BOLTON, Vt. (WCAX) – Warm weather this weekend will draw thousands to Vermont’s hiking and biking trails. As leaders celebrate the recent completion of an adaptive trail in Bolton, they’re also wrestling with questions of how to sustainably fund upgrades and maintenance.
Outdoor recreation makes up a huge part of Vermont’s economy, about $3 billion. As Vermont heads into the fall, local leaders are highlighting the value added from the outdoor economy.
Vermont has thousands of miles of interconnected trails for hikers, bikers and snowmobilers.
A trail along Route 2 in Bolton is the result of 5,000 hours of volunteer work. It’s coordinated through Richmond Mountain Trails and is the largest adaptive trail network on the East Coast, allowing for people of all physical abilities to enjoy Vermont’s outdoor recreational bounties.
“When you make the trails work for our bikes, they actually work better for everyone. It’s not making them dumbed down, it’s making them better for everyone,” said Kelly Brush of the Kelly Brush Foundation.
Friday, heavy hitters in Vermont’s outdoor rec economy gathered to discuss how to support the industry which leans heavily on volunteer labor and grassroots fundraising.
“I think mountain biking is the fastest growing form of outdoor recreation. this idea of volunteers being at their limit is consistent across the spectrum,” said Nick Bennette, the executive director of the Vermont Mountain Bike Association.
But state and federal leaders see red flags in funding trails as they become more popular and face damage from climate change-driven storms.
“There’s a growing gap between what we need on an annual basis to make sure our trails are safe and sustainable and resilient to climate challenges… and we’re not able to meet that gap currently,” said Becca Washburn of Vermont Forests, Parks and Recreation.
Some think we should fund trails like our schools, hospitals, roads and bridges.
“Every community needs this. We need it for our vitality and economy, and we should be investing in and caring for it in the same way we care for those resources,” Washburn said.
Many federal grants come from off-shore oil leases and a share of the gas tax.
As America goes green, many raise questions about the future of funding outdoor recreation, something that U.S. Sen. Peter Welch says Congress should examine.
“That can be a combination of state, federal and local resources, as well as the fundraising that so many of these organizations are doing,” said Welch, D-Vermont.