After engaging in this project for under a few weeks, I find it's easy to become overwhelmed. There are so many factors to consider, so many people to please, and so many possibilities for a better future of sustained conservation and connectivity in the heart of the Green Mountains. It can be difficult to imagine one individual or one group bringing forth all the necessary change even here in our humble state of just 6 million acres.
But it should never be easy to imagine.
This beautiful land enclosed in the borders of our state and even the land beyond that belongs to other states, nations, and continents is not under the stewardship of just one person or one organization, the task belongs to those who presently, historically, and will one day inhabit the Earth. And for the most part, there are so many factors to consider regarding conservation because there are so many different people associated with the land. It is so important, then, to embrace the diversity of interests rather than handling it as an inhibition. While everyone may not always have the same ideas or goals, in all likelihood, there will be common ground between several groups in one location.
A local and relevant-to-our-site example of this is the Chittenden County Uplands Conservation Project. This initiative was begun back in 1999 as the product of just a few concerned locals and conservation leaders of the time. At the forefront of the vision stands Sue Morse, who resides in Jericho and believed in conserving and preventing development of the Uplands, consisting of Jericho, Bolton, Richmond, and Underhill. This region lies directly to the north and northwest of our site between Bolton and Duxbury, and happens to be a crucial region that helps conserve what Mount Mansfield State Forest to the northeast does not. Up to 8,000 acres have been conserved as of last year.
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| Land protected by the Chittenden County Uplands Project marked in green. The site of this project is marked in red. |
Because of the project's location, wildlife habitat is protected to new extents surrounding the valley and increases the importance of some connection across the barrier of I-89 and Route 2.
But the moral of the story lies in what the future may bring. After the creation of the Uplands Conservation Project, the Vermont Land Trust showed full support of the vision and behind them stood several concerned citizens and other organizations with their own ideas for the land. All priorities are based on scientific study and work goes to extending hands to local landowners and other groups who wish to partner.
Currently, participants include: Vermont Land Trust, the Nature Conservancy, the Green Mountain Club, the Vermont Association for Snow Travel, the town of Bolton, the Climbing Resource Access Group, hikers, skiers, hunters, artists, and numerous other landowners. They may not all share the same ideas for how to use the land, but there is one thing to be agreed upon: the land needs to be protected from external threats and maintained in the name of sound ecological conservation and reduced impact enjoyment of the landscape so many of us call home.
What began as a small meeting of concerned individuals grew into a movement which includes numerous organizations and individuals. In the words of Sue Morse: “Multiple organizations, multiple packages, all coming together with solutions. It’s exciting—and it works.” The product is something to be proud of: thousands of acres of conserved land with no end in sight so far. It may have seemed overwhelming at first, but 13 years later, the efforts of just a few people have gone on to affect millions of Vermont residents of the future, and equally important, the future habitat of wildlife who belong to the Green Mountains as well.
Not only are cases like these important to the structure of conservation efforts, but they serve most importantly as inspiration, for this state, for this region, for this project, and for me...especially when I find myself overwhelmed with challenges.
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This post collected information and was inspired by the CCUP article in Vermont Land Trust's Spring 2011 newsletter. It, and other great articles, can be accessed through that link.
There are several amazing partners in Vermont working together to make this state more habitable in the future for humans and wildlife alike. Their sites can be accessed below:
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