Vermont Department of Forests, Parks, and Recreation

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Montpelier, VT
Vermont Department of Forests, Parks, and Recreation

Our mission is to practice and encourage high quality stewardship of Vermont’s environment.
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09/01/2026

Have you ever walked down a forest trail and wondered who is sharing the woods with you?

Healthy forests foster biodiversity—the wide variety of life on Earth including everything from microscopic fungi in the soil to singing birds in the canopy. These forests are complex and host a mix of tree ages, sizes, and species that create diverse wildlife habitats.

Want to learn more about supporting healthy forests and biodiversity? We’ll be posting tips and tricks from forestry professionals over the next few weeks. Stay tuned!

In the meantime, check out UVM’s Biodiversity Guide for Landowners, created in partnership with Audubon Vermont, Vermont Coverts, Vermont Biodiversity Alliance, Vermont Department of Forests, Parks and Recreation, and Vermont Woodlands Association. Click the link in our comments!

📸Sydney Walsh/Audubon

08/27/2026

This harvest at Little River State Park is helping create better bird habitat while building a healthier, more climate-resilient forest. What is good for the birds is also good for forest resilience!

We designed this harvest to mimic natural disturbances, like storms and blowdowns, that create small openings in the canopy, letting sunlight reach the forest floor and giving a wider variety of tree species a chance to grow. You can catch a glimpse of these harvests from the Dalley Loop Trail and learn more about forest management from the newly installed interpretive signs along the way.

08/24/2026

Fairs are a hallmark of late summer in Vermont. Since 1996, FPR has helped run the Forestry Building at the Vermont State Fair. Current and retired FPR staff, along with forestry partners and volunteers, come together each year to share exhibits, answer questions, and connect with fair goers about our forests. We're grateful to be part of this quintessential Vermont tradition and we had a blast last week!

In the first photo, Pirate Man Dan and some enthusiastic visitors explore the stream table, an interactive display that demonstrates the connection between forests and water quality.

08/17/2026

Have you ever wondered why some of the structures in Vermont state parks look different from the rest? If you've spotted dramatic rooflines, big windows, and clean, modern shapes, you've found a piece of Vermont's mid-century modern history. During the mid-20th century, architects reimagined what park buildings could be. When road trips became more popular after World War II, park buildings evolved to welcome a new generation of visitors. Designers embraced modern materials, open floor plans, and bold architecture that invited people to feel more connected to the landscape.

To help preserve this legacy, we're launching a study of our mid-century modern park structures. As the structures from this period in Vermont's parks reach the age of eligibility for the National Register of Historic Places, we're working with a historic preservation consultant to document the mid-century modern influence across the style and design of buildings, amenities, and park layouts. The project will help us share the story of a pivotal era in the development of the Vermont State Parks system that we enjoy today, and will lead to two sites being nominated for the National Register.

The buildings pictured here are located at Lake St. Catherine, Bomoseen, and Branbury State Parks. These buildings are representative of their time and updated for today, continuing over 102 years of Vermont State Parks welcoming Vermonters and visitors. If you're a fellow mid-century modern fan (or just love discovering hidden gems), add these parks to your list and see the architecture for yourself. You might be surprised by what you find!

08/12/2026

The Vermont Youth Conservation Corps (VYCC) and Vermont Forests, Parks and Recreation (FPR) go way back. VYCC was established in 1985 as a program of FPR, before becoming an independent nonprofit in 1992, but the collaboration didn't stop there. We regularly team up to complete recreation projects like this one at Allis State Park.

Conservation Crew 3 built a new set of stairs and a ladder to navigate a steep section of the Bear Hill Trail. The upgrade improves safety with better footing, reduces soil erosion, and protects vegetation along the trail.

Huge thank you to Conservation 3 and our partners. See you on the trail!

08/06/2026

FPR is proud to be a signatory alongside valued partners on a recent op-ed statement about the impacts of the Finch pulp mill closure published in VTDigger. While every organization on the list has a different focus, we all agree that low-grade markets are critical for healthy forests and all of the benefits they provide, from sawtimber for houses to climate resilience to habitat. Read the op-ed here: vtdigger.org/2026/08/05/opinion-a-shrinking-market-for-low-grade-wood-threatens-vermonts-forests/

Northern Forest Center, PLC of the Northeast - Professional Loggers , Vermont Woodlands Association, Audubon Vermont, Vermont Forest Products Association, Vermont Land Trust, NEK Collaborative, Vermont Natural Resources Council (VNRC), The Nature Conservancy in Vermont.

08/05/2026

When foresters make management decisions, they think in decades. So how do they know if those decisions are leading to the desired outcomes? That’s where long-term monitoring comes in. Foresters revisit plots to determine whether goals, like increasing species and age-class diversity and improving the health of existing trees, are being met. They do this by measuring diameter and crown position of trees, identifying species diversity, tallying deadwood, and surveying new seedlings. Stay tuned for more in our series on monitoring.

08/03/2026

The four new outdoor pickleball courts at Knight Point State Park in North Hero are officially open! As a new Vermont State Parks amenity, the courts were jointly funded by the Islands Pickleball Association and Forests, Parks and Recreation so that Vermonters have a new space to engage in this growing form of outdoor recreation. The courts are reserved for programing with the Islands Pickleball Association until 2 p.m. each day but are available for open play afterward. Balls are provided in a white tube attached to the side of the nets, and a set of paddles is available to borrow from the contact station. You've been served...now go have some fun!

08/01/2026

Thank you to Becca Balint, Emerson and Sons Logging, and Professional Logging Contractors for this important visit!

07/31/2026

July’s Capital for a Day in Franklin County brought staff from the Vermont Agency of Natural Resources, FPR, the Vermont Agency of Commerce and Community Development and the Vermont Department of Labor out to visit Vermont Woodworking School in Fairfax, which offers hands-on training in woodworking and fine furniture making—and was it ever fine! What a pleasure to smell the sawdust and see wood, artistry, skill, and patience combine to create treasured heirlooms.

Address

1 National Life Drive, Davis 2
Montpelier, VT
05620

Telephone

+18028281534

Website

https://fpr.vermont.gov/

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