Proposed Fayston Conservation Reserve Fund

Category: Letters

Created on Thursday, 01 March 2012 00:10

Last Updated on Tuesday, 05 June 2012 13:18

Published Date

Written by Fayston Natural Resources Committee

To The Editor:

The Fayston Natural Resources Committee is encouraging residents to attend Town Meeting this year to share your thoughts and vote on the following important article for Fayston.

The Conservation Reserve Fund:

"Shall the town establish a Conservation Reserve Fund at a starting amount of $10,000 to help preserve our lands with ecological, cultural, or recreational significance in Fayston?"

The purpose of creating such a fund is NOT to prevent reasonable land development or impose on property owners' rights but rather to enable our town to protect and conserve those special places that make Fayston unique.

The requested amount of $10,000 works out to roughly $7.40 to be paid per resident. We hope residents will consider this a sound and important investment in protecting the rural character, recreation accessibility and natural resources of our town.

Approximately one-third of Vermont’s Conservation Commissions have established a conservation fund.

The neighboring towns in our Valley, Warren and Waitsfield, have successfully used their conservation funds to leverage state and private donations. (Waitsfield has leveraged $800,000 of state and private donations, with $150,000 in local monies.)

Please join us on Tuesday, March 6, to make your voice heard on this issue.

Thank you.

Fayston Natural Resources Committee