For Immediate Release
April 28, 2015
Contact: Kate Forrer, Vermont Urban and Community Forestry Program, University of Vermont Extension
Phone: (802) 223-2389 X 210 or 1-866-860-1382 (toll free)
Email: Katherine.Forrer@uvm.edu
Vermont Celebrates 100 years of Town Forests
MONTPELIER – Vermont’s centennial anniversary of the Municipal Forest Act kicks off this month
with the passing of a commemorative town forest resolution and celebration of Vermont’s Arbor
Day.
Vermont legislators are honoring the foresight of lawmakers a century ago who created the Municipal
Forest Act of 1915. The act enabled towns to acquire land, paving the way for the creation of over 300
Vermont town forests.
"Every season is an opportunity for discovery in our town forests — giving Vermonters an
understanding of relationships shared within forest ecosystems,” Senator Ginny Lyons said. “One
hundred years of forest conservation ensures biodiversity, habit, water quality, fresh air, and
enjoyment for future generations.”
To celebrate town forests Governor Shumlin has designated Friday, May 1st as Vermont’s official 2015
Arbor Day. This year’s Arbor Day theme celebrates town forests of Vermont and the benefits they
provide. Vermont’s official Arbor Day celebration will be held at the State House on Tuesday, April 28th
to coincide with the reading of the resolution. Another local celebration will take place on Saturday,
May 2nd in Bradford to recognize their work caring for their town forest — a 517-acre parcel where
volunteers through the years have built and maintained over 8 miles of hiking trails that are used by
residents and visitors for non-motorized recreation, practiced sustainable timber harvesting, and held
numerous annual community events.
Vermont town forests are valued public places that contribute to our health and well-being. They
protect open space, provide valuable forest products to support our local economy, protect healthy
habitats, and support diverse outdoor recreation. Over 67,000 acres of Vermont’s forestland are
owned by 168 municipalities and are open to the public. Vermont town forests include a range of lands
from watershed forests, community forests, school forests, town conservation areas, and town parks.
“We cherish our town forest. The Brushwood Community Forest gives us convenient hiking, skiing,
snowshoeing, hunting, and snowmobiling on its VAST trail. Plus it provides for sustainable forestry,
wildlife habitat, and watershed protection for the Connecticut River, Lake Morey, and Lake Fairlee,"
says Patricia Ayres Crawford of West Fairlee.
The health of Vermont’s town forests relies on balancing the many uses and benefits. “Like Shel
Silverstein’s ‘The Giving Tree,’ town forests give through every stage of life, forming important and
meaningful relationships with Vermonters,” says Representative Rebecca Ellis. The creation and
management of town forests require active care on the part of community leaders, forest users,
partners, and all residents of the state. The first 100 years of work by these partner organizations and
communities has positioned these community-owned lands for success over the next 100 years.
Vermonters are encouraged to discover their local town forest through various activities and events
scheduled throughout the year, including walks in local town forests, a social media campaign to
capture the infinite ways town forests enrich Vermonters’ lives and a writing challenge for grades 3-12
in partnership with the Young Writers Project. The centennial year will culminate with a Town Forest
and Conservation Summit in the fall, on Saturday, November 7th. For more information on town
forests, how to locate a town forest near you, or how to participate in the events planned throughout
the year, visit www.vtcommunityforestry.org/.
The Town Forest Centennial Celebration is sponsored by the Department of Forests, Parks &
Recreation, Northeastern States Research Cooperative, University of Vermont, Northern Forest
Center, Trust for Public Land, Vermont Land Trust, Vermont Woodland Association, Association of
Vermont Conservation Commissions, and Vermont Fish & Wildlife Department.
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