Encouraging Smart Growth

Vermonters recognize the special places throughout our state that are threatened by sprawling development. All Vermonters have a stake in maintaining our working farm and forestlands, winding back roads or historic villages and downtowns.  These areas add to the quality of life in Vermont and attract visitors from all over the world.  National Geographic Traveler named Vermont one of the “World’s Greatest Destinations” because of the historic, cultural and natural legacy Vermont has preserved.  However, the National Historic Preservation Trust also named Vermont one of the Nation’s “Most Endangered Historic Places.”  I believe that we can encourage economic growth while also protecting what we all love about our state.  As your senator, I have worked to start national programs and bring federal funding back to the state that can help encourage smart growth instead of sprawling development. 

Protecting Vermont’s Working Farms

In 1990 I launched the federal Farmland Protection Program, which was based on a pilot program in Vermont. Letting farmers and landowners voluntarily protect their lands from sprawl and development, this program helps to keep working farms in the family and the community for years to come.  In 2002, I was able to expand the funding to $125 million a year nationally.  Keeping land in farming not only helps protect scenic views and open space, it also helps maintain water quality.  A farm with good conservation practices produces far less phosphorus runoff than developed land.  Since its inception over 350 farms and 105,000 acres have been protected with state and federal funds.  For more information on the program, please visit the Vermont Natural Resources Conservation Service

Maintaining Vermont’s Forestlands

Similar to the Farmland Protect Program, the Forest Legacy Program helps states work with private landowners to voluntarily conserve their working forests. The idea for this program, now nationally popular, came straight out of recommendations from the Northern Forest Lands Council - a visionary group of Vermonters and other New England citizens.  I helped launch it as a national program in 1990 and have worked to secure over $9 million to protect more than 51,000 acres of forestland since that time.  The program has helped protect lands in the Northeast Kingdom, bear habitat in central Vermont and most recently lands threatened by development in the Chittenden County Uplands.  By helping to maintain large tracts of forestland in Vermont, the Legacy program also helps protect forest resources on which many Vermont communities depend.

Encouraging Downtown Development

For the last three years I have worked to pass the Downtown Equity Act to encourage federal agencies to locate their buildings in central business areas of towns and cities throughout the United States.  While it is often cheaper in absolute dollar terms to for the Federal government to build on an empty site outside of a business district, this is a short-sighted and simplistic view that can undercut the viability of central business districts, encourage sprawl, degrade the environment, and cause disruption in historical economic patterns.  Federal facilities should be sited, designed, built and operated in ways that contribute to--not detract--from the economic well-being and character of our cities and towns.  My bill will ensure that the Federal government does not contribute to economic and sprawl challenges facing our communities, but is instead a part of the solution that promotes the economic growth and stability throughout our country.

I have also worked to secure targeted funds for downtown revitalization initiatives in all corners of the state.  Fostering vital downtowns and strong central business districts is critical to promoting strong communities and preventing sprawl.  These projects have ranged from parking enhancements, streetscape and sidewalk improvements, transportation infrastructure, rehabilitation of historic properties and development of upper story housing.  Each initiative was unique to the community and driven by their vision for the future.  Below are a few of the communities I have supported through targeted assistance:

St. Johnsbury                                        Montpelier                                Burlington

Rutland                                                 Winooski                                   Springfield

St. Albans                                             Bellows Falls                            Wells River

Hardwick                                              Barre                                         Northfield

Promoting Smart Transportation

To facilitate the transportation aspects of smart growth, I have been a leading advocate for increased public transportation in Vermont.  I have helped secure federal funding for transportation centers in Bellows Falls, Burlington, Montpelier, Rutland, and St. Johnsbury, for intercity passenger rail on Amtrak’s two daily Vermont trains (the Vermonter and the Ethan Allen Express), and for new buses and equipment to public transit providers around the state like the Chittenden County Transportation Authority in Burlington.