Vermont Forests, Parks and Recreation seeks $54.8M in FY26 to address staffing, infrastructure and visitation pressures

Commissioner Daniel Fitzko, head of the Vermont Department of Forests, Parks and Recreation, told the Senate Appropriations Committee on Feb. 20 that the division is seeking a $54,800,000 FY26 budget to cover rising personnel costs, contracted services and a growth in federal grants.

Fitzko said FPR’s work is broad: "76% of the state is forested. We like to say we're forest strong," and described three programmatic areas—forestry, state parks and lands, administration and recreation—that the department funds. He told the committee Vermont’s 55 state parks welcomed more than a million visitors in recent years and that parks and recreation are a growing economic engine for the state.

The department provided a program-by-program breakdown. Parks account for about $19.2 million (roughly 35% of the division’s budget), forestry about $13.5 million (about 25%), and lands, administration and recreation roughly $18.5 million (about 33%). FPR reported an overall increase of $7.1 million over FY25; the general fund portion of that increase was described as "just north of $1,500,000," with the remaining rise spread across federal, special and interdepartmental funds.

Why it matters: committee members were told the budget addresses both recurring pressures—salary and benefits increases, internal service costs and inflation—and investments to manage visitor impacts and protect infrastructure. FPR estimates it holds more than $280 million in park infrastructure across campgrounds, toilet buildings, wastewater and potable water systems and said those assets require growing maintenance and insurance costs.

Key details and initiatives - Seasonal staffing and workforce development: FPR operates year-round with about 35 staff and expands to roughly 450 seasonal employees in summer. The department said many seasonal hires become longer-term employees, and seasonal housing and on-site staffing needs remain a major operational factor. - Wildland fire and forest health: Forestry is FPR’s largest year-round division and includes a wildland fire team that was described as three people; commissioners cited nine wildland fires in the prior fall season and indicated work to increase capacity. - Federal grants and funds: FPR reported a roughly $4 million increase in federal funds tied to awards from the U.S. Forest Service, Northern Border Regional Commission, Land and Water Conservation Fund and Federal Highway Administration (rec trails). The department said a federal portfolio of grants drives increases in land acquisitions and subrecipient grant awards to municipalities and nonprofits. - Recreation access projects: FPR flagged a new $7 million allocation for outdoor recreation access projects, naming work at Bigham Falls in Stowe, rehabilitation of two historic fire towers on state land and stormwater and parking management work in the Smuggler’s Notch corridor. Two fire towers slated for rehabilitation were described as costing about $500,000 each to restore. - Contracted services and operating costs: The department said contracted services are a major driver of higher personal-services-like costs this year; one example cited was a $40,000 annual trash-removal contract at Maidstone State Park. Insurance costs rose about $450,000 year to cover buildings and other infrastructure. - Strategic planning: FPR described new strategic plans across its divisions, including a 10-year roadmap for forest-product sector recovery and a parks modernization study that highlights accessibility, climate resilience, seasonal staffing balance and long-term funding options such as dynamic pricing.

Committee questions and concerns Senators and committee members pressed department leaders on whether increasing parking and access (specifically at Smuggler’s Notch) might attract more visitors and thereby increase safety and resource pressures. Commissioner Fitzko responded that each site requires site-specific decisions to balance public safety, erosion control and resource protection and that planning partners include local planning commissions and recreation groups.

What the department asked for and next steps FPR asked the committee to approve the FY26 budget as presented, with the department offering to provide additional detail about federal award timelines and project lists on request. Fitzko and Nancy Glimmer, FPR’s director of finance and administration, said the department would follow up with detailed spending plans and grant timelines if the committee requested them.

Ending: The department closed by noting the combination of rising operating costs, grant-driven projects and growing visitation creates both funding needs and near-term implementation work for FY26. FPR staff offered to deliver more granular federal-grant and land-acquisition schedules to committee members following the hearing.