FOREST ROUNDTABLE
Conceived of and convened by VNRC in 2006, the Roundtable is a venue for the exchange of information relating to forest policy, and keeping Vermont’s forests as forests, with particular attention focused on addressing parcelization and forest fragmentation.
Participants have included conservation groups, consulting foresters, professional planners, government officials, landowner organizations, outdoor recreation and sporting interests, representatives from the forest products industry, legislators, staff from Vermont’s congressional delegation, and researchers and professors.
Roundtable meetings have addressed multiple topics, including land use trends, forest health, property tax policy, conservation planning, landowner succession planning, incentive programs such as the Current Use Program, carbon markets, public land management, biomass policy, and the long-term sustainability of the forest products industry.
VNRC’s goal as convener of the Forest Roundtable has been to create a forum to which people with a wide range of perspectives could exchange information and, where possible, develop recommendations for policy changes to benefit forests. The Roundtable has grown in participation and interest, with diverse stakeholders now tracking its progress.
