Vt. Stat. Ann. tit. 10, § 6301

It is the purpose of this chapter to encourage and assist the maintenance of the present uses of Vermont's agricultural, forest, and other undeveloped land and to prevent the accelerated residential and commercial development thereof; to preserve and to enhance Vermont's scenic natural resources; to strengthen the base of the recreation industry and to increase employment, income, business, and investment; to enable the citizens of Vermont to plan its orderly growth in the face of increasing development pressures in the interests of the public health, safety, and welfare; and to encourage the use of conservation and preservation tools to support farm, forest, and related enterprises, thereby strengthening Vermont's economy to improve the quality of life for Vermonters and to maintain the historic settlement pattern of compact village and urban centers separated by rural countryside.