At once a statewide public dialogue and a critical look at the state’s past and present, the Council on the Future of Vermont (CFV) project took two years to complete (2007-2009). From the study by the Commission on Country Life in 1929 to the Commission on Vermont’s Future in 1988, these studies have engaged and united Vermonters, inspired leaders, and initiated practical gubernatorial and legislative initiatives. Such studies have often resulted in major findings about who we are as a people and the evolving assumptions and goals we share. They also have led us, as a state, to articulate a set of values that are embedded now in our special Vermont sense of place, dedication to community, and brand identity.

The CFV final report: Imagining Vermont: Values and Vision for the Future is now available. The Council members, chosen for their wide range of experiences, age, work and geography, wrote about what Vermonters want to see for our state in six areas of Vermont life. Each of these areas has specific recommendations for state and local decision makers, philanthropists, business leaders, non-profit organizations, and citizens about how we might make Vermont a special place together: Vermont Community, Vermont Economy, Youth and Education, Vermont's Landscape and Natural Resources, Health, Transportation and Public Safety, and Vermont's Civic Culture.
With the publication of this report, the findings of the Council are no longer ours alone. The report is a contribution toward action. It is for the people of Vermont to use to move Vermont forward as they see fit. For more background on the Council on the Future of Vermont: 
CFV Summary Statement
CFV Members

The structure of the Council on the Future of Vermont was also unique. This two year project included: 14 public forums, over 80 focus groups, testimony from over 40 state-wide organizations, statistical and online polling, trendline research and online input. There were also creative partnerships with Green Mountain College, Vermont Arts Council and the Young Writers Project.

All of these materials are available on the Project Elements page. 

In April 2009, the Council on the Future of Vermont presented the results of the project to Governor James Douglas, gathered Vermonter legislators and the public at the Vermont State House.

In May 2009, VCRD hosted the Summit on the Future of Vermont, the culminating conference for the CFV project at UVM’s DudleyDavisCenter. The Summit on the Future of Vermont had over 500 attendees. At the Summit, attendees  spent the day discussing the strategic directions that current planning, policy and collaborative efforts would have to take to move towards the conclusions reflected from the CFV’s Imagining Vermont report. The final report from the Summit is available here and on VCRD's website: www.vtrural.org.

In June-July 2009, the CFV final results were taken back to Vermonters across the state. Local presentations and community discussions have been held around the state: in Bennington, Brattleboro, Grafton, Burlington, Rutland, Middlebury, Hyde Park, St. Johnsbury, Newport, Barre, White River Junction, Island Pond, North Hero, Plainfield, and Randolph.

Vermont Council on Rural Development is an independent non-profit dedicated to helping Vermonters and Vermont communities develop the capacity to create a prosperous and sustainable future through collaboration, coordination and the effective use of public and private resources. Visit us at www.vtrural.org.