Land trusts, farmers and Intervale Center urge full $37.6M VHCB funding to protect Vermont farms

Abby White, co‑chair of the Vermont Housing and Conservation Coalition and a staff member at the Vermont Land Trust, told a legislative hearing the coalition’s ask to the General Assembly is ‘‘to support the governor’s proposed budget of full funding for VHCB at $37,600,000.’’

The request, White said, reflects VHCB’s statutory share of property transfer tax revenue and funds projects that conserve farmland and support perpetually affordable housing. She explained VHCB ‘‘receives 50% of the revenue from that property transfer tax,’’ and noted that in past years the Legislature has sometimes withheld appropriations despite the statutory formula.

Multiple farmers and land‑trust directors described how VHCB‑backed conservation deals and business‑planning services have directly preserved working farms. Guy McGuire, executive director of the South Hero Land Trust, described a recent South Hero project that conserved about 195 acres —…