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By BETH DUGGER
When 133,000 acres of mountains, forests, and wetlands in
the Nulhegan River Basin at the heart of the Northeast Kingdom
went up for sale a few years ago,
some Green Mountain Club members saw the chance to ensure
hiker access to this region, where migratory birds, moose,
deer, and bear flourish and rare bog plants hide.
An innovative purchase took place with state and private
funds to buy the entire “former Champion Lands”
parcel, protect it with conservation easements, and release
it into the hands of three landowners: the federal government
(Silvio O. Conte Refuge), the state (West Mountain Wildlife
Management Area), and a protective forestry group that can
harvest sustainably (Essex Timber).
Who would plan for, manage, and protect trails for hikers
on such remote acreage?
In January 2000, GMC's board of directors agreed that the
club would support trails efforts for the former Champion
Lands. By February, local trails supporters were meeting to
figure the ins and outs of the public planning process involved.
And in June, a fledgeling GMC section organized in the Northeast
Kingdom, with its first purpose “to maintain and establish
trails and shelters in the Northeast Kingdom of Vermont."
Is it important? You bet. Responsible stewardship of these
lands will require expertise that GMC can provide. Species
and trails can be protected and nurtured.
Is it necessary? Leaving such tasks to state agencies just
isn't the same as having people who really care about an area.
Can the GMC extend to the Northeast Kingdom and still cover
the needs of the Long Trail? Yes, if the new section is firmly
based in local residents and people who want to hike and care
for the region. And getting Kingdom folks trained in trail
management will prepare them to come over to the Long Trail
and help as needs arise!
This new section is already fun; it’s exhilarating
to see the rapid growth and enthusiasm; and this section can
influence hiking and stewardship in the Northeast Kingdom
for years to come. These mountains play a powerful role in
our lives; we can share them.
Listen to some names: West Mountain. Lewis Pond. The Nulhegan
River. South America Pond. Potash Mountain.
Come and meet them, and the Northeast Kingdom Section of
the GMC.
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