Stakeholders

A stakeholder is any person, place, or system that has a stake in the outcome of a project or organization’s practices. Farm & Wilderness stakeholders include conservation professionals from the state and region, nonprofit organizations with similar missions, public agencies that serve the region, local tribal communities, and people who live in surrounding towns. The Farm & Wilderness trustees, employees, and past, current, and future campers and other outdoor enthusiasts are also stakeholders. How Farm & Wilderness chooses to move forward with choices regarding conservation and land management will directly influence the land and all who enjoy it, including:

• Local and regional community members • Past, present, and future summer campers • Local business owners • Wilderness Community Inc • Catamount Trail Association • Two Rivers-Ottauquechee Regional

Commission • Sustainable Woodstock • Local Indigenous tribes • Northam Forest Carbon • Vermont Fish & Wildlife • Vermont Forests, Parks & Recreation • Vermont Agency of Natural Resources • Mount Holly Conservation Commission • Mount Holly Conservation Trust • Vermont Association of Snow Travelers • The flora and fauna residing in the region On February 10, 2022, the Conway team held an online Zoom meeting for stakeholders. Due to Covid, it was not possible to hold an in-person meeting. A positive outcome of holding a virtual event was the increased accessibility for people who otherwise may not have been able to meet in person. About thirty people joined and watched a short presentation offered by the Conway team. Attendees then participated in three small breakout sessions led by the Conway team and Kelly Beerman, the conservation director of Farm & Wilderness. The questions for the breakout sessions focused mainly on how the public interacts with Farm & Wilderness landholdings. Other topics of discussion were raised by the participants during the breakout sessions. These included the water quality of the lakes in Plymouth, and specifically the impacts Tropical Storm Irene had on the community. Other questions included access to trails and lakes, forest management practices, invasive species and climate change, and curiosity around increasing human population.

Each person at the meeting expressed a desire to know how they could help and what they could be doing as a collective community to adapt to climate change. This community understands the beauty of the place in which they live, and believes that advocating for the natural environment is an important step toward mitigating the impacts of climate change. Farm & Wilderness hopes to share the organization’s knowledge and love for the natural world with many more people.

REGIONAL CONTEXT

The state of Vermont is known for its mountain towns, resourceful and friendly citizens, and vast forested land. The state is committed to protecting its wild landscapes for future generations.