Vermont’s public lands are costly to maintain. And soon, many may be more expensive to visit.

Mihaela Chircă

Standing on a dock at a Lamoille River fishing access last week, Andrea Shortsleeve said that ballooning expenses and high demand are making state land and infrastructure harder and harder to manage. Moments later, Shortsleeve, who is the Vermont Fish and Wildlife Department chief of operations, watched an enthusiastic motorboat pilot crash into the dock, leaving the structure shuddering and sending a passenger sprawling. “Crunch,” Shortsleeve said. “It’s a strong current today.” Shortsleeve’s