Issue Position: Working Landscapes are Protected Landscapes

Emilie's vision: We have an economy that creates good jobs while we take bold action to protect the environment and address climate change. Vermont builds on its long history of resiliency, competency, and respect for the land by committing to its farmers, homesteaders, and craftspeople. Vermont's strong regulatory framework supports continued growth of industries like green power, hemp, and craft brewing towards the continued conservation of our precious resources.

Vermont's strong history of land-use planning, current use taxation, and support for small scale farm infrastructure have given us a state with a landscape that is the envy of our neighbors, and an economy that is dependent on our view. We're at a tipping point, with threat of climate change, increasing out of state ownership of our mountains, sugarbush, and homesteads; polluted waterways; and lead and other industrial contaminants in our soil, and building stock.
If we are to maintain a landscape and land-use that benefits all Vermonters, we must continue a regimen of regulation, structural supports for small producers, and attention to who owns our land and who profits from its use. Our lake clean-up needs funding, our emissions need to be curbed, and our energy infrastructure needs to be decentralized. Control of our commons, including waterways, and respect for our farmers needs and livelihoods will preserve the landscape we all depend on--and strengthen the community we all strive for.

We have tremendous work to do on climate change: to make our communities more resilient, to come into alliance with other states and nation, and to engage in serious mitigation--especially if we are going to meet our stated goals of 90% renewable by 2050. There is no one solution to a challenge as complex as this one, but we must invest boldly and consider non-market solutions so all Vermonters can have a part in the solution.

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