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The following testimony from Retta Dunlap, Woodbury, VT was submitted to Senate Natural Resources Committee.
By Retta Dunlap
I am going to speak from my heart, from my very soul on Act 181 and S.325.
My husband of 48 years has Alzheimer’s. I have become both husband and wife in our duties in our home as I care for him through his illness. We are on a fixed income and as I took over the budgeting, I find that we have enough to live on for now, but I also realize that his care may become expensive.
We own 12 acres of land, and I thought, oh, I could sell half of it. Someone could buy it and build a home, only to find out that the Vermont State Legislature has passed something that has allowed a rulemaking committee to put my land in a Tier Three category that would require an Act 250 permit to build a house on that property, thus making it unsellable.
I consider this a theft of our value — the state stealing land from two lowly landowners, for that’s what we surely must be. It is my understanding that the software used to designate these corridors was never intended for making policy and yet here we are. In fact, those who developed this software warned it should not be used for policy.
No one has come to look at my land to see if this made any sense. My husband and I are part of the land, from the land, just like the animals are. We have deer and moose and foxes who cross this land. They don’t need a connection corridor to protect them; they already have freedom. I’ve seen moose swimming in the lake that I live next to, which, oddly enough, is not in the corridor. And yet I am the one losing independence forced on me by my own Legislature.
I object to this theft, and the Vermont State Legislature should protect the people, and the people protect the land. I honor the animals who live here. I don’t shoo them away nor do I shoot them. But I live here too. I exist on this planet and I’m heartbroken that my own state has now made my life harder with no care for me.
From what I see from the Vermont Legislature, you don’t care about people. You care about land that’s not yours — animals that do not belong to you, that walk freely wherever they choose to go.
So yes, I object to Act 181. I object to S.325. I object to the Legislature obfuscating. No to the Legislature taking any more from the people of Vermont. The regulations here are horrendous. Businesses can’t function. Housing can’t be built because of the regulations the Vermont State Legislature has instituted in this state.
And I am tearful. I know that what I have written will be ignored, and I know it will get stuck in a file somewhere. I know there are people just like me. And I know there are people thinking, we’ll just hold our breath while reading this, for it will go away. I will continue to heartfully speak out.
If you’ve read this far, thank you.
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Categories: Commentary, Legislation, State Government
What a disgusting state we live in now.
Need I say more?
Thank you, Retta, for this touching and blood-boiling description of the evils inflicted on you by our corrupt, inept state legislature.
Land thieves are the same as horse thieves and should be treated the same. The power structure behind this agenda must be exposed as this has been going on in Vermont for years.
I have dealt with DEC and the local Act 250 board for over forty years. Each time they give another permit for more development, I’m told that they do not consider abutting landowners property values in their decisions.
As a voice of reason and compassion, I have known Retta for 20 years at least. Here experience is real and her concerns are valid. Act 181 is Statewide Zoning. So if you don’t live up in the hills where a Tier 3 “Designation” isn’t stealing your land use and sweat equity, DO NOT BE FOOLED. All the state will be Zoned according to a faceless bureaucrat regardless of your current Town Regulation.
They are coming for you next and soon. Stand up for Retta and against this “Statutory” and “Regulatory” Theft.
KNOW THIS FOLKS; YOUR LEGISLATIVE MAJORITY AND SOME RINOs DO NOT BELIEVE IN PRIVATE PROPERTY RIGHTS. Period.
They assume your plans for “developing” on your property are nefarious and dastardly and exploitative. Because they know they are smarter and more compassionate than you they will make the decisions for you.
As the wackos in my town say; RESIST.
Thank you William for this post. I have known Retta for almost 20 years as well, and I also thank her for this article. Fortunately, we have this venue to be able to share our thoughts and stories with like-minded people. We need to stick together and support each other while we struggle to maintain our property.
Again, thank you Retta, and I am so sorry to learn about your husband. Please keep in touch.
I have said all along that the only way they can accomplish 30/30 and 50/50 is to take private land ownership rights. What a mess. Another Vermont disaster. We have to get these imbeciles out of office.
…I will add, they steal our value…the steal our peace…
In the same boat as Retta, minus the spouse with a catastrophic illness…..for now. What the VT leg is doing is nothing short of theft. WHILE we continue to pay exorbitant and EVER INCREASING taxes on land we cannot use as we intended. Our blood sweat and tears went into our largest purchase in our lifetimes, our homes and property, only to have Legislators STEAL the value from us, particularly when we are most vulnerable. How dare they!!!
I’ve read some commentary and articles in past several days, with one comment being that (a) legislator(s) has said that notifying ALL the potential tier 3 land owners will be “expensive”. Thats just a crazy ridiculous comment. So, they don’t even want to tell property owners?? You know, when they wrote Act 181, they didn’t even write that into the bill. Its an *AFTER THOUGHT* Thats why bill H730 is there NOW. In committee and makes crossover. https://legislature.vermont.gov/Documents/2026/Docs/BILLS/H-0730/H-0730%20As%20Introduced.pdf
Farmers are also very concerned about these changes and how that will affect them and their ability to farm, expand if they need, repair, rework. This is just NOT right. But, unfortunately TYPICAL Of the Vermont Legislature.
Lets work together to defeat this overreach and excess. https://www.facebook.com/share/g/1CcccYytYY/
Got to repeal act 250 and all legislature that restricts the private land owner except maybe for health reasons. Bring Vermont back to pre 1965 and it will GROW sensibly.
Thx Retta for bringing humanity to the issue. We tend to our woods and improve the habitat for wildlife. Our land is up higher and the rain and spring runoff feeds the streams into the valley. We organic garden and do not use pesticides so as to keep the water pure. We raised are family on this land teaching them good stewardship and hope to live out our retirement years here. We own this land and hope to pass it on to our family when God calls us home. The last thing we need is a government telling us how to be good stewardship of our private property while raising our taxes so we may not be able to afford to stay. Our representatives have never represented us. They have only destroyed the way life use to be. Preserve our farms and our rural small town living. Amen!
We hear you Retta! Stay strong! 💖
The evil in this state, will soon be exposed. Their “agenda” is now slowly being exposed.
Not all of us are blind to their ways.
Retta, you need to convince your neighbors, and yourself, to stop electing those Democrats to the state house. By electing Republicans that espouse limited government you will start to get rid of those socialist ideas .
Remember those “Take Back Vermont “ Signs! Time to get them out again and take our State back!
My Take Back Vermont sign is still on my shed in full view of he public and has been there since the beginning of that movement. You would be lucky to find ten more still showing in this state.
Yeah, this is BS what this couple has to go through. They own the land. This state needs more sensible housing options, not overreggulation. And animal corridors? On private property? That’s total nonsense.