Vermont's Rich Landscape and Wildlife
Vermont’s landscape is a tapestry of mountains, valleys, woods and wetlands. It is Vermont’s natural landscape that enriches the lives of those who live and visit here. It is this same landscape that provides Vermonters with clean air, clean water, and habitat for thousands of species of plants and animals. 97 percent of Vermont residents surveyed in a 2001 U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service public opinion survey indicated that it is important to them that ecologically important habitats and lands in Vermont are protected.
Vermont's Planning Approach
The Vermont wildlife action plan provides a science-based foundation for understanding the issues involved in addressing wildlife needs, and it serves as a common conservation vision to guide local, state and federal agencies, sportsmen’s and non-profit conservation organizations and the general public in wildlife conservation. Strategies identified in the plan are primarily voluntary and incentive-based. Conservation strategies are identified for each species of greatest conservation need, as well as for their habitats and surrounding landscapes. By addressing both species-specific and habitat/landscape needs, Vermont can target conservation resources at the appropriate level to strategically conserve all of the state's wildlife.
Primary Challenges to Vermont's Wildlife
Vermont's wildlife action plan identifies 22 major categories of problems adversely affecting species or their habitats. The most common, widespread and serious problems include:
- loss of habitat
- the impacts of roads
- pollution and sedimentation
- invasive species
- climate change
- and data gaps and information needs
Helping Vermont towns plan for wildlife
In Vermont, undeveloped land is being consumed at two and a half times the rate of population growth—threatening the wildlife heritage that’s so important to Vermont’s quality of life. To address this growing threat, Vermont’s Wildlife Action Plan includes a suite of tools to assist landowners, transportation planners and community leaders in taking local action to conserve wildlife and vital natural areas for future generations.
One such tool is the Vermont Fish & Wildlife Department's Community Wildlife Program. This State Wildlife Grants funded project helps towns and regional planning agencies identify and conserve wildlife habitat for their communities. By providing simple instructions and a process for understanding and interpreting natural resource data, this program helps towns translate their conservation goals into appropriate zoning regulations and language for their town plans.
Vermont Fish and Wildlife Department
