Conservation Commission

The Waitsfield Conservation Commission was formed in 2003 by an affirmative vote on Article 9 (PDF) at the 2003 Annual Meeting. Originally composed of five members, an affirmative vote on Article 11 (PDF) at the 2007 Annual Meeting increased the number to nine.

Vermont Statue 24 V.S.A. Section 4505 lists the powers and duties of conservation commissions. In addition, the Town outlined the following specific duties:

• To work closely with the Mad River Valley Planning District, the Mad River Watershed Conservation Partnership, and the Vermont Land Trust and other organizations with land conservation goals and objectives consistent with those of the Conservation Commission and the Waitsfield Town Plan;
• To be guided first by the goals and objectives in the Waitsfield Town Plan in the course of making recommendations on land conservation projects;
• To use the Mad River Valley Rural Resource Protection Plan and analytical models where appropriate;
• To be responsible for stewarding land owned by the Town for conservation or preservation purposes; and
• To oversee conservation easements that have been granted to the Town.