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VHCB tells lawmakers Vermont is losing farmland faster than projected; conservation easements, development-rights purchases cited as tools
Summary
Vermont Housing and Conservation Board staff told a legislative committee Jan. 30 that modeling projects a loss of 41,200 acres of farmland by 2040 and that the state is losing land faster than expected; presenters highlighted conservation easements, development-rights sales and farm-transfer support as tools to keep land in agriculture.
Gus Sealy, executive director of the Vermont Housing and Conservation Board, told a legislative committee on Jan. 30 that the agency’s conservation programs are aimed at keeping farmland in agricultural use and supporting farm transfers.
Stacy Sicilio, VHCB’s associate director of conservation, cited a 2022 American Farmland Trust analysis that projects Vermont could lose 41,200 acres of farmland by 2040 and said ‘‘we’ve already lost nearly half of that amount’’ and that loss is occurring ‘‘65% faster’’ than the model originally predicted. She estimated the modeled loss translates on the ground to roughly 2,000…
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