Vermont’s natural environment is a true centerpiece of life here. It feeds our economy in a variety of sectors, brings us relaxation and peace of mind, and is something we should not ever take for granted, but should always strive to protect. Vermonters excel at respecting ways in which people and nature can work and live in harmony, and we should keep leading our region and country as we continue to strive to keep the balance and conserve our wilds and lands.

But we also need to acknowledge that climate change has very quickly taken hold, and has affected our lives in many ways already. Warmer temperatures have brought changes to precipitation patterns, including heavy precipitation (rains, ice, snow) storms between droughty conditions, changes in growing seasons and in winter temps. While we cannot control these changes, there are protective measures that can be taken to prevent further erosion, for example providing incentives for sustainable farming, storing water between storms, providing extreme heat relief for our townspeople, and striving to power our state by renewable energy sources.