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At The Intersection Of Public Recreation And Private Land

Private lands provide many opportunities for public recreation in Vermont.
AP/Jeff Barnard
/
Private lands provide many opportunities for public recreation in Vermont.
Private lands provide many opportunities for public recreation in Vermont.

http://www.vpr.net/audio/programs/84/2013/01/VTED_0115_2013.mp3

Vermont offers a plethora of outdoor recreation opportunities and not all of those are on public land. A good deal of the hiking, fishing, snow shoeing and cross country skiing we do takes place on private property.

But how legal is that and what happens when you're injured while sledding on someone's land? Who's liable? Former State Representative Tom Little and Vermont Trails amp;Greenways Council Chairman Walter Opuszynski look at the rights of the public to recreate of private land and why property owners are willing to allow it.

Also on the program, back in 1885, a Jericho farmer by the name of Wilson Bentley became the first person in the world to photograph a single snow crystal. He would take pictures of over 5,000 snowflakes in his lifetime, a feat that would earn him the name of Snowflake Bentley. We learn about this Vermonter's imprint on history.

Plus, we reach into our mailbag for comments from our listeners.

Jane Lindholm is the host, executive producer and creator of But Why: A Podcast For Curious Kids. In addition to her work on our international kids show, she produces special projects for Vermont Public. Until March 2021, she was host and editor of the award-winning Vermont Public program Vermont Edition.
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