Safeguarding conserved lands into the future
Once land is purchased and conserved, our stewardship work begins. This involves working with partner agencies and organizations on how land should be managed, in some cases for multiple uses, all while maintaining the natural hiking experience and ensuring the health of the forested landscape. A critical component of this work is monitoring the boundaries of our conserved lands to ensure legal protections are upheld and boundary lines are well marked.
Our Stewardship Principles
GMC is committed to responsibly managing GMC conservation lands and easements. Properties owned by the club are managed for high quality recreation, conservation of natural resources, and sustainable timber management. Timber harvests on GMC land have been used to enhance wildlife habitat, provide revenue for the Club’s work, and supply firewood for our visitor center, which used wood gasification boilers for heat and hot water until 2025.
Volunteer Corridor Monitoring Program
More than 60 volunteers adopt conserved lands and monitor their assigned property each year. Volunteers maintain boundaries and keep watch over the trail corridor, ensuring that potential issues are documented and addressed by the land manager. This unique volunteer role involves bushwhacking, map and compass navigation, and immersion in Vermont’s backcountry landscape. These volunteers help GMC achieve its goal of monitoring every mile of boundary, every year.
A.T. Open Areas Initiative
Vermont’s rich agricultural history has left a unique mark on the Appalachian Trail through a series of open areas that enrich the trail experience and habitat diversity of the region. The Green Mountain Club, Appalachian Trail Conservancy, and U.S. Forest Service have partnered to maintain 19 “open areas,” on the Appalachian Trail between Killington and Norwich, through mowing, grazing, and sometimes controlled burning, with the goal of keeping the views open for hikers, maintaining early successional habitat, and suppressing invasive plants.
Future of Stewardship: GMC’s Conservation Road Map
Adopted in 2023, the Strategic Conservation Plan provides a plan to maintain the momentum of Long Trail Protection efforts, and to ensure stewardship of our existing properties is upheld amidst a complex and changing landscape.
Get Involved in GMC Boundary Maintenance
Joining GMC’s corridor monitor volunteer program is an excellent way to directly contribute to the success of our stewardship goals, spend time outside, and learn more about the process of land conservation and use.