Vermont Sierra Club Statement Supporting Conservation and Housing as adopted in Act 181
Our Vermont landscape is constantly changing. With enormous pressure to build affordable housing and rising costs, Vermont needs to mindfully ensure that we don't harm our forests, farms, and waters, which are central to our environment and economy. The Vermont Sierra Club believes that Act 181 is an important step toward aligning our land use policies with these realities by encouraging more compact, efficient development patterns while maintaining environmental protections.
We support the law’s emphasis on directing growth to existing downtowns and village centers - places where infrastructure already exists and where people can live closer to jobs, services, and transportation options. Concentrating development in these areas creates opportunities for more walkable, transit-supportive communities, reduces reliance on driving, and improves air quality. Just as importantly, it helps prevent fragmentation of intact forests and farmland, protecting natural systems that store carbon, safeguard biodiversity, and sustain clean water.
At the same time, maintaining strong environmental protections must remain central to implementation. Vermont’s forests, wetlands, and headwaters are critical not only for ecological health but also for climate resilience and pollution reduction. Land use decisions should be explicitly linked to the state’s climate, water, and air quality goals, ensuring that new development patterns reduce greenhouse gas emissions, reduce vehicle miles traveled, and avoid new infrastructure burdens in rural and environmentally sensitive areas.
The Vermont Sierra Club recognizes that Act 181 is still being implemented, and we encourage continued refinement grounded in science, transparent public engagement, and a precautionary approach to environmental impacts. As policymakers consider adjustments, we urge you to prioritize outcomes that support safe and walkable communities, protect Vermont’s most important natural resources, and respect Vermonters who already steward the land. Vermont can meet its housing needs while advancing its climate commitments and preserving the landscapes that define our state. On behalf of the Sierra Club’s 10,000 members and supporters in Vermont, we urge the Legislature to protect the goals of Act 181.