Resource Library: Supporting Your Work

To help support your work after the course, we have compiled this resource library. We tried to provide a balance of useful information to help you take the next steps, while not overwhelming you with the many resources available. If you are looking for a resource and cannot find it, let us know! 

Resource Topics

• General Resources for Planning 
• Online Mapping and Data
• Supporting Resources 
• Funding
• Case Studies

General Resources for Planning

• Conserving Vermont’s Natural Heritage: Provides a framework for land use planners of how to look at the natural world at different ecological scales as well as a range of options for taking action on each of the scales. Use this to understand more about the scientific concepts.
• Community Planning Toolbox: The Toolbox introduces users to the issues, techniques, and resources related to smart growth and natural resources planning. It includes case studies showing how and why different communities have used various tools.
• Community Strategies for Vermont’s Forests and Wildlife - A Guide for Local Action:Provides detailed information about a range of regulatory and non-regulatory options for taking care of forests and wildlife, including sample language. Use this to better understand each of the potential tools for local action discussed in the presentation.
• Mapping Vermont’s Natural Heritage: Provides a seven map Natural Resource Inventory for every town in Vermont and explains how to prioritize these features and include them in municipal land use planning. Use this to help access ecological data and wrestle with what it means. COMING SOON! In the meantime, check out the Vermont Fish and Wildlife Department's Community Wildlife Program.
• The Planning Manual: From the Vermont Agency of Commerce and Community Development. Provides information about how to write each section of the town plan, as well as information about public participation. Read this to better understand how to undertake municipal land use planning in Vermont.
• Smart Growth: An overview of the principles of smart growth. 

Online Mapping and Data

• ANR Natural Resources Atlas: Geographic information about environmental features and sites that the Vermont Agency of Natural Resources manages, monitors, permits, or regulates.
• BioFinder: A map and database identifying Vermont's lands and waters supporting high priority ecosystems, natural communities, habitats, and species.
• Flood Ready Vermont: Offers an online map tool that can help you identify critical facilities, transportation services and buildings in your community that are at risk of damage from flooding. It also hosts a wealth of local data and reports. Note: for individual town data, click “Expanded Community Report” and for town summary by region or county, click “ERAF Summary Sheet”.
• Forest Stewardship Atlas: Geographic data related to forests. Over 50 forestry-related datasets are organized into six different themes: Productivity, Ecological Resources, Water Resources, Scenic and Recreational Resources, Human and Environmental Constraints, and Stewardship.
• Vermont Center for Geographical Information: Source of geographic data, information and activities. 

Supporting Resources

• Climate Change in Vermont
• Department of Environmental Conservation
  • Green Infrastructure Collaborative
  • Lakes and Ponds
  • Local Municipal Actions
  • Rivers
  • Stormwater
  • Tactical Basin Planning
  • Wetlands
  • Waste Management and Prevention
• Department of Forests, Parks and Recreation
  • Forestry
  • Recreation
  • Urban and Community Forestry
• Department of Housing and Community Development: This department within Vermont's Agency of Commerce and Community Development supports local and regional planning efforts. It offers a variety of community development opportunities including state designation programs, funding and incentives, and land use planning resources.
• Fish and Wildlife Department
  • Community Wildlife Program
  • Vermont Conservation Design
• Flood Ready Vermont: A website dedicated to help your community become flood resilient.
• Vermont Association of Planning and Development Agencies (VAPDA): Visit the VAPDA homepage to learn about Vermont’s eleven regional planning commissions. All municipalities by law are members of their regional commission. Although active participation is voluntary, most municipalities participate in and recognize the value of regional planning. More about the role of regional planning commission.
• Vermont League of Cities and Towns: Offers a variety of resources to support local efforts particularly in water quality planning.
• Vermont Natural Resources Council: Offers a varity of resources to support communities in conserving and protecting natural resources through four program areas: Energy and Climate Action, Forests and Wildlife, Water, and Sustainable Communities.
• Vermont Planning Information Center: A clearinghouse of information for planning commissions, zoning boards, development review boards, conservation commissions, and their staff and all others involved in land use planning and regulations in Vermont.

Funding

A listing of resources to help fund planning and implementation of conservation projects.

• Agency of Commerce and Community Development Grants and Incentives
• Agency of Natural Resources Grants and Loans
• Agency of Transportation's Better Roads Grant
• Association of Vermont Conservation Commission's Tiny Grants
• New England Grassroots Environmental Fund
• The Vermont Community Foundation

Case Studies

You are not alone - communities across Vermont have been working hard to care for natural resources in ways that work for their communities. To learn from and connect with others, explore the case studies below. If you have a story or lesson to share, let us know. 

• Community and Economic Development Stories: A variety of case studies and models from across Vermont.
• Conservation Stories: A range of examples about local conservation efforts compiled by the Association of Vermont Conservation Commissions. 
• Green Infrastructure Stories: Examples of how Vermont’s villages, small cities and rural towns are building Green Infrastructure.
• Flood Ready Vermont Stories: A complication of stories of Vermonters who are working proactively to become flood ready.
• Forest Pest Planning Stories: A series of case studies about how Vermont communities are preparing for the invasive forest pest.
• Smart Growth Stories: Stories about other Vermont communities who have implemented smart growth policies.

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