Town Forest Committee

The Mission of The Hinesburg Town Forest Committee is established for the purpose of providing stewardship for both the 1,125-acre Hinesburg Town Forest (HTF) and the 301-acre LaPlatte Headwaters Town Forest (LHTF). The Committee shall serve in an advisory capacity to the Selectboard, Commissions, or Town staff as appropriate in matters relating to the HTF and LHTF, and in consultation with the Chittenden County Forester shall make recommendations to the Selectboard for management of the Town Forests.

To accomplish this mission the Committee will work to:

• Implement the LHTF Management Plan, as adopted by the Selectboard on December 7, 2009 with any plan updates thereafter.
• Create and implement a comprehensive management plan for the HTF.
• Utilize, as appropriate, existing documents and resources such as the 2006 Vermont PLACE Program Report, extensive management information that has been collected by County Foresters to serve as both a historical record of the forest and a working document to guide decision makers for the future.
• Consult with key experts to educate the Committee and the public through walks and talks on the HTF land. Experts might include, but are not limited to staff from Vermont Forest, Parks and Recreation; Fish and Wildlife, Audubon Vermont, and Historic Preservation
• Meet with representatives of various recreational and other interested user-groups in town, including, hunters, ATV users, bicyclists, horseback riders, etc.
• Submit draft forest management plan to the Selectboard by December 2010.
• Hold public forums from time to time to educate the broader public about the forests.
• Coordinate the management of both the LHTF and HTF into the future.

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Nine member Committee. Members serve three year terms