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About Ballot Article 6
The following informational page was prepared by the Williston Conservation Commission to provide general information about Article 6 and the Town's Environmental Reserve Fund.
“Shall a tax of one-half of one cent be assessed on the grand list with the proceeds (estimated to be $110,000) to be deposited into the Town’s Environmental Reserve Fund for the purpose of permanent preservation and protection of open space and public lands within the Town of Williston?”
Result: Passed
Yes = 1,517 votes
No = 515 votes
Why was Article 6 on the March Ballot?
For many years funding for land conservation through the Town’s Environmental Reserve Fund (ERF) has been part of the operating budget. That budget is set by the Selectboard and approved by voters, but appropriations have declined in recent years, while the cost per acre to conserve land has steadily grown as can be seen in the chart below. For fiscal year 2026 (FY26) the Selectboard, in consultation with the Williston Conservation Commission (WCC), has decided to remove ERF funding from the operating budget, and present it to voters as a separate ballot item. Article 6 funds the ERF at the level required to balance strong development pressure and achieve the town’s long-term conservation goals through a vigorous conservation program. If the measure does not pass no money will be added to the Environmental Reserve Fund in FY26 through budget appropriation. You can read more about this decision in the WCC’s memos to the Selectboard from November and January.
Three Conservation facts about Williston:
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Willistonians value land conservation: The WCC has reviewed responses to the Williston 2050 visioning survey which showed 60% of respondents said Williston should fund and support increased conservation of undeveloped land, even if it results in an increase in taxes, and 29% said the town’s #1 priority should be protecting and expanding conserved land, preserving green space, conserving more land, maintaining open space and preserving natural resources.
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The ERF has an ROI of 100%: Around 75% (2,252 acres) of the ~3,000 acres of conserved lands in Williston were made possible leveraging funding from the ERF. Typically the ERF is used as a tool to match grant funds, and motivate partners to donate contributing funds . Since it was established, $2.4 million from the ERF has been used to conserve $5.2 million in land value; $2 in conserved land for every $1 spent.
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We are halfway to our goal of 30x50: After reviewing state (Act 59 - Community Resilience and Biodiversity Protection Act - 2023) and international (UN Convention on Biological Diversity’s Global Biodiversity Framework - 2022) conservation initiatives, the WCC has determined that Williston should reasonably support these goals by conserving 30% of Williston’s lands by 2050 (“30X50” for short). We are half-way there at around 16% of Williston’s land currently conserved - see conserved areas and notable sites here. Still, time and acres are running out given Williston’s rate of growth and persistent development pressure. This growth is great for delivering other amenities, but competes with conservation. In addition, innovation in development technology and approaches is making it more and more common to see houses built in places that used to be too wild or inhospitable to make sense. According to the WCC’s study of land characteristics, it is estimated that roughly 4,000 acres of high-priority land remains undeveloped. We will need to conserve more than half of it in the next 25 years to meet our goal.
What will Article 6 cost, and how does the ERF benefit me?
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Article 6 will cost most homeowners between $15-$25 per year: A half-penny on the tax rate is the same as $5 per $100,000 of assessed property value per year. A homeowner with an assessed value of $300,000 would contribute $15 in FY 2026, or about $1.25/mo.; an assessed land value of $400,000 would contribute $20 over the year, or about $1.60/mo.
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How can we preserve Williston’s rural character? If you want to see beautiful landscapes remain uninterrupted by development, the ERF is our tool to protect those lands and views.
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How can we continue to provide public access? The ERF helped make public access permanent to places like Catamount Community Forest, Five Tree Hill and Sucker Brook, Mud Pond.
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Where will all our wildlife live? If you love seeing bobcat, deer, bear, fox, and birds of prey in town, and you want to see wildlife not just survive, but thrive, the ERF funds conservation of critical habitat and connecting corridors.
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How will rural land owners afford to keep their farms and forests in the family and undeveloped? The ERF enables the town to pay for conservation easements or outright purchase land, compensating landowners for not developing their land, and keeping the land in private ownership.
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How can our growing population continue to have space to recreate and connect with nature? If you love hiking on Williston’s 12 miles of primitive trails, and you’d like to see that network grow and become more interconnected, the ERF funds land and trail easement acquisitions.
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Where will my family hunt in the future? Hunting is an important VT tradition and improves the health and balance of our animal populations. Some of the conserved open space, especially south of I-89, the ERF funds is suitable to carry on this VT tradition.
More about the ERF
The ERF (Environmental Reserve Fund) was established in 1990 to preserve habitat, recreation areas, and rural character/views. It is used to purchase land directly, to purchase easements to allow public access on primitive trails, and to provide financial assistance for property owners navigating the legal process of permanently conserving their land.
Past projects funded in part or whole by the ERF include:
Did You Know?
That open field or forest you see from the road may be vulnerable to development unless a conservation easement is placed on it, usually through a partnership between the land owner and the Conservation Commission. The ERF is an important tool to help cover the costs of formally securing a conservation easement. Williston’s zoning rules have helped direct new development toward areas served by water/sewer, and increasingly toward the Taft Corners growth center. When properties in the agricultural.rural zoning district >10 acres come up for development review, 75% of the property must be carved out as an “open space lot” under current rules. This has helped preserve the ag/rural feel of town in those areas, but while these open space lots may look like conserved land to the passer-by, they are not considered conserved because a change in Williston’s development bylaws in the future could open them up to development.
What type of future projects might the ERF funds go toward?
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More trail connectivity through purchase of trail easements: What if we could connect the Exit 12 Park & Ride to the Five Tree Hill Overlook to create a destination hike from the growth center? What if we could connect Lake Iroquois, Mud Pond, and Catamount on a north-south route along our Richmond border? What if we could connect Brennan Woods/Indian Ridge/Seth Circle to Route 2A away from the noise and danger of traffic?
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More equitable access to outdoor recreation north of Mountain View Rd: What if we could establish country parks and connecting trails walking distance from the currently underserved residential areas along the 2A corridor and Taft Corners growth center?
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Better habitat protection for plant and animal neighbors: Not every conserved area is suitable for recreation. Large forest blocks, especially those containing wetlands and streams are critical for animals with larger ranges like bear, bobcat, fisher cat, moose, coyote, and more. What if we could create sanctuaries for these iconic animals so future generations of Willistonians can enjoy them too?
FAQs
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What counts as “conserved”? The exact definition the state will use to measure against the targets is still evolving, but Act 59 calls for “permanent conservation”, and states: “Conserved” means permanently protected and meeting the definition of ecological reserve area, biodiversity conservation area, or natural resource management area”.
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Why 30% and why 2050? 2030 was too soon, and 50% was too much. Vermont’s state goals set targets of 30% by 2030 and 50% by 2050. Factors include that Williston has a unique landscape mix made up of rural, suburban, and urban areas, that Williston has already conserved ~16% of our land area, and that there is roughly ~4,000 acres (~28% of land area) of desirable undeveloped land remaining. Based on all these facts, the WCC determined it was not reasonable for Williston to target conservation of 50% of the town, but could reasonably target 30% on a longer time-scale to allow for raising funds and working with landowners to make acquisitions or establish conservation easements.
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Is conserved land subject to municipal tax? If the town purchases the land, no, town land does not pay municipal tax. If the town helps establish a conservation easement on privately owned land the land will continue to generate tax revenue, but slightly less due to the removal of development potential.
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Why do we need to fund the ERF when a specific project is not proposed? It’s important to note that it is often unpredictable when property owners will be motivated to consider conservation options. For this reason, steady, long-term funding is the key to having funds available to act quickly when opportunities present themselves in addition to proactive outreach to land owners with promising habitat and recreation features. The town plan calls for an interconnected network of trails, open spaces, and wildlife travel corridors and habitats. We don’t know which piece of the puzzle we will be able to put in place at any given time. The ERF allows us to strategically capitalize on these opportunities as they arise.
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