The bill H.276, titled the Vermont Climate Resilience and State Wildlands Act, aims to designate specific lands in Vermont as State wildlands and establish a framework for future designations. It emphasizes the importance of conserving intact ecosystems to combat climate change and biodiversity loss. The bill outlines the findings of the General Assembly regarding the ecological benefits of old forests and the need for statutory landscape designations to facilitate the establishment of ecological reserves on State lands.

The legislation creates a new chapter in the Vermont statutes, Chapter 90, which defines State wildlands and outlines their management. It designates various State parks and forests as wildlands, ensuring they are permanently protected from conversion and managed to allow natural processes to prevail. The bill also specifies exclusions from wildlands designation and establishes a process for the future designation of additional wildlands. The act is set to take effect on July 1, 2025.