Program Updates
Program Updates
- Details
- Category: Tourism
Center Vice President Joe Short is facilitating the Northeast Kingdom Regional Tourism Marketing Partnership, a regional group of Chambers of Commerce and non-profits concerned with tourism in Vermont’s three northeastern counties. The participants have joined together to collectively market all that the region offers to visitors, and to make the Kingdom a “must-see” destination for both American and foreign travelers.
In today’s competitive travel industry, few rural communities or businesses acting alone can provide the full range of activities, lodging, food and other amenities that attract discerning visitors and meet their expectations. But as a region, the Northeast Kingdom has a diverse “lifetime of experiences” that sets it apart from other places. It provides high quality services as well as authentic experiences grounded in its beautiful landscape and historic villages. Working together, the participating chambers intend to use sophisticated and consistent marketing to attract visitors and drive new opportunity to the Kingdom’s communities and businesses.
In addition to facilitating the process of establishing the Northeast Kingdom Regional Tourism Marketing Partnership, Joe is sharing what the Center has learned through its destination development work in the Maine Woods, and helping the Vermont group address essential management issues.
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- Category: Automated Wood Heat
Homes, town halls, town highway garages and non-profit owned buildings in the Northern Adirondacks are increasingly being heated with automated wood pellet boilers, thanks in part to incentives and technical support from the Northern Forest Center.
New York is the fourth state in the region to apply the Model Neighborhood approach to increasing the use of automated wood heat, and the program is driving a gradual but steady uptick in its use. The beneficiaries—homeowners, towns, and nonprofits in Clinton, Essex and Franklin Counties—are excited to make the switch and realize the benefits of automated wood heating.
"In the Town of Bellmont, we like to be frugal with our spending, but we also like to keep it local," said Supervisor Bruce Russell. "Installing a wood pellet boiler was an excellent way to meet our goals and provide heat to our Town Hall. I'm very pleased with our decision."
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- Category: Program Updates
- Mike Kopp, Owner, North Country Motor Sales. Mike is a third generation owner of family business and very active in the community.
- Melissa Grella, Founder and Executive Director, Taproot Environmental Education Center. Melissa is a native to the region and after being away returned home and is active in many facets of the local food system.
- Details
- Category: Community Forests
For three years, the Center has been working with UNH Cooperative Extension and the New Hampshire Association of Conservation Commissions on a comprehensive inventory of all town owned land in the state of New Hampshire. We aim to increase the amount of municipally owned land and maximize the benefits realized from locally-owned, sustainably-managed public lands.
Many towns own forestland, though not all are taking initiative to set social, fiscal, economic and conservation goals. The inventory used the Community Forest model as a basis for analysis on missed opportunities for community benefit. Community Forests are town-owned land that are permanently protected, have careful stewardship plans to realize community benefit, and are shaped by local decision making.