The Conservation Fund works to shelter Vermont’s most ecologically sensitive and diverse natural areas—protecting nearly 200,000 acres since 1985. Our efforts to preserve the state’s working forests reflects our dedication to maintaining environmental and economic balance.

Farm & Wilderness Camp in Plymouth, Vermont

The Fund helped protect more than 440 acres of private forests, ridgeline and vista near the village of Plymouth. This is an exceptional tract of verdant working forest and critical wildlife habitat near Woodward Reservoir that will now be permanently saved for campers, counselors and outdoor enthusiasts.

We were able to save this property, after years of effort, by negotiating a conservation easement, which will be held by the ANR’s Department of Forests, Parks and Recreation.  The property enhances a local, state and federal initiative that protected a vital wildlife corridor encompassing approximately 20,000 acres between the north and south units of Green Mountain National Forest and various state owned parcels.

Now this natural area will continue to be used by Farm & Wilderness for educational and recreational activities during youth summer camps and will remain open for public recreation including hunting and hiking. 

“The unique features of the Farm & Wilderness forest make its permanent protection and conservation so important,” said Vermont Sen. Patrick Leahy. “Farm & Wilderness is special for the experience that it offers children every summer and throughout the year learning new skills while enjoying Vermont’s natural beauty, but this forest also serves as an important wildlife habitat in the Plymouth Valley. The many generations of families who have attended Farm & Wilderness camps over the years will be able to return and again visit these beautiful natural forest communities of rich Northern hardwoods that will remain the legacy of all, on into the future.”

Green Mountain National Forest

The Green Mountain National Forest offers black bears and other wildlife a safe route through the mountains. It also offers the public a great place to experience the outdoors. The Fund has helped add more than 2,000 acres to the 375,000 acres that make up Green Mountain National Forest, one of only two national forests in the Northeast.

Our work includes helping the U.S. Forest Service complete a 30-year effort to preserve 450 acres of critical wildlife habitat here—protecting a regional source of water and providing new opportunities to hike, cross-country ski and enjoy the outdoors. 

Spruce Peak

We helped protect a 775-acre property in the Taconic Mountain range known as Spruce Peak. A popular destination for hunting, hiking, fishing, wildlife viewing and winter sports over the last two centuries, the Spruce Peak tract features ideal wooded habitat for an array of wildlife and will be incorporated into the Green Mountain National Forest.

Located near the northern end of the Taconic range—a Native American name meaning “in the trees”—the property and the adjacent public lands rest within an expansive forested area of roughly 16,000 acres on the New York border.

The conserved parcel contains some of the highest quality northern hardwood forests in Vermont along a series of ridges ranging in elevation from 1,300 feet to the 3,033-foot Spruce Peak. Two important headwater tributaries of the Batten Kill watershed, an internationally famous river for its trout fishery, can also be found on the property.

The Conservation Fund acquired the property from Meadowsend Timberlands LTD, a New Hampshire-based, family-owned forestry business that manages for the health, sustainability and long term productivity of their forestlands. The acquisition will further the Service’s effort to protect existing national forest system lands from invasive species while increasing public access to recreational opportunities.

Green Mountain Bear Corridor

Bears need an extensive, uninterrupted range for access to varied food sources, mates, and territories that young bears can claim as their own when they leave their mothers.

The Green Mountain Bear Corridor project was citizen-initiated in 1993. With the challenges and complexities of protecting a checkerboard mix of state and private lands, we helped the initiative succeed by leading the partnership to secure safer passage for black bears through the Green Mountain range.   Click here to learn more.