Vermont parks agency tells lawmakers it needs millions to fix toilets, wastewater and stormwater at 55 state parks

The Vermont Department of Forests, Parks and Recreation told a legislative budget committee on Feb. 19 that its network of 55 developed state parks requires more capital funding to maintain visitor facilities, water and wastewater systems and stormwater controls, and to replace aging maintenance shops.

Commissioner Danielle Spitzko said the parks system manages roughly $280 million in infrastructure and relies on a mix of state capital, federal grants and one-time funds to keep parks open and safe. "We estimate about $7 million a year to keep up with maintenance," Spitzko said, adding that the governor's proposed budget includes $3.5 million for FY 2026 and $2.5 million for FY 2027.

The agency highlighted three broad capital categories: visitor-facing facilities such as toilet buildings and contact stations; system-care infrastructure including drinking water and wastewater; and employee-care facilities such as maintenance shops and seasonal housing. Spitzko said the parks have 39 campgrounds, more than 2,000 campsites, 51 cabins and 29 beaches, and draw both Vermonters and out-of-state visitors.

Why it matters: committee members pressed the agency on specific projects and funding sources because deferred capital work, particularly on wastewater and new state stormwater rules, could force expensive repairs or impact public access. Spitzko told the committee the department is juggling projects, moving funds between fiscal years and leveraging federal grants to stretch the capital portfolio.

Groton maintenance facility and Gifford Woods update

Spitzko told the committee that a $3 million maintenance facility at Gifford Woods has been built and that the dollars for that project are fully encumbered and largely spent. She said bids for Gifford came in near estimates despite unexpected buried asbestos debris that increased costs.

For Groton, Spitzko said the department has budgeted about $3 million for a new maintenance shop, with approximately $1.5 million expected from the federal Land and Water Conservation Fund (LWCF). She told lawmakers the LWCF grant for Groton has been signed and "is already here." Site work for Groton — including replacing a compromised drinking water well and unknown wastewater disposal needs — is estimated at about $600,000 and will be paid from state capital wastewater funds because that work is not eligible for LWCF.

Stormwater rule and compliance costs

Spitzko and staff outlined a state stormwater requirement that affects parks with three or more acres of impervious surface; 19 of the 55 developed parks have triggered that threshold. The department estimates costs to bring individual parks into compliance range roughly from $500,000 to $1 million each, depending on site conditions. The agency said it has already used ARPA and other federal and one-time funds to address the highest-cost sites and is planning a multi-year pipeline of projects to meet the program requirements.

Public land access infrastructure ("PLAY") and trail/parking projects

The agency described a separate line item, public land access infrastructure (nicknamed PLAY), to fund capital work outside formally developed parks (examples include Lake Willoughby and Camel's Hump approaches). Spitzko said the department recommends $700,000 per year for PLAY and that staff had compiled a prioritized pipeline of about $11 million in projects ready in the next two to three years. Typical PLAY projects include hardened parking, toilets, trail improvements and stormwater controls to keep visitors off town roads and protect natural resources.

Fire tower rehabilitation and other historic structures

Spitzko noted eight historic fire towers on public land that the agency plans to rehabilitate rather than replace. She said the towers are popular recreation destinations and that rehabilitation costs are roughly $500,000 per tower; the agency expects to address two towers with $2 million of Economic Development Authority (ACCD) funding earmarked for access and recreation.

Roads and water-quality work on agency-managed lands

The department also presented a clean-water line item for road-related water-quality work across about 600 miles of agency-managed roads. The Clean Water Fund and capital funds together will provide roughly $750,000 this year (a $550,000 Clean Water Fund allocation plus $200,000 in capital funding) to support prioritized culvert, crossing and drainage work. Spitzko said the agency has completed an inventory of hydrologically connected road segments and signed a statewide contract worth over $1 million to begin project work.

Discussion, constraints and next steps

Committee members asked about grant certainty, cost overruns and the timing of work. Spitzko acknowledged cost creep on some projects (for example, remediation of buried debris at Gifford) and described how the agency has shifted projects among FY 2025–2027 allocations to take advantage of readiness and available matching funds. She also said the department is coordinating with the Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC) on stormwater permitting and with the Department of Historic Preservation for rehabilitation of historic buildings.

No formal vote was recorded in the hearing excerpt. Spitzko asked for continued funding flexibility so the department can sequence projects by readiness and funding source; she said much of the one-time money already in earlier biennia is encumbered and under contract.