Montpelier Conservation Fund

Purpose

The Montpelier Conservation Fund is a dedicated reserve fund established for the purpose of conserving lands and waters within the City for agricultural, forest, wildlife, recreational or natural area use, under the control and direction of the City Council.

When & How the Fund will be Used

The Fund will be used when other funds and means are not available or sufficient for a given conservation project. When the Fund is used, our goal is to leverage other public and/or private funds. The Conservation Fund is administered by a subcommittee of the Montpelier Conservation Commission, the Conservation Fund Advisory Board, which includes three Conservation Commission members and two members of the Public.

Uses of the Fund may include but are not limited to: matching funds for grant applications, purchase (or assistance in the purchase) of rights of first refusal, options to purchase, long term leases, conservation easements (development rights), land through a bargain sale, and land in fee. The fund may not be used in any way for development of the land.

Eligibility

Any Montpelier resident or landowner, or the City, or their representative, or a conservation organization such as a land trust, is eligible to submit an application. The Montpelier Conservation Commission reserves the right to recommend to the City Council that an eligible proposal may be tabled until such time as the proposal can be evaluated in relation to one or more anticipated proposals