The Vermont Outdoor Recreation Communities (VOREC) Community Grant Program was established to support local communities and their economies through outdoor recreation and resources. In 2021, the Grant Program received over 30 full grant applications, equaling over $7 million in requests. Today, Governor Scott announced that the 2022 VOREC Community Grant Program will fund 24 projects, awarding $4.5 million to communities across Vermont.
Below, you will find additional details about those projects that are either directly led by or closely tied to our Chapters. We want to say congratulations to all the projects that received funding and we are very excited for these projects to get underway. For more information, please visit Governor Scott’s Press Release.
Mad River Riders
The Mad River Riders, in collaboration with Mad River Valley Recreation District, will receive over $400,000 in funding to support a welcome center with parking & restroom facilities. This center will serve as a hub for the surrounding trails, including MRR’s network of 60+ miles of trails in the Camel’s Hump State Forest, Green Mountain National Forest, and private land throughout the Mad River Valley. Additionally, this project will provide funds to construct a deeply needed pedestrian bridge across VT Route 100 that will link the trails to downtown Waitsfield, a plan that has been in the works for years!
Killington Mountain Bike Club
Killington Mountain Bike Club, in partnership with the Town of Killington, has received $75,000 in funding to support more than 3 additional miles of singletrack that will expand the current trail system and help connect the Town into the Velomont Trail.
Ascutney Trails Association
Ascutney Trails Association, working with Ascutney Outdoors and the Town of West Windsor, have received over $260,000 in funds to support several projects including the build of new trails on the ski mountain, connecting trails from the mountain to the Village, upgrades to the ski area equipment, and providing rental equipment for their youth ski program in the winter.
Velomont Trail
The Velomont Trail, in collaboration with Vermont Huts Association, received over $141,000+ in funding to develop a master planning process, one rooted in community engagement and long-term stewardship that will help clarify the location of the trail, huts, and hostels beyond the currently defined corridors. We anticipate that the networks of over 20 VMBA Chapters will ultimately be connected through the Velomont, and this process is an essential step to gather input from and communicate with stakeholders.
A big congratulations again to all of these Chapters and their partners that received funding for their projects. We are also excited to see projects being funded in the towns of Cabot and Wolcott and their local communities working towards expanding trail networks and connectivity.
Keep an eye out for updates from these Chapter’s as these projects get underway! If you haven’t yet, you can support these Chapters projects (and other Chapters) by joining VMBA today.
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