Chittenden County Regional Planning Commission; Greater Burlington Industrial Corporation

Community stakeholders

The 2018 Chittenden ECOS Plan, while targetting issues of the environment, equity, and sustainability, uses sub-strategies and actions to get at these larger scale challenges and opportunities. The 2018 Plan is an updated version of a 2013 ECOS plan which was created after 2 years of planning (2011-2013). One goal of the 2018 Plan was to strive for 80% of new development in areas planned for growth, which amounts to 15% of Chittenden County’s land area, by “increasing investment in and decrease subdivision of working lands and significant habitiats, and support local food systems.” Supporting the local system consists of action steps such as protecting farmland and forestland while supporting exisiting and new initiatives such as surban and suburban home gardens and mini-homesteads, suppporting the establishment of food processing industries, value-added product markets, workforce training, etc., supporting implementation of the state-wide Farm to Plate Strategic Plan while balancing goals for a strong local food system. Another sub-category of the ECOS plan that pertains more towards health equity, “increase opportunity for every person in our community to achieve optimal health and personal safety,” discusses healthy community design by addressing food availability, especially heatlhy food access as a driver of individual and community wellbeing.