Hundreds of acres conserved in Killington’s AT corridor

One can follow the Thundering Falls boardwalk, pictured here, up to the newly conserved 629 acres. (Photo by the Green Mountain Club)

In another step forward for conservation, 629 acres of land surrounding the Appalachian National Scenic Trail in Killington, Vermont, will now be protected for generations to come. 

The Conservation Fund recently conveyed the property to the National Park Service (NPS), thanks to funding from the federal Land and Water Conservation Fund (LWCF).

This action secures the immediate viewshed and day-hike entry on both sides of a 1.3-mile stretch of the AT, according to the official announcement. With that, the newly conserved land will continue to provide recreational access for hiking, biking, snowshoeing, and cross-country skiing. 

“This acquisition highlights the power of partnership in preserving and protecting the Appalachian National Scenic Trail. The National Park Service thanks all those involved for their commitment and support to secure this property and its critical viewshed for the enjoyment and benefit of all,” said Wendy Janssen, superintendent of the AT.

The Conservation Fund, a national environmental nonprofit, purchased the property in 2014 through its Working Forest Fund with support from the Richard King Mellon Foundation as part of 30,000 acres of former industrial timberland threatened by conversion across Vermont, New York, New Hampshire and Maine. The organization managed it as a sustainable working forest until the NPS could secure the necessary LWCF funding to acquire and protect the land. 

Those scenic 629 acres are now being managed by the U.S. Forest Service as part of the Green Mountain National Forest (GMNF) and provides critical habitat for black bears, moose and migratory birds, as well as important wintering areas for deer.

“The GMNF is excited about the new acquisition along the Appalachian Trail in Killington because the lands will provide extra protection of the trail and add valuable wildlife value and habitat connectivity along this high use trail section,” said Christopher Mattrick, ranger for the Rochester and Middlebury District.

This latest acquisition complements decades of local efforts to conserve over 16,000 acres of natural lands in the region and enhance protection for the AT corridor, including 1,017 acres adjacent to the state-owned Les Newell Wildlife Management Area that The Conservation Fund conveyed to NPS in 2012 through the Chateauguay No Town Conservation Project.

“The rugged ridgeline traversed by the Appalachian Trail in the Chateauguay region is at the heart of this high priority and vulnerable landscape of wilderness amidst an increasingly developed area of Vermont,” said Sally Manikian, The Conservation Fund’s New Hampshire and Vermont representative. “The Conservation Fund’s efforts over the last three decades to ensure habitat connectivity, recreational beauty, and watershed protection here have been driven by partnerships and bolstered by local community support.”

This is one of Vermont’s first conservation wins since the passage of the Great American Outdoors Act in 2020, which fully and permanently funded the LWCF, the announcement noted. LWCF is a bipartisan program that conserves ecologically and scenically valuable land across the U.S. — including many of Vermont’s iconic natural places, like the GMNF, Silvio O. Conte National Fish and Wildlife Refuge and the Appalachian National Scenic Trail.

Vermont’s Congressional delegation — U.S. Sen. Patrick Leahy, U.S. Sen. Bernie Sanders, and U.S. Rep. Peter Welch — supported the use of federal LWCF funding for this project.

Leahy, chairman of the Senate Appropriations Committee, said: “This trail in Killington is perhaps the most important gateway to the Appalachian Trail and to the National Forest in Vermont and the region. … This is a legacy for generations of Vermonters now, and to come.”

“We have a long history of conservation in Vermont,” Sanders said. “And it’s because of conservation efforts like this that we are able to safeguard our ecological heritage, our proud tradition of working the land, our local economies, and some of the most extensive, accessible and scenic outdoor spaces in the U.S.”

“Vermont’s outdoor recreation opportunities are world-renowned and our shared commitment to conservation and sustainability is critical to our way of life,” Welch said. “The protection of these acres around the Appalachian Trail will preserve Vermont’s wildlife and ensure this historic area remains accessible and safe for recreators.”

Management and stewardship of the AT in the Northeast is accomplished by a unique array of partnerships, all of whom helped design and implement this acquisition, according to the recent announcement. Through a partnership agreement between the NPS and the U.S. Forest Service, the lands will be added to the GMNF Appalachian Trail Corridor management unit. The Appalachian Trail Conservancy and the Green Mountain Club support the AT in Vermont through stewardship and maintenance.

— Gareth Henderson

An encouraging summer

(Gareth Henderson Photo)

With the sun shining beautifully, and the early-morning air just right, I recently went on my first run of the season. It was a brief jog, up a road near my home, and I could feel the air getting ready to warm up. Just like summer itself.

This warm season is surging ahead, like it always has, but this summer momentum is different: It's giving us something new to cheer for, after the struggles of 2020. And every day shows us more of what's to come. We know travel is picking up, and people are looking to spend much of their time outdoors. People are out running, zipping by on their bicycles, enjoying the tennis court, or maybe visiting lakes and ponds to fish. Parks are a big attraction as well.

In Woodstock, Vermont, numerous people have been visiting the trails of the Marsh-Billings-Rockefeller National Historical Park in recent days, including a number of families.

"At the National Park we continue to see an increase above our seasonal norms in the number of community members and visitors taking advantage of the park’s 20 miles of carriage roads and trails," said Christina Marts, the park's acting superintendent. "This builds on the trend we were seeing at the height of last summer when a beautiful weekend day could inspire over 700 walkers and hikers to hit the trail."

We all remember that summer, when time spent in any outdoor expanse was a true gift, with a profound impact. With that in mind, perhaps the outdoors will feel even more like a place of refuge in summer 2021, where we can find even greater peace — this time amid new progress. Memorable views like seeing Woodstock from the top of Mount Tom, or hiking up to the Pogue, might carry some special meaning for all of us this year. These scenes are still here to brighten our days, to remain nestled in the constant beauty of nature, never departing, always inspiring.

With Memorial Day Weekend — the unofficial start of summer — right around the corner, more people will head to the Green Mountains to experience our natural surroundings, and how good they are for the soul. Those early sunrises and late sunsets complete the picture of progress we've waited for. Summer is always moving, always evolving. And in 2021, it invites us to cheer it on, renew our joy in it, and share that happiness with others. There's no better way to celebrate this new season.

— Gareth Henderson