Maple Sugaring on State Land Application Form & Instructions Uses of State Lands Policy District Offices & Contacts

Leases, Licenses & Special Use Permits

ANR lands are generally open to the public without fee or formal authorization for a wide variety of educational, recreational, and other outdoor activities for individuals or small groups.  However, such activities and events, while legally and environmentally permissable, may alter a site or natural resources or may exclude other public uses, for varying periods of time.  For such activities and events, formal written authorization is required so that the Agency may better monitor, control and manage their impact and duration on ANR lands, natural resources, and the public.  Formal written authorization is typically by either Special Use Permit (SUP) or License. 

There are common management principles that generally apply to all Agency lands regardless of the specific Department

responsible for management. At the same time there are also some important differences in land management goals

between the departments in the Agency based on statutory and other legal requirements. Additionally, there are instances

where regulations or other legal requirements might apply to specific areas or activities on department lands, but will not

apply to all Agency lands. Please contact a license coordinator if you have questions about an area or an activity you have

planned.

2009/2010 Proposed Fee Increases

The Department of Forests, Parks and Recreation is proposing to revise the fees charged for special use permits (SUPs) and licenses for various uses of state forests and state parks. The new fees are intended to more accurately reflect the amount of use and impacts associated with permitted activities on Department lands.

This proposal is part of a larger, Agency-wide effort to revise the fees it charges for use of Agency lands. The Department’s proposed fee changes will affect a variety of uses allowed under license or SUP on state forest or state park land including fees for guided recreational activities and services, utility rights-of-way, agricultural uses, maple sugaring, and other uses of Department lands. The new fee proposal is provided below.

The Department will be seeking authority to assess these new fees through the formal rulemaking process as established by the Administrative Procedures Act (Title 3 V.S.A., Ch. 25). The Department expects to initiate rulemaking on these proposed fee increases later in 2009 or early in 2010.

 Any changes in the fee structure for various uses of Department lands will not be implemented until the APA process has been completed. New SUPs or licenses that are executed prior to the conclusion of rulemaking will continue to use the current fee structure. Licenses and SUPs executed after the conclusion of rulemaking would incorporate the new fee schedule.  

To Comment: An important part of the APA process is to inform the public in advance and give everyone an opportunity to comment. We invite your feedback on this proposal. Comments on this proposal should be directed to:

Mike Fraysier, ANR Lands Director
Dept of Forests, Parks & Recreation
103 South Main Street, Building 9 South
Waterbury, VT 05671-0601
Phone: 802-241-3682
Fax: 802-244-1481
mike.fraysier@state.vt.us

When a Permit is Needed

Generally an SUP or License is needed for any use of ANR land when the activity:

1. is organized or publicized;

2. involves a fee (charged to participants);

3. alters a site or alters/removes natural resources; or

4. may conflict with other established uses such as hiking, cross country skiing, scientific research, hunting, etc.

5. when group size exceeds 10 people, including guides.

For definitions of the different types of permits and specific activities requiring a permit, please refer to the Uses of State Lands policy.

Process for Obtaining a Permit

The process for obtaining permission to use ANR lands begins with completing the Permit Application for Use of ANR Lands.  The application is accompanied by instructions to help you through the process.  This application form has interactive fields that can be completed if you have a recent version of Adobe Reader.  If you do not have a recent version, a link to download the updated version is provided below. In addition, each District Office of the Department of Forests, Parks & Recreation has a License Coordinator who can assist you.

Allowed Individual Recreational Uses: When a Permit is Not Required

There are a number of recreational activities by individuals that do not require an SUP or License.  Please refer to Appendix A of the Uses of State Lands policy for a list and an explanation of those activities.

Questions
If you have any questions about whether or not a permit is needed for an activity you are planning on ANR lands, you may contact the License Coordinator in your region of the state.