Open Letter To Community
January 23, 2020
To the Community:
Kingdom Trails is much more than a network of epic trails: it is the very embodiment of
community. The trails exist because of this community’s vision, will, heart, resilience and
generosity. There’s an incredible culture of sharing and giving that underlies these trails. It’s the
founders of KTA; the private landowners and volunteers; the outdoor enthusiasts and members;
the local business owners and town boards; school groups and visitors alike that complete and
make special the landscape and experience of Kingdom Trails. These tangible and intangible
qualities are what make these trails so special, visiting our area so memorable and why we must
work hard to preserve this remarkable community legacy.
Community is about common ownership. Unfortunately, as stewards of the trails and KTA, we
have been slow to respond to issues and concerns and we acknowledge our lack of voice and
leadership. We sincerely apologize and we take full responsibility. We will not look for excuses,
rather we will listen, and we will act. It is clear that we have insufficiently managed the
exceptional growth of Kingdom Trails, which has placed undue stress and impacts on our
community. We, like many others, have been caught up in the trail network’s economic
successes but have missed the unintended consequences and negative outcomes that growth
brings. We wholeheartedly commit to a change in focus.
Community is about public spirit. The very good news is that there is plenty of spirit and
passion for Kingdom Trails, enough to circumnavigate the earth by bike many times over. Thank
you, truly, for all of your emails, letters, social media posts and phone calls. We hope, through
better and more productive engagement, to positively channel that spirit and passion as we tackle
the issues before us.
There are two immediate ways that we are addressing community engagement. First is through
the creation of a Landowner Committee, advising the Board of Directors, and hosting regular
landowner forums. Yes, we thank them publicly every day and honor them with a celebration
annually, yet it is just that, a party. It is not a conversation nor platform to share feedback and
concerns.
Second, please bring all of that public spirit to bear on the Community Forum Open House we
are hosting on February 11 th at the Burke Town School from 5:00-7:30PM. This is a community
project, in partnership with the Burke Chamber, to solicit ideas, feedback and input on
addressing the growth, infrastructure and capacity issues associated with the trail network.
Community is shared by many or all. A lot of the dialogue on social media centered around
respecting the trails and trail etiquette. There is only one group to call out on this subject and
that is us. We have not done enough to educate trail users. It’s KTA’s responsibility to inform
trail users about proper etiquette while on our trails and when visiting our community. Nothing
undermines goodwill and a culture of sharing more quickly and effectively than a dishonoring of
common values in how we treat one another. In response, we are broadening our current trail
use policy and developing a robust code of conduct. We are exploring ways through the
membership and waiver system to ensure that every user must read, watch and agree to the code
of conduct. We will also be redirecting a substantial portion of our marketing budget to user
education and promoting KTA’s new code of conduct. Additionally, to better enforce trail rules
we will be deploying more trail ambassadors and increasing their presence on the network.
Community is about common enjoyment. We recognize that congestion, particularly on
Darling Hill and other network hot spots, has adversely affected quality of life and enjoyment.
To address this, we have taken action to relocate events such as Winterbike to East Burke Town
Center. We recently announced that NEMBAfest will not be held on Kingdom Trails. Further,
we plan to expand shuttle service around the trail network to help minimize traffic and parking
issues and build new trails to help disperse trail traffic to other areas in Lyndon, Burke and East
Haven, as well as join community-action efforts to reduce the speed limit on Darling Hill to 25
mph. And, certainly, the results of our network capacity and feasibility study will help outline
long term and sustainable solutions to better balance and manage trail use and quality of life for
years to come.
This is not a complete list of action steps or remedies but a start of more to come as there is
much work to do. As Kingdom Trails is a community endeavor, we ask you to continue to share
with us and to be engaged. We can’t bring about another 25 years of success without the
investment of our community. In turn, we promise to be more responsive and transparent as we
roll out plans and address challenges. We intend to do everything we can to regain your full trust
and support.
With gratitude,
Kingdom Trail Association Board of Directors and Staff
Katie Story, Chair, West Burke Abby Long, Executive Director, East Burke
Jake Wheeler, Vice Chair; Landowner, East Burke CJ Scott, Trails Manager, Wheelock
Tabitha Bowling, Treasurer, East Burke Lilias Ide, Marketing & Events Manager, Kirby
Thomas DeCarlo, Secretary, Kirby Erin Donnelly, Operations Manager, Lyndonville
Doug Clarner, Landowner, East Burke
Rob Elmes, Lyndonville
Matt Langlais, West Burke
Elise Lawson, Landowner, West Burke
Harry Morrison, Lyndon
Ann Nygard, West Burke
Thad Richardson, Lyndon
Dear KT Community, I write to you today as I begin a transition in my relationship with Kingdom Trails. I have made the difficult decision to take the next step in my professional journey and step away from my role as Executive Director. Serving Kingdom Trails and this incredible community over the past eight years has been one of the greatest honors of my life. I am deeply proud of the work I’ve led and supported, from navigating immense global challenges and natural disasters, to forging incredible relationships, with our landowners and community. And throughout this journey, the Northeast Kingdom has become not just where I live, but truly my home. It’s the place I chose to become a mother and where my family has put down roots. That said, I am ready to explore new ways to serve this community, ways that will allow me to continue growing as a leader. I’ve accepted the role of Interim Executive Director for the Northeast Kingdom Collaborative, where I will carry forward the work I fell in love with through Kingdom Trails: strengthening our communities and supporting thoughtful economic development. In this new role, I’ll have the opportunity to advocate not only for outdoor recreation, which is so essential to the heart of our region, but also for the many sectors that make the Northeast Kingdom such a unique and vibrant place. Please know I remain deeply committed to Kingdom Trails. This is my home, and it will remain my home. I wish to always be an ambassador for KT, including playing a role in ensuring a graceful, responsible transition with care. The Board of Directors and I have committed to this, to ensure continuity, stability, and the trust you hold in this organization. I am grateful beyond words for the opportunity to have served my community through this role, and I look forward to closing this chapter with the same heart and good intention with which I began it. Georgia Gould is stepping in as interim Executive Director to lead the organization through this transition. Georgia has served on the KT Board of Directors since 2021, leading both the Landowner and Trail Advisory Committees. She is a KT Landowner with an impressive mountain biking and cyclocross resume - including a bronze medal in one of her two Olympic bids on Team USA and five career national championships in cross-country and short track mountain biking. Georgia, her husband Dusty, and their two young children are engaged members of the Burke community and the KT team. Her deep ties to the sport of cycling, dedication to providing great trails for all skill levels, and her love of this community make her the perfect choice to lead KT in its next phase. The Board and I are thrilled that Georgia has agreed to lead KT and feel confident that she will hold the mission of the organization at the center as she has throughout her Board service. You can reach Georgia directly and welcome her to this new role at ED@kingdomtrails.org . With deep gratitude, Abby ### Kingdom Trail Association The mission of the Kingdom Trail Association is to provide recreation and education opportunities by managing, maintaining, and building trails to foster the health of our community, surrounding environment, and regional economy. Kingdom Trails strives to accomplish this mission by offering a 100+ mile network of quality, non-motorized, multi-use trails for all levels of ability, incorporating the best of our local scenery and natural diversity. The Kingdom Trails are made possible through the generosity of 106 private landowners. Northeast Kingdom Collaborativ e The mission of the Northeast Kingdom Collaborative is to improve the quality of life for all residents of the NEK through coordinated economic and community development as the vision is a strong, vibrant Northeast Kingdom where we all thrive. The NEKC brings people together to spark positive change in our communities, creating structures that bring partners together across service areas, sectors, municipal and political boundaries to provide solutions for the renewal of the Kingdom. The NEK Collaborative serves as the backbone organization for the federally designated NEK REAP Zone and community partner for USDA Rural Development.
Cannondale Dirt Party a Success
KT is taking action—on the trails and in the Statehouse!
This 2025 Legislative Session, KT is teaming up with other amazing trail organizations through the Vermont Trails & Greenway Council, to advocate for H.147 a bill to establish the Recreational Trails Compensation Study.
Why does this matter?
Vermont’s outdoor recreation economy generates $2.1B annually, nearly 5% of the state’s GDP, that's 2nd in the nation after Hawaii (Go VT!) KT alone drives $10M in economic impact annually. Therefore, the state must recognize and incentivize these generous private landowners, including the 106 who make KT possible and allow public access to trails.
