H 70

BILL AS INTRODUCED  H.70
 2025  Page 1 of 3
1H.70
2 Introduced by Representatives Higley of Lowell, Bailey of Hyde Park, Burtt of
3Cabot, Casey of Hubbardton, Demar of Enosburgh, Dickinson
4of St. Albans Town, Dobrovich of Williamstown, Feltus of
5Lyndon, Galfetti of Barre Town, Goslant of Northfield, Hango
6of Berkshire, Howland of Rutland Town, Keyser of Rutland
7City, Labor of Morgan, Lipsky of Stowe, Luneau of St. Albans
8City, McFaun of Barre Town, Morgan, L. of Milton, Morgan,
9M. of Milton, Morrissey of Bennington, Nelson of Derby,
10Nielsen of Brandon, Oliver of Sheldon, Page of Newport City,
11Parsons of Newbury, Powers of Waterford, Quimby of Lyndon,
12Southworth of Walden, Tagliavia of Corinth, and Taylor of
13Milton
14 Referred to Committee on
15 Date:
16 Subject: Conservation and development; community resiliency and
17biodiversity protection; conserved land; use value appraisal; current
18use
19 Statement of purpose of bill as introduced: This bill proposes to add land
20 enrolled in the Use Value Appraisal Program to be included in the definition of
21 conserved land for purposes of the conserved land inventory.
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 BILL AS INTRODUCED  H.70
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1    An act relating to the inclusion of use value appraisal land in the conserved
2    land inventory
3 It is hereby enacted by the General Assembly of the State of Vermont:
4 Sec. 1. 10 V.S.A. § 2801 is amended to read:
5 § 2801. DEFINITIONS
6    As used in this section:
7***
8(3) “Natural resource management area” means an area having
9 permanent protection from conversion for the majority of the area but that is
10 subject to long-term, sustainable land management or agricultural land or
11 forestland that is enrolled in the Use Value Appraisal Program pursuant to 32
12 V.S.A. chapter 124.
13***
14(6) “Conserved” means permanently protected and meeting the
15 definition of ecological reserve area, biodiversity conservation area, or natural
16 resource management area as defined in this section for purposes of meeting
17 the 30 percent goal in subsection 2802(b) of this title. For purposes of meeting
18 the 50 percent goal of subsection 2802(b) of this title, “conserved” primarily
19 means permanently protected and meeting the definition of ecological reserve
20 area, biodiversity conservation area, or natural resource management area as
21 defined in this section, although other long-term land protection mechanisms
22 and measures that achieve the goals of Vermont Conservation Design that are
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BILL AS INTRODUCED  H.70
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1 enforceable and accountable and that support an ecologically functional and
2 connected landscape may be considered.
3 Sec. 2. EFFECTIVE DATE
4   This act shall take effect on July 1, 2025.
  VT LEG #379322 v.1