This pathway proposes how to make strategic investments that will address critical capacity gaps in Vermont’s conservation network to advance the land protection, stewardship, and community resilience investments and innovations needed to implement Act 59. Continuing and new investments in public and nonprofit partners are needed to move high-priority projects forward as well as ensure that conserved lands can be managed over time.
Vision and Goals: This pathway identifies the funding, capacity, and collaborative structures needed to advance the conservation and long-term stewardship of lands that support biodiversity, climate resilience, working lands, and community access, and to enable progress toward Act 59’s 2030 and 2050 conservation goals.
Equity Considerations: How we increase and target funding will shape who is able to participate in Act 59 implementation. Capacity building and funding investments in under-resourced geographies and organizations helps distribute conservation resources more equitably, so that smaller communities, emerging partners, and groups led by or serving historically underserved Vermonters can participate alongside established organizations and agencies.
Pathway 1 Action 1: Strengthen statewide infrastructure and capacity for conservation, stewardship, restoration, and enhancement. Make strategic statewide investments that enable Act 59 implementation at scale, including core state capacity, stable funding, and shared tools.
Pathway 1 Action 2: Build capacity and expand funding opportunities for communities and partner organizations across Vermont’s conservation landscape.
This pathway identifies strategies and investments that will grow the support system of practitioners, natural resources management contractors, and community leaders needed to support conservation efforts into the future.
Vision and Goals: This pathway supports outcomes under the Vision and Goals by strengthening the network of practitioners, contractors, and community leaders who work with VHCB, ANR, and other partners to identify, plan, and implement conservation actions. By building this “backbone” of support, Vermont will be better able to conserve and steward lands that advance biodiversity, climate resilience, working lands, and community access.
Equity Considerations: This pathway has major implications for who holds power, resources, and voice in Vermont’s conservation system. If capacity-building, technical assistance, and workforce investments flow only to well-established organizations, it risks reinforcing existing imbalances in which larger, well-resourced institutions benefit most from public funding. To advance equity, this pathway should intentionally expand support to a wider range of conservation and community partners.
Pathway 2 Action 1: Strengthen technical assistance, data access, and planning support so private landowners and landowner support groups can make informed decisions that advance Act 59’s conservation, resilience, and working lands goals.
Pathway 2 Action 2: Develop a Skilled, Diverse Conservation Workforce and Volunteer Steward Network. Build the next generation of conservation professionals and community stewards by expanding training, education, and service opportunities that reflect the diversity of Vermont’s people and landscapes.
This pathway will innovate programs and practices to efficiently increase the pace, quality and impact of conservation investments to expand Vermont’s ability to meet the Act 59 goals and vision, as well as uplifting complementary initiatives.
Vision and Goals: This pathway strengthens Vermont’s ability to adapt its conservation system as ecological, economic and social conditions change. By piloting and refining new funding mechanisms, decision-support tools, and partnership models, it creates a way to learn from results and update priorities and practices in response to evolving community needs. In doing so, it helps keep Act 59’s vision and goals alive over time, so that our strategies for biodiversity, climate resilience, working lands, and community well-being can adapt to a changing future.
Equity Considerations: This pathway should prioritize designs that lower administrative barriers, broaden eligibility, and intentionally include under-resourced organizations and historically underserved communities in co-creating new tools and pilots. Doing so helps ensure that increased efficiency and capacity translate into more equitable access to funding, technical support, and decision-making power across Vermont’s conservation landscape.
Pathway 3 Action 1: 1. Innovate existing and new programs and practices that accelerate and diversify land conservation.
Pathway 3 Action 2: Improve efficiency and capacity in land stewardship and administration.