands while also providing economic benefits to our state. This includes both climate
adaptation and mitigation strategies, such as landscape-scale conservation, ecosystem services, and
science-based ecosystem management.
2. Farm and Forest Viability
Catalyze a vibrant working landscape that helps provide employment, fulfillment, and food. This
includes facilitating successful land transfers, supporting viable land-based businesses, increasing
opportunities for more diversified ownerships, and conserving high priority lands.
3. Coalition Building and Policy
Form and strengthen coalitions in order to advance policies and programs that expand our impact. This
includes participation in efforts to increase flexibility in state and federal funding that meets emerging
needs, modernizing existing programs to best serve communities, and expanding equity and justice on
the land.
4. Land for All
Expand the role of land to support the wellbeing and sense of belonging for all. This includes activating
VLT-owned lands to address a range of community needs, supporting land sovereignty and reparations,
and working with communities to own and manage land important to them.
5. Public Engagement
Inspire joy through education and public programming that helps people connect with and commit to
the land. This includes hosting a rich array of events, utilizing VLT-owned lands for learning and sharing,
and developing robust opportunities for volunteers and interns.