(Host) Three Vermont maple sugar producers will tap trees next spring on public land.
The state has approved licenses for sugaring sites on state forests in Groton, Stowe, and Mount Holly.
The licenses are part of a new program that’s designed to open up more land for sugar production. Forest and Parks Commissioner Jason Gibbs says the state licenses should serve as a model for agreements between sugarmakers and private landowners.
(Gibbs) "There are dozens if not hundreds of unused or under-utilitized sugarbushes on properties that used to be agricultural land. We think that if we can provide some models for how to license an agreement for sugaring operations, then we might be able to expand the total volume of maple sugar being produced in the state of Vermont."
(Host) The state invited people to apply for licenses on eight sites. It ultimately received a total of six applications for three of the eight sites by the July 10th deadline.
The three sites total about 300 acres. Gibbs said they were all parcels that had been used for maple production in the past.
(Gibbs) "The state wants to make sure it’s making as much of a contribution to this important industry as it can both in terms of the volume of syrup that the state is producing but also in terms of encouraging relationships that are going to help this industry expand and grow."
(Host) The license fees will include a standard $50 dollar, one-time administrative fee, plus an annual fee based on the number of taps in the sugarbush. The per-tap fee will be based on the previous year’s average price for syrup sold in bulk.