Vermont Forests, Parks and Recreation requests roughly $54 million for FY26 as federal grants and park upkeep rise

For the record, Dani Vitsko, Commissioner of Forests, Parks and Recreation, said the department’s proposed fiscal 2026 budget is about $54 million, an increase of roughly $7.1 million from FY25, with most of the growth tied to federal awards and higher operating costs.

The funding rise comes as Vermont State Parks reported more than 1 million visitors during the operating season and the agency manages roughly $280 million in park infrastructure, Vitsko said. "We're forest strong," she added, describing Vermont as about 76% forested and stressing the state’s recreational demand.

The increase includes about $1.5 million in additional general fund support; the remainder is distributed across federal, special and interdepartmental funds, Ansley Glimmer, the department’s director of finance and administration, told the committee. Federal funds are up by nearly $4 million, Glimmer said, driven by awards from the U.S. Forest Service and the Northern Border Regional Commission and increased core funding from the Federal Highway Administration recreation-trails program.

Why it matters: State parks and lands require major yearly maintenance and contracting. Vitsko…