Out There: Forests for the people

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🌔 It’s Saturday, February 8. Here’s what’s on deck:

• The cost of energy tariffs
• Potential electric vehicle fee
• Hacks from home energy audits

But first,

Lexi Krupp

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Vermont Public

If you go for a walk in the woods on public land in Vermont, there’s a good chance you could be in a town forest. These are tracts of land owned by towns or other local forms of government, like schools or fire districts. About two-thirds of Vermont towns have one. Many have more than one. In all, they cover just over 1% of the state. Each forest has its own, often surprising, backstory. For a recent Brave Little State episode, I spoke with town officials, foresters, and local history buffs about how these lands have evolved over the years to meet the changing needs and interests of their communities.

• 🐄📜 A town forest that was first the town’s poor farm: A couple sold their family farm to Calais in the late 1800s. The town turned it into a poor farm – a common form of social welfare at the time. A wooded section of the property provided firewood, building materials and income. The farm sold cedar for telephone poles, and later bark to a leather company in Warren, and hardwood to the U.S. Clothespin Company in Montpelier. In the 1920s, Calais officially designated the woodlot as a town forest. Today, a network of trails winds through the property leading to a bench overlooking a pond. 

• 🚰 A town forest located in another town: The town of Bristol originally bought land in Lincoln to use as a water source in 1905. At the time, they hired a bunch of Italian workers to dig a pipe from the base of Mount Abraham. The town now gets its water from elsewhere. Now, the land is used for sugaring, walking and skiing. This summer, the town got a grant to install dozens of water bars and other flood control structures to limit erosion during rain storms.

• 🪓 A local energy source: During an energy crisis in the late 1970s, when  heating fuel prices spiked, several towns opened up their forests for locals to cut their own firewood. County foresters marked 3-cord lots in Starksboro and Hinesburg. Townspeople brought saws and wheelbarrows to cart off the wood to heat their homes.

• 🐕‍🦺🚴🐍 Some town forests are brand new: For years, leaders in Monkton talked about creating a town forest as a way to provide more community space. When town officials found a potential property, they sent a postcard to every registered voter, asking the voters whether they supported the project. The answer was a resounding yes: 75% in favor. The town officially bought their 445-acre forest a few months ago. Now, they’re figuring out how to balance interests like protecting wildlife (including a population of eastern rat snakes) with activities like mountain biking and horseback riding. 

💰⛽ A possible tariff on Canadian energy imports: Much of Vermont’s heating fuel (about a third) and electricity (more than a quarter) comes from Canada. Since President Trump threatened 10% tariffs on these imports (now paused until next month), utilities have been crunching the numbers to make an early guess at how that might impact prices: Vermont Electric Coop, whose service area spans the Canadian border, says it could result in a 2% rate increase. Vermont Gas Systems, which serves the Champlain Valley and gets nearly all its gas from Canada, estimates the proposed tariff could add over $6 million of extra costs a year to customers. The Vermont Fuel Dealers Association says it could add 25 cents a gallon on heating fuel and gas prices.

🚙💳 A new mileage-based fee for EVs: That’s a proposal from Gov. Phil Scott to make up for the fact that electric vehicles don’t pay a gas tax, which provides funding to maintain the state’s transportation infrastructure — and unlocks federal money that makes up the majority of Vermont’s transportation budget. The governor’s proposal could generate an estimated $5 million a year. He plans to introduce a bill to lawmakers in the coming weeks.

🐔 Keeping chickens safe from bird flu: The virus is circulating in wild birds in the region — mallards in Rutland and geese in Massachusetts have tested positive in recent weeks. So have backyard flocks in both states (but no livestock since a testing program began last year). Experts say, if you have backyard chickens or other birds, the best precaution is to keep them separated from wildlife, especially ducks and geese. Consider taking down your bird feeder as an extra step. The risk to humans is very low, but bird flu has been detected in raw milk, so public health officials say to lay off it.

Laura Nakasaka

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Vermont Public

🌲 Can’t get enough of town forests? Head to the Hartford Town Forest this afternoon, Saturday Feb. 8, for a nature-based education program covering tracks and patterns left in the snow.

🏈 Celebrating Superb Owls: The Vermont Museum of Natural History in Marlboro, in Windham County, is hosting an evening of owls tonight, Saturday, Feb. 8 at 5 p.m. They’ll have a short presentation followed by a walk in the woods to listen for the birds, and live owls up close.

🎣 Ice shanty art: For several years, the Brattleboro Museum has put on a show of community and artist-made ice shanties — the structures often used for ice fishing. This year’s exhibit will run from Feb. 15 - 23 at a nearby farm. Free.

Credits: This week’s edition was put together by Lexi Krupp with lots of help from the Vermont Public team, including graphics by Laura Nakasaka and digital support from Sophie Stephens. Editing by Brittany Patterson.