Our Origins

Save Vermont Airspace was formed by a group of concerned citizens in Lincoln, Vermont. An application for a private airstrip was approved in 2022 without any knowledge or involvement of abutters or the wider group of neighbors potentially impacted by this project. The neighbors organized to appeal the permit, and the town upheld the appeal, and denied a second permit application. The applicants have appealed the town of Lincoln's decisions to the state court.

It became clear through this process that state and local regulation of private landing areas was insufficient to address the many impacts of airstrips and helipads, including on climate, wildlife, safety, peace and quiet, farm and domestic animals, and the character of rural areas and towns. 

As a result, the group of concerned neighbors in Lincoln formed Save Vermont Airspace to help others across the state avoid the long and difficult process of finding basic information on this issue, to help them learn from cases in other towns, and to support a new approach to regulation that prioritizes the existing character of towns and neighborhoods, the environment and wildlife, and does not ask dozens of neighbors to bear noise, pollution, and safety concerns, and a decline in quality of life and property values, for the enjoyment and convenience of a single individual or family. Most of all, Save Vermont Airspace is working to give rural communities a real say over whether to allow private landing areas in their backyards - or not.

The original group of concerned citizens has been joined by others in towns across Vermont, but began with the following from Lincoln: Mark Atkins, Stephanie Atkins, Sarah Farr, Halle Forrest, Christine Fraioli, Marilyn Ganahl, Dan Guy, Michelle Hall, Edward Lafayette, Kristi Lafayette, Sarah Laird, Anne Lawrence, Michael O'Connor, Louise Rickard, Peg Sutlive, and Jaquelyn Tuxhill. 

Please join us as we work to ensure the public has a voice, and common sense regulations are developed for private airstrips and helipads across Vermont.  

Save Vermont Airspace is a registered Vermont Domestic Non-profit Corporation.