Kingdom Trails, huts and conservation groups push study to compensate private landowners for public trail access

Representatives of Kingdom Trails, the Vermont Huts Association, and conservation organizations told a legislative committee that private‑land access is the backbone of much of Vermont’s trail network and asked support for a study to explore compensating landowners who allow public trail access.

Abby Long (Kingdom Trails) described a network that grew from community volunteers and private‑land hosts into a system that now attracts roughly 100,000 visitors annually and, she said, “generates $10,000,000 in annual direct spending for the Northeast Kingdom,” citing a 2016 Vermont Council study. Long said Kingdom Trails currently operates on nearly 106 private landowner agreements and that stewardship groups are limited in their ability to directly compensate hosts…