Conserving the Long Trail System

Green Mountain Club's Strategic Conservation Plan

Hikers on Camels Hump, August 2023

The Green Mountain Club

The mission of the  Green Mountain Club  (GMC) is to make the Vermont mountains play a larger part in the life of the people by protecting and maintaining the Long Trail System and fostering, through education, the stewardship of Vermont’s hiking trails and mountains.

The Green Mountain Club and Long Trail System are located on land which is the traditional territory of Indigenous peoples including the Western Abenaki. This land has served as a site of meeting and exchange among Indigenous peoples for thousands of years.  We recognize and respect them as the traditional stewards of these lands and waters, and whose presence continues to enrich our community. We strive to respect and protect the lands within our use.

The Green Mountain Club was founded in 1910 with one goal: to build a long-distance hiking trail that spans the length of Vermont’s mountains. The first of its kind, the  Long Trail  (LT) was built as a “footpath in the wilderness” for hikers to experience Vermont’s natural beauty. It runs the length of Vermont for 272 miles along the ridgeline of the Green Mountains, shown on this map as the red dotted line.

Over the years, the Green Mountain Club has evolved as an organization to manage and maintain more than just the Long Trail.

Today we have staff,  volunteers , and  GMC Sections  that care for roughly 500 miles of trail in Vermont, including:

And the  Kingdom Heritage Lands  trails in the Northeast Kingdom; and LT and AT  Side Trails , shown here in orange.

Collectively, these trails are called the Long Trail System.

Trail Protection

Successful trail management involves protecting and caring for the land on and around the trail. Since 1986, GMC has been working to secure the entire route of the Long Trail and the forested landscape it traverses, so that it can remain open for public access. Today 97% of the Long Trail System is protected and GMC remains committed to conserving the last 3% through acquiring ownership or easements.

This Strategic Conservation Plan is GMC's road map of how to do that.

The goal of GMC’s trail protection work is to secure a permanent, legally protected route for the Long Trail System, primarily through the conservation of a predominantly natural, 1,000-foot-wide land corridor for public use.

Permanent and legal protection for the Long Trail System is critical because it:

  • Preserves the continuity of long-distance hiking trails.
  • Guarantees public access.
  • Ensures the trails can traverse the preferred route, allowing for the high elevation, remote, and natural hiking environment of the Long Trail System.
  • Provides long-term stability for GMC and our partners to invest in trail construction and maintenance work.
  • Allows GMC and our partners to access public funding opportunities that require legal protection for trail maintenance projects.

History

of Long Trail System Protection

In 1986, the Green Mountain Club launched the  Long Trail Protection Campaign , an effort to permanently protect the trail through legal easements and public land ownership.

The Campaign launched in response to several major threats that arose in the 1980’s to the integrity of the trail. 

Among those threats were a house that was built on the trail in Jonesville and a radio tower installed on nearby Robbins Mountain.  Both landowners asked the club to move the trail.  Most of the landowners in the vicinity were not receptive to GMC's trail relocation requests, so the LT was relocated to the road, subjecting hikers to a two-mile road walk through the Winooski River Valley.  

Around the same time, several large tracts of timberland in northern Vermont were put on the market.  GMC was unsure if new owners would continue to allow the trail to exist on the property or if the land would be developed or cleared.  The club realized that to ensure the future of the trail and maintain it as a “footpath in the wilderness” GMC would need to proactively work to protect a corridor of land surrounding the trail in locations where it crossed private land.

How GMC Legally Protects the Trail

Since starting the Campaign, GMC has worked closely with federal, state, and nonprofit partners to conserve over 25,000 acres of land through over 100 conservation projects. 

Much of this work has been made possible through the allocation of state funds. Land purchases supported by public dollars have allowed GMC to transfer the properties to state ownership and be incorporated into a State Forest. 

Together these conservation projects have added land to Camel’s Hump State Park, Mt. Mansfield State Forest, Hazen’s Notch State Park, Jay State Forest and created the Long Trail State Forest, dedicated in 1993.

The club retains a trail right-of-way and conservation easement on land transferred to the state in order to ensure that the trail is permanently protected. 

GMC has also purchased land that the club now owns "in fee" and manages for recreation and conservation. In a few cases, the club has purchased conservation easements from private landowners who were interested in protecting the trail but not willing to sell their land.

GMC's Long Trail protection work aims to establish a minimum of a 1,000-foot-wide corridor of protected land centered on the trail.  In many places GMC has purchased additional land to protect wildlife habitats, rare plant species, or other recreational trails such as the Catamount Trail.

GMC seeks to cultivate protection opportunities with willing landowners.  Since 1986, GMC has acquired land at auction and tax sale, bought land to exchange for a piece of Long Trail land, rescued properties that were to be developed, and worked with trail supporters who wished to donate their land.  Some negotiations with landowners have taken over 30 years to come to fruition!

GMC strives to take a collaborative, persistent but patient approach to reach the best long-term protection for the trail system and the land.

Where We Are Now

Much has been accomplished since Long Trail protection work was launched in 1986. Today the Long Trail System is 97% protected.

Explore the map below by dragging the slider from right to left to see the status of conserved lands along the Long Trail in northern Vermont in 1986, when GMC's Long Trail protection work started in earnest, and where we are today:

How Far We've Come : the status of Long Trail protection, 1986 vs. 2023

So much has been accomplished!

However, the goal of fully protecting the Long Trail System has not yet been reached and the work must continue.

The 3% of the Long Trail System that remains unprotected still presents the threat of trail closure or development.   We must continue to work strategically to ensure permanent, legal protection of the Long Trail, Appalachian Trail in Vermont, and their side trails as remote backcountry hiking destinations. 

GMC's Conservation Plan

To protect the Long Trail System, GMC aims to conserve a 1000-foot wide land base around the Long Trail, Appalachian Trail in Vermont and designated Side Trails.

Our conservation approach is organized into four tiers:

  • Tier 1: Legal protection of Long Tail and Appalachian Trail treadway
  • Tier 2: Legal protection of Side Trail treadway and trail infrastructure
  • Tier 3: Conservation of priority parcels within the 1,000-foot Long Trail System corridor
  • Tier 4: Enhanced protection for Long Trail System that crosses leased or licensed public lands

While all tiers are important for the realization of Long Trail System protection, Tier 1 is deemed the most critical, followed by Tier 2 through 4.  This system is meant to help with the allocation of resources.  Tiers are worked on concurrently to curate and develop project opportunities.

Conservation Criteria

GMC uses the following criteria to determine if a property is a conservation priority:

Lands that host:

  • Long Trail System treadway
  • The 1,000-foot-wide trail corridor
  • A Long Trail System overnight site and the 500-foot buffer around each site
  • Long Trail System designated overnight water supply site and a 500-foot buffer around each site
  • A designated Long Trail System access point

Use this map to explore the Long Trail System and these conservation criteria using the +/- buttons in the bottom right of your screen.

Land Protection Tools

GMC uses the following conservation tools to protect the trail system:

  1. Fee acquisition by partner organization with GMC held conservation easement that ensures public access to and protection for the Long Trail System.
  2. Fee acquisition by GMC.
  3. Conservation easement on privately owned land, with public access to and protection for the Long Trail System held by GMC or partner organization.
  4. Permanent trail right-of-way (ROW) held on private land by GMC or partner organization.
  5. License agreement for trail and corridor held on private land by GMC or partner organization.
  6. Verbal permission for trail between GMC and landowner.

Fee acquisition of the Long Trail treadway and surrounding corridor is the highest standard and GMC's goal for Long Trail System protection.

GMC recognizes, however, that buying a property is not always possible. The club only works with landowners who are willing to discuss conservation options and strives to craft conservation projects that meet the needs of all parties. GMC aims for the most desirable level of protection but maintains flexibility to secure achievable outcomes.

Conservation Targets

Tier 1: Long Trail and Appalachian Trail in Vermont Footpath

Legally protecting the footpath of the LT and AT in Vermont is the top priority for GMC's land conservation work.

There are currently 22 parcels within Tier 1 for LT and AT in Vermont protection, including parcels for potential trail relocations.  These parcels total 5,995 acres and the current land ownership ranges from private individuals to institutions and towns.

LT and AT in VT Protection Strategy:

The remaining private properties along the Long Trail and Appalachian Trail in VT are each unique landownerships with specific reasons why legal trail protection has not been possible to date. GMC has an individualized approach for each parcel and will work to cultivate willing landowners and feasible conservation projects on a parcel-by-parcel basis.

Tier 1 Project Case Study

Thirty-four years of negotiations and patient dedication paid off in September 2020 when the “ Codding Hollow ” tract in Waterville and Johnson was brought under public ownership.  The 160.7 acres of forested land hosts one-third of a mile of Long Trail and had been held by a timber company who had allowed public access across its land. GMC had sought opportunities to conserve the land since the early 1990’s but it wasn’t until 2020 that a feasible opportunity arose. The club worked with partners at the Trust for Public Land and the State of Vermont to use public dollars allocated by the Vermont General Assembly to purchase the land and add it to the Long Trail State Forest. GMC retained a conservation easement on the parcel and a critical gap in the Long Trail’s contiguous corridor was filled.

Tier 2: Side Trails and Trail Infrastructure

Of the 84 designated side trails within the Long Trail System, 38 cross properties where they are not legally protected.

These trails vary widely in their history, layout and protection needs. As a result, GMC has categorized each of these trails into one of the following conservation strategies:

Proactively protect: GMC's Land Conservation program will work to have regular communication with landowners to cultivate opportunities to legally protect the trail.  The current trail route is desirable, and GMC can justify the resources it would take to conserve and steward the property or an easement for the trail.

There are currently 25 side trails GMC ranks as proactively protect, across nine different properties.

Reactively protect: GMC's Land Conservation program will monitor these areas and if a threat to the trail or request from the landowner arises, GMC will work to determine if trail relocation or land acquisition should be pursued at that time. 

There are currently 11 side trails GMC ranks as reactively protect, across 29 different properties.

Do not protect: GMC's Land Conservation program will not monitor for trail protection opportunities.  GMC will continue to maintain the trail as is, but if a threat emerges, the club will delist the trail and will not take protection or relocation action. Value offered by the trail is not significant enough to justify time or expense needed for its protection.

There are currently two side trails GMC ranks as do not protect, across 17 different properties.

Trail Infrastructure

There are currently two Long Trail System overnight sites in need of legal protection.

Overnight Site Protection Strategy:

GMC aims to protect one of the shelters and replace the other with a new overnight site on existing public land.

Tier 2 Project Case Study:

In 1994, GMC was a number of years into the Long Trail Protection Campaign and reaching out to landowners to see if they were interested in selling their land.  Upon writing to the landowners who hosted the first half mile of the Jerusalem Trail in Starksboro, GMC learned that they had been considering building a house on the lot, but were willing to sell instead.  By the end of 1994 GMC had purchased their 42 acres, including 850 feet of road frontage, and the trailhead of this important side trail was secure!

Tier 3: Trail Corridor Lands

Trail Corridor Lands

GMC aims to protect a 1,000-foot-wide corridor of land along the Long Trail System to buffer the trails from surrounding land uses and create the “footpath in the wilderness” environment.

The Long Trail System is buffered along much of its route by the expansive Green Mountain National Forest and State Forest systems.  However, there are sections of the trail system that do not have a full 1,000-foot, legally protected corridor.  As of this conservation plan, there are 334 parcels that partially lie within the 1000-foot trail corridor that are not legally conserved.  The parcels range widely in size, location, topography, development status and perceived threat.

To prioritize the 334 corridor parcels, GMC developed a  ranking system  that assigns greatest value to parcels that have significant miles and acres of trail corridor, a higher perceived risk of potential development, natural land cover, and the potential to be protected through a partnership project.

Corridor Protection Strategy:

To make progress on corridor lands protection, the club aims to work with GMC  Sections  and conservation partners to identify opportunities and local connections. High ranking corridor landowners will be contacted and GMC will work to cultivate conservation opportunities with willing landowners.

Tier 3 Project Case Study:

GMC identified a 110-acre parcel in Hazen’s Notch as a Long Trail protection priority in 1996. 

The property did not host the Long Trail footpath, but its western boundary sat just 100ft off the trail, and its conservation was seen as an important buffer to the LT.  In addition, the land hosted a section of Route 58, which in the winter is unplowed and used as both a VAST snowmobile trail and the Catamount Trail. Finally, the acres, although heavily logged at that time, abutted Hazen’s Notch State Park on two sides, and were seen as a critical addition to the state’s Natural Area.

In 1996 GMC wrote the landowner a letter, inquiring about their 110-acre property in Hazen’s Notch. The landowner, then residing in Florida, had dreams of building a log home and retiring there some day, and would only entertain a purchase price well above appraised value for the property. As a practice, GMC does not pay substantially above appraised value for any conservation project. GMC continued to correspond with the landowner, inquiring annually between 1996 and 2000. By 2000, circumstances had changed and the family was interested in selling.  Once an updated appraisal was done, a purchase price was negotiated, and the property was conserved within two months!

Tier 4: Third Party Lease or License Areas on Public Lands

The Long Trail System passes through or near nine downhill or cross-country ski areas.  Four ski areas that intersect the Long Trail System occupy lands under private ownership.  Two ski areas are on Federal land and operate under a special use permit (SUP) with the U.S. Forest Service.  Six ski areas are on State land and operate according to conditions of long-term leases.

Ski resorts have shared the landscape of the Green Mountains with the Long Trail System for decades and relations between the ski industry and the trail community have generally been cooperative. 

Ski Area Protection Strategy:

As commercial use of Vermont’s mountains continues to grow and evolve, particularly as ski areas move towards four-season operation, GMC will work with each ski area to conserve the Long Trail System through binding agreements with ski areas that operate on public lands. Agreements will aim to address the nature and degree of ski area and trail expansion within the 1000 ft trail corridor.

The Plan in Action

This plan was developed by a working group of GMC's Land Conservation Committee. The volunteer members were Robert Paquin, Eliza Letourneau, Gannon Osborn, Joe Bahr, Melissa Reichert, Tom Candon and John Plummer working with staff member Mollie Klepack Flanigan.

GMC Board of Directors adopted this Strategic Conservation Plan September 16, 2023.

Implementation is being done by GMC staff, guided by a committee working group.

Upon adoption, the plan promptly started bearing fruits of clarity and efficiency for GMC's trail protection work. For instance, a few days after the September Board meeting, a partner recreation group called GMC, asking about the club's trail protection plans for a Side Trail the group also utilizes for access. Staff were able to relay GMC's protection plans during that phone call, providing the critical information the same day. Before the Strategic Conservation Plan, getting the partner an answer would have taken weeks as the appropriate staff and board committees were consulted to determine the answer.

GMC will review and update this plan on a five-year cycle, starting in 2028.

The Path Ahead

Bringing the Long Trail System to within 97% protection has been made possible through a wide range of public and private partnerships, and financial support from philanthropic and public funds. 

To protect the last 3% will require collaboration, creativity, and strategic persistence. 

Together we can realize the goal of a legally protected and conserved Long Trail System for future generations to explore.

Thank you for being part of this exciting journey!

How Far We've Come : the status of Long Trail protection, 1986 vs. 2023