The Vermont Chamber of Commerce has started a petition drive in support of bringing F-35 fighter jets to the state.
The Vermont Air Guard in Burlington was named as a preferred site for one of the first deployments of the stealth fighters.
Some neighbors of the Burlington International Airport are concerned about noise from the jets, and anti-military activists are lobbying against the planes.
WCAX-TV reports the chamber says landing the F-35 is important to securing the future of the air guard base and the tens of millions of dollars in direct and indirect economic benefits it generates for the state.
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