§ 2803. Conserved land inventory

(a) On or before July 1, 2024, the Vermont Housing and Conservation Board, in consultation with the Secretary, shall create an inventory of Vermont’s conserved land and conservation policies to serve as the basis of meeting the conservation goals of Vermont Conservation Design and to meet the goals established in section 2802 of this title. The inventory shall be submitted for review to the House Committees on Environment and Energy and on Agriculture, Food Resiliency, and Forestry and the Senate Committee on Natural Resources and Energy.

(b) The inventory shall include:

(1) A review of the three conservation categories defined in section 2801 of this title and suggestions for developing any modifications or additions to these categories that maintain or complement the core concepts of ecological reserve areas, biodiversity conservation areas, and natural resource management areas in order to complete the conserved land inventory and inform the comprehensive strategy in the conservation plan. As part of this review, criteria shall be developed to determine the types of agricultural lands that will qualify as supporting and restoring biodiversity and therefore count towards the natural resource management area category.

(2) The amount of conserved land in Vermont that fits into each of the three conservation categories defined in section 2801 of this title, including public and private land. The inventory shall also include other lands permanently protected from development by fee ownership or subject to conservation easements.

(3) A summary of the totality of conservation practices, both permanent and intermediate, available for reaching the goals of this chapter, including what they are, what they do, how they contribute, and what metrics are available to quantify them.

(4) An assessment of how State lands will be used to increase conserved ecological reserve areas.

(5) The implementation methods that could be utilized for achieving the goals of this chapter using Vermont Conservation Design as a guide.

(6) A review of how aquatic systems are currently conserved or otherwise protected in the State, including a description of the benefits land conservation provides for aquatic systems, whether this is sufficient to maintain aquatic system functions and services, and how the implementation methods for achieving the goals of this chapter using Vermont Conservation Design as a guide would include specific strategies for protecting aquatic system health.

(7) How existing programs will be used to meet the conservation goals of this chapter and recommendations for new programs, if any, that will be needed to meet the goals.

(8) An assessment of existing funding and recommendations for new funding sources that will be needed for acquisition of land, purchase or donation of conservation easements, staffing capacity, and long-term stewardship to meet the goals.

(9) An equity assessment of existing land protection and conservation strategies and programs.

(10) An evaluation of the opportunities related to intergenerational land transfer trends and how the State could proactively direct resources to achieve conservation at the time of transfer. (Added 2023, No. 59, § 3, eff. July 1, 2023.)