Waterbury hearing seeks public comment on new state land management rules

June 2, 2026 | By Waterbury Roundabout 

The Vermont Agency of Natural Resources is holding a series of public meetings in June, seeking public comments and questions regarding a new proposed rule to guide planning and managing state lands in the future. 

One of the meetings will be held in Waterbury on Thursday, June 4, in the Steele Community Room at the municipal building from 5:30 to 7:30 p.m. 

“State lands belong to all Vermonters, and thoughtful public input is important to how we manage and make decisions about their use,” said agency Secretary Julie Moore. 

The agency owns and manages approximately 370,000 acres of public lands across Vermont through the Department of Forests, Parks and Recreation, the Department of Fish and Wildlife, and the Department of Environmental Conservation. These public lands simultaneously provide wildlife habitat and conserved natural resources, outdoor recreation, and resources for Vermont’s forest economy. They play a role in strengthening climate resilience and contributing to the health and well-being of Vermont communities.

The state uses management plans to guide how these public lands are used and cared for. The plans aim to balance many uses and goals with a role for public input on priorities to steer that process. 

The proposed rule would formalize the existing public engagement process and it would change some aspects of the management planning process, including:

• Defining a category of routine maintenance activities (called Universal Management Actions),

• Clarifying the minimum content for Long Range Management Plans,

• Creating two new land classifications that prioritize resource protection and support the development of old forest conditions,

• Establishing a new Statewide Plan through which management goals and standards would be identified for Agency of Natural Resources lands.

Agency staff will host four public hearings in June to gather feedback. All meeting times are from 5:30 to 7:30 p.m. The first is in Lyndonville on June 3, at the Lyndonville Public Safety Building. The Waterbury hearing is the following night, Thursday, June 4, at the municipal building. A June 9 meeting will be held at Okemo Mountain Resort, and a final session will be conducted online on June 11. 

Learn more about the proposed rule and the public meetings, and how to submit comments by email or online on the FPR website. Organizers ask attendees to RSVP if possible ahead of the meeting they plan to attend. 

The comment period for Vermonters to weigh in is open until June 18.