Testimony of the Vermont League of Cities and Towns
Josh Hanford, Director, Intergovernmental Affairs
and Samantha Sheehan, Municipal Policy and Advocacy Specialist
to the Senate Transportation Committee
February 18, 2025
VLCT Supports S.4, an Act Relating to the Maintenance and Use of Legal Trails
Forty-five municipal responses to voluntary survey of communities with legal trails:
44 are actively maintaining them for public use
33 are maintaining trails in coordination with volunteer groups
70% are open to bikes, 60% open to snowmobiles, 40% open to ATVs
Maintenance costs are shared by municipalities, non-profits, landowners and businesses
Protect Access to Municipal Legal Trails
Municipalities invest public resources in maintaining legal trails to clear brush and trees, provide signage, grading, ditching, and more. The 45 municipalities that responded to our survey account for a total of 547.22 miles of legal town trails.
Stowe: 10.8 miles
Hardwick: 2.62 miles
Strafford: 10.45 miles
Cabot: 18.2 miles
S.29 Chloride Contamination Reduction Program
Municipalities are aligned with efforts to reduce environmental impacts and expense from spreading salt.
Any program must be voluntary.
Support for implementation and funding for compliance and oversight would increase participation.
New Hampshire differentiates between municipal and commercial applicators for their Green Snow Program, municipal requirements are modified, and the program provides template salt reduction plans.
Municipalities Lack Underlying Liability Protection
VLCT is reluctant to discuss plans to cut down on chloride without commensurate action to limit liability.
VLCT supports H.138 to provide municipalities a monetary cap for liability in parity with the State of Vermont.
Since 2011: The maximum liability of the State under Sec. 1. 12 V.S.A. chapter 189 is $500,000.00 to any one person and a maximum aggregate liability of $2,000,000.00 to all persons for each occurrence.
Liability protection would apply to school districts.
Would not affect suits related to criminal conduct or violations of civil liberty.