[cgregor]

I think a large part of it depends on the continuation of the Land Use program, which rewards owners of acreage for not developing it. We could turn into New Jersey in a hurry if it weren't for that.

[Isabella Tiger Moth]

Thank you so much, everybody, for all the awesome responses. The "close to civilization" aspect of wild nature in VT is definitely a big factor in its appeal for us. That plus the fact that my husband wants colder (than VA) and mountains while my kids want closer (to family). Me, I like warm and sunny, but I'm willing to give cold and beautiful a shot for awhile.

[Isabella Tiger Moth]

Originally Posted by cgregor

I think a large part of it depends on the continuation of the Land Use program, which rewards owners of acreage for not developing it.

Oh, I love this idea. Definitely a conservationist at heart.

[Judder]

Aside from Burlington there really aren't any cities in Vermont, and access to the outdoors is exceptional. Even in Burlington you have access to the lake and great views of the Adirondacks. Hiking and the woods might be a 20 min car ride away. Even in a town/city like Bennington (largest town in SoVT and where I live), you have National Forest 3 minutes from downtown. I walk out my back door and have access to miles of trails; I bike, walk, or hike almost every day after work.

[Isabella Tiger Moth]

Originally Posted by Judder

Even in a town/city like Bennington (largest town in SoVT and where I live), you have National Forest 3 minutes from downtown. I walk out my back door and have access to miles of trails; I bike, walk, or hike almost every day after work.

THIS is awesome.

[squarpeg]

I think the answer to your question is ...just don't live in a city. Living in Denver or Seattle? Those are cities. Why would you think nature is there? If you move to the country in almost any place in the USA there is going to be nature in your face. You do not have to go to Alaska unless you insist on grizzly bears or elk. I live in VT... 13 miles from Brattleboro. I fight the deer every year from eating my gardens, I fight the bears who rip apart my garbage cans and tear down the bird feeders and break my apple trees. I saw a moose one year standing in my pond. Yes I have lots of frogs in my little pond and in the morning there is often a blue heron down there sitting silently till he spots one. I have scary coyotes in the yard. You can hear them at night on the mountain. I have a fox den on the property, too many ground hogs. Red squirrels living in my roof, chipmunks, possums, skunks, problematic raccoons, mice chewing my wiring. bats somehow getting into my bedroom, An owl that seems to be perched outside my window each night. Turkeys in the yard and hawks swiping the yellow finches at the feeders. A lot of black flies and mosquitoes if it is a wet year. There is plenty of nature in your face in VT. Move to VT and you will often feel at war with nature whether protecting your chickens or battling through 3 ft of snow to get to the wood pile. However, I do not think it is particularly unique to Vermont as other have said. You can move to upstate NY, Maine, NH and many places in other parts of the USA and experience the same things.

[cgregor]

As my hometown turned into a suburb, Nature devolved into raccoons and roadkill. Friends who live in the agribusiness belts report that the only wildlife to be found for the most part is corn, wheat, sorghum and soybeans. So, be a little choosy about what type of rural area you might settle into. Those cities offer you expose to nature, but at a big price-- you have to travel to it.

[Isabella Tiger Moth]

Originally Posted by cgregor

As my hometown turned into a suburb, Nature devolved into raccoons and roadkill. Friends who live in the agribusiness belts report that the only wildlife to be found for the most part is corn, wheat, sorghum and soybeans. So, be a little choosy about what type of rural area you might settle into. Those cities offer you expose to nature, but at a big price-- you have to travel to it.

This is one of the things that weighs heavily on our minds. How unchecked development might affect where we choose to settle in the coming years. We'd like to buy some land (nothing much 5-10 acres) and have some still available for use (or purchase) when our kids are older. Between the state potentially opening up areas to uranium mining (unlikely, but possible) and the use of eminent domain to make way for the Atlantic Coast Pipeline, we're a little wary of buying in VA right now. We like nature, and we respect it. We'd like some of it to stick around.

[GeoffD]

Originally Posted by Isabella Tiger Moth

This is one of the things that weighs heavily on our minds. How unchecked development might affect where we choose to settle in the coming years. We'd like to buy some land (nothing much 5-10 acres) and have some still available for use (or purchase) when our kids are older. Between the state potentially opening up areas to uranium mining (unlikely, but possible) and the use of eminent domain to make way for the Atlantic Coast Pipeline, we're a little wary of buying in VA right now. We like nature, and we respect it. We'd like some of it to stick around.

Development is 100% tied to the local economy. Northern New England and most of upstate New York are not going to see a development boom outside of a very short list of desirable areas. South Burlington is a reasonable approximation of New Jersey. Traffic lights. Congestion. Strip malls. Outside of Albany as state capital of a large state, Chittenden County, and Portland, Me, there really aren't a heck of economically viable places in the region. Nobody is going to build tract housing and strip malls in the Northeast Kingdom. There's no local economy to support it. There's a little bit of tourist economy clustering where Vermont's development laws slow down ugly sprawl but it's not like metro-DC or a similar place with the booming economy that will sprawl endlessly.

[ansible90]

Originally Posted by GeoffD

Development is 100% tied to the local economy. Northern New England and most of upstate New York are not going to see a development boom outside of a very short list of desirable areas. South Burlington is a reasonable approximation of New Jersey. Traffic lights. Congestion. Strip malls. Outside of Albany as state capital of a large state, Chittenden County, and Portland, Me, there really aren't a heck of economically viable places in the region. Nobody is going to build tract housing and strip malls in the Northeast Kingdom. There's no local economy to support it. There's a little bit of tourist economy clustering where Vermont's development laws slow down ugly sprawl but it's not like metro-DC or a similar place with the booming economy that will sprawl endlessly.

Geoff, I don't think you have been to NJ lately.