The Town Forest Planning Toolkit: Supporting recreation planning in small towns

Beginning in 2017 SE Group worked with VT Urban & Community Forestry Program (VT UCF) and an inter-agency working group of Vermont state agencies and the UVM Extension’s Tourism Research Center to engage 10 select communities in a robust planning process to develop action-based town forest recreation plans. An important overarching goal was to create a road map, The Town Forest Planning Toolkit, which provides all communities with an established and proven process to create plans for their own town forest. This session will include an overview of the project and discussion of the toolkits that were prepared.

Contact Mark or Ellie learn more about the presentation, or to connect with them at the event.

Project partners and community members joined SE Group recreation and trail planners, Drew Pollak-Bruce and Liz Grades, and Russ Roca from The Path Less Pedaled on a discovery ride and trail audit along the 26-mile Missisquoi Valley Rail Trail. Along with the trail ride, the event included engagement sessions to gather feedback and input from the community.

Many thanks to Russ for producing a fantastic video which showcases the scenic beauty of the trail, introduces the planning team and project, and shares the excitement around trail planning.

For more information on this project or recreation/trails planning, contact Drew Pollak-Bruce.

Rocky Mountain Regional Forester Brian Ferebee honored employees, partners, and volunteers for their 2018 contributions and successes during the annual Regional Forester’s Awards ceremony on April 4, 2019. SE Group team members Travis Beck, Ash Smith and Scott Prior were in attendance to receive an Innovation award. This award acknowledged the accomplishments of the team in meeting resource obligations, expanding community connections and partnerships with ski area partners, and for developing innovative ways to work more efficiently and effectively as part of an agency-wide effort to improve processes associated with environmental analysis and decision-making.

For more information on SE Group’s Environmental Services, contact Travis Beck.

The Vermont Public Places Awards program recognizes special public spaces, the corridors that connect them, or networks of public spaces which have been defined or enriched by planning or design, as well as regulations that promote positive public uses and benefits.

Vermont Town Forest Recreation Planning Project | Honor Award
SE Group worked with VT Urban & Community Forestry Program (VT UCF) and an interagency working group to engage 10 Vermont communities in a robust planning process to develop action-based town forest recreation plans. A key outcome of the project was the development of the Vermont Town Forest Recreation Planning Toolkit, which provides guidance documents, designs, case studies, best practices, and standards that empower any town to complete  the planning process on their own.

Underwood Park Master Plan | Merit Award
SE Group worked with the City of South Burlington to develop a master plan for the recently acquired Underwood Park. The innovative plan honors the legacy of the site while also addressing the communities needs for recreation, natural resource protection and restoration, and community events. Not every city park holds the potential for both working farm fields and a community event space in one package, and the SE Group was honored to work with the community to craft such a unique vision.

For information on either of these projects contact Drew Pollak-Bruce.