Land Use Review Board rolls out Act 181 implementation, interim Act 250 exemptions map and regional-plan outreach

Janet Turley, chair of the Land Use Review Board (LURB), told the Bennington County Regional Commission that the new board is operational and working to implement Act 181 and the jurisdictional changes that will affect Act 250 permitting. "We are up and running," Turley said, noting the board has been meeting weekly and taking meetings on the road across the state.

Why it matters: Act 181 redefines how future land-use mapping and Act 250 jurisdiction interact. Municipalities and regional planning commissions must update maps and plans; LURB approval will be required for regional plans and some municipal exemptions, which changes timelines and processes for local projects.

Tier structure and exemptions: Turley explained the LURB’s approach to tiers and exemptions under Act 181: centers, planned growth areas and village areas can be eligible for partial or full exemptions. "The tier 1A designation... will be a full exemption that municipalities opt to apply to the Land Use Review Board to receive," she said. Tier 1B will be tied to regional-plan approvals and municipal opt-ins, while the board will define Tier 3 areas where Act 250 would continue to apply with no exemptions.

Board roles and rulemaking: Turley described board assignments: Alex Weinhagen is leading tier-3 work and stakeholder meetings for rulemaking; Brooke Dingledine is leading an appeals study that will evaluate whether some Act 250 appeals should first go to the LURB; Kirsten Sultan is overseeing a review of wood-products/forest manufacturing issues. The board is also developing procedural tools for digital applications for tier-1A requests and regional-plan approvals.

Interim guidance and district coordinators: Turley said staff created an Interim Act 250 Exemptions Map to help municipalities and applicants identify current exemptions while the new rules are developed. She warned that two ARPA-funded district coordinator positions that support district offices and applicants are due to end soon and asked the legislature to consider extending those positions. "We see those 2 positions as critical to maintaining our services to the state," she said.

Regional plan and future land-use mapping: BCRC planners Tali Fishburne and Samantha Page briefed commissioners on the regional-plan update required under Act 181. Fishburne said the BCRC team is drafting a new future land-use map aligned to the 10 Act 181 categories and will meet with municipal planning commissions across the region through the spring. "The future land use mapping process requires us to update the future land use map... in line with the 10 categories that are defined in Act 181," Page said.

Community engagement and schedule: Staff outlined a public-engagement plan that includes planning-commission meetings (now under way), tabling at public events (May–October), community center outreach (libraries, idea boards) and a public survey to run through the summer and fall. Commissioners were asked to suggest local events where staff should tabling; one commissioner recommended the Stanford resiliency fair in May as a likely venue.

Next steps and timing: Turley noted key deadlines: the new regional plans must be Act 181-compliant and approved by LURB by Dec. 31, 2026. The board has multiple rulemaking obligations — including defining tier-3 and establishing appeals procedures — and intends to hold stakeholder meetings in coming weeks. Planners asked municipalities to watch the BCRC regional-plan web page for schedule updates and to help promote the public-engagement events.

Ending: The board and BCRC staff emphasized outreach and clarified resources for applicants during the transition; Turley urged municipalities to use the interim exemptions map and to flag issues with district coordinators while the LURB finalizes rules.