Punching a ticket to a very outdoorsy future: VOREC announces $5m in grant recipients

photo: Danville Historical Society

DANVILLE, VERMONT — The thing about old buildings isn’t that the walls can talk.

It’s that the walls ask questions.

In my own head, it’s usually stuff like “isn’t this place awesome?” or “I wonder if this place is even insulated?” But occasionally the import of the moment catches up to me with something more sober, like “how can these walls be a part of something important once again?” 

One of those inquisitive old buildings lives in Danville, Vermont. It’s an old train depot, actually, for the St. Johnsbury and Lake Champlain railroad of the late 1800s. But there’s no train anymore. No tracks even. Haven’t been for years.

The only thing left – other than framed photos of old conductors and wistful anecdotes about how slow the mail train was – is a dusty old historic site with cracking paint that happens to be just a few steps away from a 93-mile rail trail that winds across northern Vermont.

It’s not that the old depot isn’t valued. Far from it. The town clearly treasures the place, maintaining it and giving it an odd job or two (like working as a drop-off for empty cans and bottles) that feel somewhat below its station. No pun intended.

On Monday, though, new life was in the lungs of the old train stop as more than fifty smiling (and cold) faces stood inside to officially applaud Danville as well as 23 other recipients of this year’s outdoor recreation economy grants made by the Vermont Outdoor Recreation Economic Collaborative (a.k.a. VOREC, which was formed by Gov. Phil Scott back in 2017, and includes yours truly on the steering committee).

On this side of the pandemic divide, the VOREC grants feel a bit like something put in place by a super savvy time traveling policy nerd, who cleverly skipped back to 2018 to create the framework for a tiny but extremely popular program designed to help communities think more creatively about their place in the outdoor recreation economy, and then got the water flowing with a manageable but miniscule $100k per year. So when the tide rose in 2021 with one-time federal pandemic aid (and the time traveler headed off someplace and sometime else), Vermont’s very outdoorsy governor naturally tapped this solidly structured program to be the mechanism for a remarkable boost of $5 million from the state’s General Fund.

photo: Danville Historical Society

Based on Monday’s weather … single digit temperatures and a “seriously this is March?” bone-cutting wind … it wouldn’t have surprised me at all if folks stayed at home and left the Danville event to a skeleton crew of curious locals taking pictures with their iPhones and knoshing on the homemade cinnamon buns and free coffee.

But that’s not what happened. That dusty old depot was packed to capacity with interested parties, legislators, a couple lieutenant governor candidates and what seemed like representatives from every VOREC grant recipient in the state. Like me, they were there to be a part of a historic moment and witness first hand the beginning of a transformative moment for the outdoor recreation economy in Vermont. 

There was, of course, an official agenda with a few set speakers, including the Governor as well as Michael Snyder, Commissioner of FPR and VOREC chair; Hal Ellms, VOREC steering committee member; Jackie Dagger, VOREC director; and Michael Hogue, Chair of Danville’s Train Station Committee — who eloquently spoke about Danville’s plans to use their VOREC grant to re-establish the depot as a community center for a new generation, making it an outdoor hub for the Lamoille Valley Rail Trail which practically goes through the center of the building. 

After the planned speakers, however, things took a spontanenous turn. Unexpectedly and fully off script, each of the grant recipients in the room spoke about their projects, their community’s excitement, and their gratitude for the opportunity and the challenge to make big ideas into new realities … We’ve been wanting to do this for decades. We just needed a little push to get us over the hump. We needed the excuse to get together and talk about the big picture for what we want our community to be. It’s a final piece. It’s a connector. It’s a repaired fishing pond for kids. It’s a new purpose for an old train station.

This year’s VOREC grant program fielded 103 letters of interest, totaling more than $21 million in outdoorsy ideas. One goal for the program has always been to get communities thinking bigger about how to harness the economic and health benefits of the outdoors, and clearly that’s working. The future of the grant program, however, is a little less certain: while Governor’s proposed state budget includes a visionary encore for this transformative level ($5m) of federal-boosted funding in 2023, reports are that the legislature is eyeing other uses for some of those dollars. Fingers crossed.

Behind the Governor on one side of that old Danville train station, a string of photos hung on the wall of days gone by. But on the other side of the room were architectural drawings on bright white paper, showing various angles of how the reimagined depot will look, work and function as a connection point for hikers, bikers and other outdoorsy travelers. 

Sure, much work remains to be done, but clearly some of the wall’s questions were finally being answered.

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2022 VOREC grant recipients:

ADDISON COUNTY

• Vergennes is building an accessible 2,330-foot-long connector trail with wetland boardwalk. The multi-modal trail will start at the high school and be a pedestrian-friendly way for community members to frequent local businesses ($159,978).

BENNINGTON COUNTY

• Pownal is creating better community access to a 700+ acre recreation area and trail network by building trailhead parking and an informational kiosk, constructing a pedestrian bridge, installing trail blazes and maps for wayfinding, improving trails, and developing an ongoing trail management plan ($375,000).

CALEDONIA COUNTY

• St. Johnsbury is developing signage and wayfinding to enhance opportunities for bikers and pedestrians to use the Lamoille Valley Rail Trail. Starting a bike lending library and free / low-cost bike, snowshoe, and exercise programming. Improvements will be promoted by the Chamber through a four-season marketing campaign ($128,000).

• Groton is upgrading a town-owned recreational trail that connects to Groton State Forest and the Cross Vermont Trail. Building a parking area and trailhead for it near the Village, with improved signage along the trail. Developing a master plan for a future greenspace and bridge that will directly connect the trail to the Village ($225,000).

• Hardwick is designing and engineering for new Gateway Park. Reconstructing historic pedestrian bridge connecting community park to downtown center. Supporting Outdoor Recreation Working Group to assist local organizations, develop a marketing plan and building regional partnerships.($200,000)

• Danville is creating a transportation and recreation hub in the former Train Station. The hub will offer amenities, including ADA bathrooms, and information to encourage Lamoille Valley Rail Trail users to explore additional outdoor recreation attractions and local businesses within a 10-mile radius.($97,650)

CHITTENDEN COUNTY

• Burlington is piloting no-cost gear and tool rentals, providing sailing camp scholarships to youth who identify as BIPOC, and building an urban bike park and wetlands walk.($300,000).

GRAND ISLE COUNTY

• South Hero is collaborating with partners to develop a plan for safe and connected biking and walking routes connected to the increase in traffic experienced from the Local Motion Bike Ferry. Implementing a new website portal and interactive map, signage, safety outreach & education, and organizing events. ($99,726)

LAMOILLE COUNTY

• Wolcott is building a multi-use trail network in their new Town Forest, including installing trail signage, a network map, and trailhead infrastructure. Trail network will provide a safe route between the Elementary school, recreation field and the Lamoille Valley Rail Trail. ($197,900)

ORLEANS COUNTY

• Craftsbury is building a public-facing community wellness center and outdoor recreation hub to serve as a wayfinding point at the confluence of three trail systems in Craftsbury Village. Developing wayfinding and signage for the trails system, renovating an existing building to provide space for the center which includes space for exercise including a climbing gym, recreation programming and workshops, and equipment rentals. ($200,000)

• Derby is fixing a dam that holds up a beloved fishing pond. The pond is a popular place for children to learn how to fish and for seniors with accessibility issues to enjoy fishing. Improving the accessibility of both the parking area and cement platform for fishing around the dam. ($173,000).

 RUTLAND COUNTY

• Killington is building a 3.4-mile single track cross-country mountain bike trail, which extends in the direction of the Velomont trail and is within the town’s existing trail network. ($75,000)

• West Pawlet and the Town of Rupert are alleviating existing parking issues near the D&H Rail Trail by designating new parking areas and improving existing parking lots. ($80,212)

WASHINGTON COUNTY

• Montpelier is strengthening downtown connection to existing outdoor recreation assets through the construction of two connector trails and design of an urban Whitewater Park. The Montpelier Youth Conservation Corps will employ young people of all backgrounds to build the connector trails. Creating promotional videos and an adventure guide that will highlight the City’s connection to the outdoors. ($213,000).

• Cabot is building connections between the Village of Cabot, the Town’s four-season trail network, the Cross Vermont Trail and the Lamoille Valley Rail Trail. Making infrastructure improvements to enhance access and wayfinding, purchasing equipment to support ongoing maintenance, and building capacity for the Trails Committee to be a sustainable and effective organization. ($62,500)

• The Mad River Valley Recreation is developing a recreation hub including a welcome center with parking and restrooms. The hub will act as a jump off point for the surrounding trails, including Mad River Riders’ 60+ mile trail network which connects to Camel’s Hump State Forest. The project will also build a new pedestrian/bike bridge across the Mill Brook with a new crosswalk across VT 100 to link the hub to Waitsfield’s walkable downtown. ($408,019)

• Northfield  is restoring a trail that was damaged during Hurricane Irene, removing invasive species, developing and implementing a wayfinding masterplan that will connect the trail to town, installing trailhead kiosks with maps, designating nearby parking spaces for trail users, and expanding outdoor gear lending at the local public library ($122,965)

WINDHAM COUNTY

• Marlboro is designing and building a trail network and community outdoor recreation & education center by expanded parking, kiosks and trail signage, and outdoor gear rentals. The center will be a space for the museum and other local organizations to offer nature-based programming. ($62,000)

WINDSOR COUNTY

• Bethel is planning and building an interconnected network of parks, greenways, and multi-use trails. Upgrading trails and developing improved mapping/signage to enhance the accessibility of the network, including community outreach to understand signage needs. Developing better local and regional partnerships. ($331,809)

• Ascutney Outdoors, Ascutney Trails Association, and the town of West Windsor are collaborating to build a trail between the Village and the mountain, construct new mountain bike trails at the ski area, upgrade the rope tow, provide free equipment rentals for the children’s ski program, and strengthen marketing efforts.($262,088)

• Ludlow is redeveloping the Dorsey Park Skatepark, which will enable the town to host camps and Okemo Mountain School to do off-season training. ($190,500)

REGIONAL PARTNERSHIPS

• Vermont Outdoor Business Association will be providing technical assistance to outdoor recreation businesses in Washington, Caledonia, and Rutland Counties. Partnering with outdoor recreation organizations, trail builders, and education institutions to develop professional training programs based on needs identified by partner businesses in target communities. Professionals who graduate from these programs would be prime candidates for hire by partner businesses. ($150,000)

• The Vermont River Conservancy and White River Partnership are collaborating to improve white water access infrastructure at multiple sites, coordinate site stewardship efforts, and pilot the Vermont River Access Collaborative. This network will allow for improved resource and information sharing with the goal of increasing access to flowing water for all. ($293,478)

• The Vermont Huts Association and the Town of Randolph are collaborating to complete a master planning process for the Velomont Trail. Developing trail wayfinding and signage. ($141,488)