Q    &    A  
about  the  Bradford  Conservation  Fund  
 
Q:    Who  established  the  Bradford  Conservation  Fund?    When?      
A:    The  Bradford  Conservation  Commission  established  the  Conservation  Fund  
     in    2003,  in  accordance  with  VT  Statute  24,  Chapter  118,    and  in  keeping  with    
     the  Bradford  Municipal  Plan  that  stated  “Protection of Bradford’s natural resources is
considered vital to the security of its economic future and cultural heritage.”

Q:    Why  was  the  Conservation  Fund  established?  

A:    Protection  of  natural  resources  requires  money.    If  an  opportunity  arises  to  protect  
  productive  farm  land  or  significant  wildlife  habitat,  a  reserve  of  money  needs  to  be  
  available  to  enable  quick  action.  
 
Q:    Who  decides  how  the  Conservation  Fund  can  be  used?  
A:    By-­‐‑laws  that  specify  and  prioritize  the  uses  of  the  Bradford  Conservation  Fund    were  
  written  by  the  Conservation  Commission  and  approved  by  the  Selectboard    in  2003.      
 
Q:    What  are  some  of  the  uses  of  the  Conservation  Fund,  as  specified  in  its  By-­‐‑laws?  
A:   Funds may be used by the Bradford Conservation Commission for pending conservation
projects to:
• Leverage matching funds from other sources
a) Since 2007 $80,000 from the Bradford Conservation Fund has leveraged over
$270,000 from the VT Housing and Conservation Board (VHCB) to bring the
total contiguous span of protected wildlife habitat on Wrights MT to 804 acres.
(507 acres make up the Town-owned Wrights MT/Devil’s Den Town Forest; 207 acres are privately owned))

b) VHCB funds for farm conservation projects are equally matched by the USDA Farm
Protection Program.
• Pay for costs not covered by grant applications, i.e. surveys, appraisals, legal fees
The Bradford Conservation Fund has covered ½ the cost of appraisals specified for
conservation projects on 4 different privately owned parcels since 2007.
• Pay deposits for Purchase & Sales Agreements
• Make outright grants of up to $1000 to Bradford educational, youth and civic
organizations for conservation projects that meet the specified criteria.
  
Q:    Where  has  the  money  come  from  that  is  in  Bradford’s  Conservation  Fund?  
A:      $5,000  has  been  allocated  to  the  Conservation  Fund  by  the  voters  at  Town  Meeting  in  each  
     of  the  following  years:        2004,  2007,  2008,  2009  &  2010.    (In  2009,  this  averaged  about  $0.30/per      
       month  per  taxpayer)  $2,500  was  allocated  at  2011  Town  Meeting.      
   The  Conservation  Fund  Committee  of  the  Bradford  Conservation  Commission  has  also    
     conducted  fund-­‐‑raising  activities  since  the  Conservation  Fund    was  created,  with  each      
     year’s  proceeds  surpassing  the  previous  year.    In  2010  over  $18,000  was  raised  by  the          
   Conservation  Fund  Committee.    
 
Q:    Why  should  taxpayer  money  be  allocated  annually  to  the  Conservation  Fund?  
 A:    1)    We  all  benefit  from  conserved  lands.    They  provide  clean  air,  clean  water,  access    to      
               wholesome  outdoor  recreation,  educational  opportunities,  wildlife  habitat,  managed      
               timber  harvests  and  food  security  via  protecting  fertile  soil.  
   
     2)  Making  smaller  deposits  regularly  into  the  Conservation  Fund  is  much  more                    
               manageable  than  providing  for  a  larger  allocation  in  a  year  when  a  specific  land          
               conservation  opportunity  presents  itself.    
   
     3)  Trailhead  guest  books  reveal  that  visitors  to  our  public  hiking  trails  have  come  from      
               many  other  VT  and  NH  towns,  from  at  least  16  other  States  and  even  from  4  other      
               countries.    It  is  safe  to  assume  that  many  of  those  people  contribute  to  our  local      
               economy  by  purchasing  gas,  food  and  other  goods.  
 
                     4)  Preserving  our  rural  landscape  preserves  the  cultural  and  environmental  heritage  that      
     makes  Vermont  unique.*  
     
*The  November/December  2009  issue  of  National  Geographic  Traveler  Magazine    announced    the  
results  of  a  “Sustainable  Destination”  survey  that  compared  133    world-­‐‑wide  travel  destinations.    
   
 
Vermont  ranked  5th  in  the  WORLD  as  a  sustainable  destination.  
 
The  following  are  published  quotes  from  that  survey:  
 
"More than any American state, Vermont has worked to preserve those qualities1 that make it unique,
such as scenic countryside, lively small towns, historic streetscapes, local businesses”
“A tourist magnet in summer, it nonetheless never seems overrun by visitors.”
“Vermont scores well for "environmental- and social-sustainability practices."
“If you want to see New England as you imagine it, go to Vermont.”

1
Bradford’s Conservation Fund works to preserve those qualities