Public Lands

V.S.A. tit. 24, ch. 65, subch. 1

in effect

24 V.S.A. § 2401 Public lands; duties of selectboard

2401. Public lands; duties of selectboard The selectboard shall have the care of lands in the town granted under the authority of the British Government as glebes for the use of the Church of England and now by law granted to such town for the use of schools, and lands granted to the use of the ministry or the social worship of God, and lands granted to the first settled minister, and not appropriated according to law.

24 V.S.A. § 2402 State policy

2402. State policy (a) Agency of Transportation funded, designed, or funded and designed projects shall seek to increase and encourage more pedestrian, bicycle, and public transit trips, with the State goal to promote intermodal access to the maximum extent feasible, which will help the State meet the transportation-related recommendations outlined in the Comprehensive Energy Plan (CEP) issued under 30 V.S.A. § 202b and the recommendations of the Vermont Climate Action Plan (CAP) issued under 10 V.S.A. § 592. (b) Except in the case of projects or project components involving unpaved highways, for all transportation projects and project phases managed by the Agency or a municipality, including planning, development, construction, or maintenance, it is the policy of this State for the Agency and municipalities, as applicable, to incorporate complete streets principles that: (1) serve individuals of all ages and abilities, including vulnerable users as defined in 23 V.S.A. § 4(81); (2) follow state-of-the-practice design guidance; (3) are sensitive to the surrounding community, including current and planned buildings, parks, and trails and current and expected transportation needs; and (4) when desired by the municipality or specifically identified in the regional plan, implement street design for purposes of calming and slowing traffic in State-designated centers under 24 V.S.A. chapter 76A. Amended 2023, No. 148 (Adj. Sess.), § 32, eff. July 1, 2024.

24 V.S.A. § 2403 Lease

2403. Lease The selectboard may lease such lands as they deem beneficial, reserving rents for the same, which shall be annually paid into the treasury of the town.

24 V.S.A. § 2406 Conveyance of leaseholds; trust funds

2406. Conveyance of leaseholds; trust funds (a) Educational, ecclesiastical, or municipal corporations may convey by deed the fee simple in lands the title to or use of which is held by such corporations under State or colonial grant for purposes defined in such grants. Such conveyance may be made to the owner and holder of leasehold rights in such land if such lands are then held under lease, but shall not be made to other than such holders of leasehold interests except subject to such leasehold interest, if any, or simultaneously with the extinguishment thereof. (b) Such lands may be condemned in accordance with and in the manner provided by law. (c) The funds received in consideration of such conveyance or awarded such corporations as damages in condemnation proceedings shall be kept intact, in trust, by such corporations as endowment funds, and the income only shall be used for the purposes for which such lands were originally granted. (d) Such lands as may be sold, conveyed, or condemned as provided in this section shall thereafter be subject to taxation as are other lands.

24 V.S.A. § 2408 Exceptions

2408. Exceptions Any land acquired by virtue of the provisions of section 2407 of this title shall be deemed a municipal forest. A town which has such forest on the effective date of section 2407 of this title, or acquires one hereunder, shall be deemed to have complied with the provisions of such section.

24 V.S.A. § 2409 Retention of municipal ownership of lease lands

2409. Retention of municipal ownership of lease lands (a) As used in this section: (1) “Legislative body” means the officer or officers of a municipal corporation who are charged with the care of the municipal corporation’s lease lands. (2) “Lessee” means the person entitled to possess, enjoy, and use land subject to a perpetual lease and shall include the person’s heirs, executors, administrators, and assigns. (3) “Municipal corporation” shall have the same meaning as “municipality” in 1 V.S.A. § 126 and shall also include every municipal corporation identified in subdivision 1751(1) of this title, county grammar schools, any unorganized towns and gores in the State, and any of the unified towns and gores of Essex County. “Municipal corporation” shall not include the University of Vermont and State Agricultural College. (4) “Perpetual lease” means any leasehold interest in Vermont land, and every estate in Vermont land other than fee simple absolute, the title to which is held by a municipal corporation according to section 2401 of this title, arising out of or created by an instrument of lease that conveys to a person designated as lessee the right to possess, enjoy, and use the land in perpetuity or substantially in perpetuity. “Perpetual lease” shall include leasehold interests that are subject to restrictions on the lessee’s use of the land and shall include lands that the municipal corporation may repossess for nonpayment of rent or other default under the terms of the lease. (5) “Perpetual lease land” means all land described in a perpetual lease that is owned by or vested in a municipal corporation. “Perpetual lease land” does not include land described in a perpetual lease that is held in title by any person other than a municipal corporation, or any land described in a perpetual lease over which the municipal corporation acts exclusively as trustee. (b)(1) On January 1, 2020, fee simple title to perpetual lease lands shall vest in the current lessee of record, free and clear of the interest of a municipal corporation in the perpetual lease lands held in accordance with section 2401 of this title, unless prior to that date the legislative body of the municipal corporation votes in the affirmative to retain ownership of some or all of the perpetual lease lands within that municipal corporation. (2) At any time, the legislative body of a municipal corporation may vote to relinquish its interest in some or all of the perpetual lease lands within that municipal corporation held in accordance with section 2401 of this title. Upon such a vote, fee simple title to perpetual lease lands shall vest in the current lessee of record. (3) When fee simple title to perpetual lease land vests in the current lessee of record pursuant to this subsection, the land shall remain subject to any other encumbrances of record, including municipal encumbrances and easements. (c) Nothing in this section shall prevent a municipal corporation that has retained its interest in perpetual lease land held in accordance with section 2401 of this title from later conveying the land in accordance with section 2406 of this title. Added 2017, No. 152 (Adj. Sess.), § 1.

Source: Vermont General Assembly (legislature.vermont.gov)URL: https://legislature.vermont.gov/statutes/chapter/24/065Fetched: 10/21/2026