Voters in seven Vermont towns are being asked whether they want two rivers to receive federal recognition under the National Wild and Scenic Rivers program.
If voters approve, Congress would be asked to add the 50 upper miles of the Missiquoi River and the 11-mile Trout River to the federal program, which could bring tourist-attracting publicity and federal money to help with economic development, water quality and public access.
But The Burlington Free Press reports that the proposal faces an uncertain fate on Town Meeting Day. In some towns, the plan has been met with local suspicion that federal recognition means federal control. Officials say that isn’t true, though the program would bring some regulatory changes.