Submitted by Diane Farsetta on
In its annual list of the most endangered U.S. historic places, the National Trust for Historic Preservation included the entire state of Vermont, "because of plans for several new Wal-Mart Supercenters across the state." Trust president Richard Moe explained, "Vermont is uniquely a state of small towns, and many of these downtowns would be decimated," by plans to quadruple Wal-Mart's presence in the state "to at least 1.3 million square feet in seven new stores." Dismissing the Trust's characterization, Wal-Mart's community affairs manager Mia Marsten said, "We are asking for and getting local input" on the new stores. The Trust encourages Vermonters to "persuade Wal-Mart and other large retailers to adapt the way they do business so as to enhance existing communities."
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