Act 181 — Vermont's Rural Crisis

The Human Cost

Real Vermonters

"We're dirt poor, but we have land. I thought I was doing the right thing for my children."

— Jim Bulger, 80, West Topsham sheep farmer & foster parent of 70 children

Jim has farmed for 50 years. He served nine years chairing his town select board, ran one of Vermont's last active Granges, and has given stable homes to some of Vermont's most vulnerable children. He carved modest home sites on his land so his kids could stay close.

Under Act 181, that simple act — letting your children build on family land — could now require tens of thousands of dollars in permits, lawyers, and engineering studies Jim will never have.

"My husband of 48 years has Alzheimer's. I have become both husband and wife in our duties as I care for him through his illness. We are on a fixed income. We own 12 acres of land, and I thought oh, I could sell half of it. Someone could buy it and build a home, only to find out that the Vermont State Legislature has passed something that put my land in a Tier Three category that would require an Act 250 permit."

— Retta Dunlap

Retta's situation is far from unique. Vermont's most rural counties have median household incomes of just $38,000–$52,000 per year — yet a Tier 3 Act 250 permit can cost $75,000 to $200,000. For elderly Vermonters on fixed incomes, land is often their only financial asset — and Act 181 locks it away.

What Act 181 Does

Creates a three-tier system. Tier 1 (downtown/village centers) gets fast-track or no permits. Tier 2 & 3 — most of rural Vermont — face sweeping new Act 250 review requirements.
Triggers review for ordinary improvement activities. A road over 800 feet, building or adding on, creating a home site for your adult children, or having a home business can all now require full Act 250 permits.
Maps land without landowner consent. GIS maps were drawn by planners in offices — not by walking the land. Many owners don't know they're in Tier 3.
Restricts accessory farm businesses. Farm stays, on-farm events, and product processing are no longer clearly exempt — threatening the side income that keeps small farms alive.
Crushes rural families who have the fewest resources and the most to lose.
Prevents new young families from contributing to rural Vermont's schools and economy.

True Cost of One Tier 2 Permit Application

Survey & subdivision plat$8K–$18K

Legal representation$12K–$35K+

Engineering (septic, traffic, stormwater)$8K–$25K

Environmental consultant$5K–$20K

Application & recording fees$500–$3K

Expert witnesses (if contested)$5K–$15K+

Baseline total$38K–$200K

The median household income in Vermont's most rural counties ranges from $38,000–$52,000 per year. A Tier 3 permit can cost more than four years of a family's entire income.

What Must Change

There is still time. The Legislature needs to act before they adjourn this session. Demand these common-sense reforms:

Repeal the 800-foot road rule. The current threshold blocks families from staying and growing, not sprawl.

Require landowner consent before any Tier 3 designation. Make it opt-in, not imposed from Montpelier.

Restore full Act 250 exemptions for all accessory farm businesses — lodging, events, on-farm processing.

Ground-truth the maps. Current draft Tier 3 maps contain errors. No land should be restricted based on a computer model alone.

Create a Family Homestead Exemption for family-land transfers on rural parcels.

Require equity impact analysis. Any rule imposing costs exceeding 50% of rural median income must face disparate burden review before taking effect.

"Act 181 deserves far more scrutiny than it has received. Because if we are not careful, we will repeat an old pattern in a new form: powerful people deciding, with full confidence in their own righteousness, which Vermonters belong in the future of this state and which do not."

— Loralee Tester

📢 Talking Points — Share These With Family, Friends & Neighbors

Vermont used to be a place where a young person could homestead on affordable land and build something. Act 181 makes that impossible for the next generation.

An 80-year-old farmer who has fostered 70 children and chaired his town board shouldn't need a $100,000 permit to let his kids live on his land.

Vermont lost nearly 3 million acres of farmland in 100 years. These rules will drive out the young farmers who would reverse that trend and increase our ability to feed our state.

For older Vermonters, their land is their retirement and their legacy. Act 181 locks that value away — they can't sell it, develop it, or pass it to their children.

The rules were written by distant planners using computer maps — many landowners have no idea their property has been reclassified as "Tier 3."

Urban Vermont gets fast-track development Vermont needs. Rural Vermont gets crushing permit requirements. That's not smart growth — that's two Vermonts, one of them left behind.

Take Action Now — The Deadline Is Real

This Week

Call or email your Vermont state legislators. Ask them: "Will you protect rural families from Act 181 before it becomes a crisis?" Find your reps at legislature.vermont.gov. Join the Facebook group Vermont Act 181 for updates & community support.

This Month

Submit public comments on the Tier 3 rules directly to the state at:
act250.vermont.gov/tier-3-rulemaking-and-report

Also contact committee chairs:
Sen. Anne Watson (Natural Resources) & Rep. Amy Sheldon (Environment & Energy) — demand they hold in-person rural hearings.

This Spring

Share this sheet at your school, church, library, and general store. Post on Facebook, Nextdoor, and Instagram with #VermontAct181. Organize a neighbor meeting. Invite your legislator. Demand to know if your property has been mapped as Tier 3 before it's too late.

Vermont's RuralFamilies AreBeing Pushed Out

📢 Talking Points — Share These With Family, Friends & Neighbors

Vermont's Rural
Families Are
Being Pushed Out