Forest Service
Green Mountain National Forest
231 North Main Street
Rutland, Vermont 05701
Media Contact
Ethan M. Ready, Public Affairs Officer
Voice: (802) 747‐6760
Cell: (802) 558‐8176
[email protected]
FOREST SERVICE TO IMPLEMENT FOOD AND REFUSE STORAGE REQUIREMENTS
RUTLAND VT (July 24, 2019) – Forest Service officials announced today that they are implementing a Forest Order for the entire Green Mountain National Forest (GMNF) geared toward minimizing black bear and human encounters and interactions. The order specifies proper food storage and prohibits leaving food, or refuse on National Forest system lands in Vermont. The Order was issued to provide for visitor safety and the conservation of bears.
Similar Forest Orders have been implemented on other National Forests throughout the country including one on the White Mountain National Forest in New Hampshire. The result has been a reduction in the number of reported encounters between humans and bears. The new Forest Order applies to the entire GMNF, including the Rochester / Middlebury and Manchester Ranger Districts.
Recently, Forest Service officials in Vermont have had several reports of bear sightings, bears approaching shelters and even a bear entering a tent where campers have been present. The agency has been working to post alert notices at trail heads and at other developed campsites to notify recreation users about the recent spike in bear activity and to educate the public about proper food storage. Agency employees are also working to provide suitable food storage containers at sites where improper food storage has become problematic.
GMNF visitors are now required to store unattended food in bear-resistant containers, in a vehicle, in solid non-pliable material or suspend food at least twelve (12) feet off the ground and not less than six (6) feet horizontally from any object. In addition, all refuse containing food materials or containers shall be deposited in receptacles provided for that purpose, removed from the Green Mountain National Forest to be disposed of properly, or stored in the manner prescribed for food.
The black bear symbolizes the wild qualities of the Green Mountain State and its recovery from greatly reduced numbers throughout the region to its present thriving population is a result of sound management of bears and their habitat. Yet, humans, who often times mean well, are impacting bears unnecessarily by improperly disposing of garbage and leaving food unattended or improperly stored.
Bears are opportunists by nature. They feed on whatever is readily available in the wild, from berries to insects. Bears have a remarkable sense of smell that can lead them to unnatural foods. Garbage and food odors attract bears to residential areas, dump sites, trails, campsites, and picnic areas. Once a bear develops a pattern of relying on human food sources it begins to lose its fear of people and may become aggressive. This behavior creates safety concerns for humans and can be fatal for the bear.
Brian Austin, Acting Forest Supervisor for the GMNF said, “With the increasing potential for human and bear interaction and the success we’ve seen with food storage requirements in other parts of the country, we believe it necessary to implement this Forest Order on the GMNF in Vermont. The goal of this Order is to keep people safe and to provide for the conservation of bears. We feel that managing the disposal of garbage and the storage of food can only make a positive difference for the bears and the visiting public on the National Forest, Austin concluded.”
Some helpful tips include:
- Always keep a clean camp.
- Don’t leave any food (including condiments) out when not in use.
- Store food in bear-resistant units, hard-shelled vehicles or car trunks.
- Keep sleeping areas, tents, and sleeping bags free of food and odor (like toothpaste or deodorant).
- Don’t sleep in clothes you cooked or handled fish or game in.
- Never bury or burn food waste.
- If camping in the backcountry, hang your food bag at least twelve (12) feet off the ground and not less than six (6) feet horizontally from any object — or better yet, pack and use bear resistant containers.
- If possible, in backcountry areas, place sleeping tents at least 100 yards away from food storage and cooking areas.
- If hiking with a dog keep it on a leash or leave it home.
Persons should report bear problems or damage caused by bears to a game warden by calling the nearest State Police office, and by reporting any incidents on the Vermont Fish and Wildlife website at: https://vtfishandwildlife.com/learn-more/living-with-wildlife/living-with-black-bears.
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The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) prohibits discrimination in all its programs and activities on the basis of race, color, national origin, age, disability and where applicable, sex, marital status, familial status, parental status, religion, sexual orientation, genetic information, political beliefs, reprisal, or because all or part of an individual’s income is derived from any public assistance program. (Not all prohibited bases apply to all programs.) Persons with disabilities who require alternative means for communication of program information (Braille, large print, audiotape, etc.) should contact USDA’s TARGET Center at (202) 720-2600 (voice and TDD). To file a complaint of discrimination, write USDA, Director, Office of Civil Rights, 1400 Independence Avenue, S.W., Washington, D.C. 20250-9410, or call (800) 795-3272 (voice) or (202) 720-6382 (TDD). USDA is an equal opportunity provider and employer.
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: July 19, 2019
CONTACT: Kristin McLane, Membership & Communications Coordinator
(802) 241-8324; [email protected]
#hikevt #longtrailday
Hike the Long Trail in a Day
And Support the Green Mountain Club
Long Trail Day, the Green Mountain Club’s annual social fundraiser and hiking challenge, is on Saturday, August 3rd! Hike. Give Back. Then celebrate your success at post-hike parties across the state. Register now at greenmountainclub.org/longtrailday.
Individuals and teams will hike segments of the Long Trail to complete the entire 272-mile trail in one day, all while raising money for the Green Mountain Club to continue its work caring for the mountains and trails of Vermont. The fun continues by joining other hikers at nine local watering holes across the state to celebrate the completion of the day’s hike.
The first 272 people to register will receive a free pair of Darn Tough socks and all registrants will receive a free digital Long Trail Map included in the $25 registration fee. The first 10 people to raise $272 will also receive a Skida headband, and top fundraisers will receive an Osprey backpack! Long Trail Day bandanas and BUFFs are awarded at the $272 and $500 fundraising levels. Can’t hike that day? You can still help! Become a virtual hiker by registering and fundraising online, with the same chance to receive rewards as those hiking.
After your hike, please join a post-hike celebration at the Long Trail Day watering hole closest to your hike or home. A GMC representative will be present at each location to help you connect with other hikers and hand out any applicable prizes. After parties will run from 4-7 PM at Beer Naked Brewery (Marlboro), Mulligan’s Pub (Manchester), Long Trail Brewing (Bridgewater Corners), Lawson’s Finest Liquids (Waitsfield), Prohibition Pig Brewery (Waterbury), Foam Brewers (Burlington), and Idletyme Brewing (Stowe), and from 4-6 PM at Otter Creek Brewing (Middlebury) and Rock Art Brewery (Morrisville).
“The Green Mountain Club wants to encourage hikers of all ages to get outside and hike the Long Trail to experience firsthand the natural beauty, vistas, wildlife, and unique character of the Green Mountains,” says GMC Executive Director Mike DeBonis. “Long Trail Day is a great opportunity for the hiking community to come together in supporting their trails and to complete a significant hiking challenge at the same time.”
Long Trail Day 2019 is sponsored by Smugglers’ Notch Resort and King Arthur Flour, with additional support provided by Mascoma Bank, Casella, Chroma, Muddy Moose, Outdoor Gear Exchange, Onion River Outdoors, Orvis, Villanti Printers, Atlas Guides, Ben & Jerry’s, Community National Bank, Country Walkers, Cushman Design Group, Daly & Daly, P.C., Davis & Hodgdon Associates CPAs, Farm-Way, L.L. Bean, Mad River Barn, The Mailing Center, The Mountain Goat, rk MILES, The Skinny Pancake, Two Rivers-Ottauquechee Regional Commission, Vermont Artisan Coffee & Tea Co, The Vermont Country Store, VHB, Darn Tough, Front Porch Forum, Osprey, Seven Days, Skida, and Websticker.
Established in 1910 to build the Long Trail, the Green Mountain Club is a member-supported private non-profit organization. The GMC is dedicated to maintaining and protecting Vermont’s historic Long Trail, Appalachian Trail, and trails in the Northeast Kingdom. Every year more than 1,000 volunteers work so that future generations will enjoy the 500-mile Long Trail System. Contact the Green Mountain Club to learn more or to become a member.
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: June 17, 2019
CONTACT:
Keegan Tierney, Director of Field Programs
(802) 241-8320; [email protected]
#hikevt
Kelsey Evans, Web & Communications Specialist
(802) 723-6551; [email protected]
Kingdom Heritage Trail System Opening June 22nd
In 2001, the Green Mountain Club submitted a Hiking Trail Corridor Management Plan for the former Champion International timberlands in Essex County and became the official Corridor Manager for hiking trails there. The plan envisioned a network of foot trails connecting the existing paths on Bluff Mountain in Island Pond, Gore Mountain in Avery’s Gore, and the Silvio O. Conte National Fish & Wildlife Refuge in Brunswick.
On Saturday, June 22, 2019 – after nearly twenty years of visioning, planning, and construction – we are pleased to officially open the 20-mile Kingdom Heritage Trail System.
The project represents an exhaustive partnership effort, led by Green Mountain Club, NorthWoods Stewardship Center, and Vermont Department of Forests, Parks and Recreation, in collaboration with Weyerhaeuser Timber, Sweet Tree LLC, US Fish and Wildlife Service, the Town of Brighton, Vermont Land Trust, LandVest, and many others.
From its inception in 1998, the Kingdom Heritage Trail system (which includes the Bluff Mountain Community Trail, Bluff Ridge Trail, Unknown Pond Trail, Middle Mountain Trail, Gore Mountain Trail, and Gore Mountain East Trail) was envisioned as a backcountry path that traverses the remote and rugged working forestlands of northern Essex County.
To transform that vision into a reality, youth crews from the NorthWoods Stewardship Center’s Conservation Corps set to work on building out the trails. Over the next twenty summer field seasons, nearly 120 local teenagers and young adults from Island Pond and surrounding towns in the Northeast Kingdom worked for a cumulative 38 weeks developing the Kingdom Heritage Trail System under the guidance of Luke O’Brien, then NorthWoods Trails Director, now with VT Department of Forests, Parks and Recreation, and NorthWoods Conservation Corps leadership Ross Stevens, Dusty May, and Jon Cox.
The completed trail highlights the unique natural features of the Northern Forest landscape, promotes quiet recreation and backcountry travel, honors the forest economy and logging culture of the region, and supports local economic development in communities such as Island Pond.
“What this opening represents is a longtime dream come true,” said Jean Haigh, a founding member of GMC’s Northeast Kingdom Section and past president of GMC. “At a small gathering in East Burke on a hot summer day in 2000, a small group of volunteers heard about the possibility of a new developing trail in the wildest areas of the Northeast Kingdom. We became the fourteenth section of the Green Mountain Club, ready to put boots on the ground!”
“Over the next nineteen years, we participated in public hearings, developed management plans, sought approvals, scouted for trails through the rugged hills and valleys, and we have finally arrived at our destination. Twenty years and twenty miles – the trail is complete.”
Please join us for the opening celebration!
Where – Island Pond behind the railroad station
When – June 22, 2019
9am – Opening remarks
10am – Guided hikes on the new trail
4pm – Après gathering at Essex House & Tavern
Established in 1910 to build the Long Trail, the Green Mountain Club is a member-supported private non-profit organization. The GMC is dedicated to maintaining and protecting Vermont’s historic Long Trail, Appalachian Trail, and trails in the Northeast Kingdom. Every year more than 1,000 volunteers work so that future generations will enjoy the 500-mile Long Trail System. Contact the Green Mountain Club to learn more or to become a member.
The NorthWoods Stewardship Center is a non-profit 501(c)3 educational, research and conservation service organization serving the communities of northern Vermont and New Hampshire since 1989. Our Education, Conservation Corps, and Forest Stewardship Initiative programs interconnect to provide the knowledge and skills needed to understand the northern landscape, make use of its resources wisely, and help sustain vibrant communities and a healthier natural environment. Our Charleston, Vermont, campus is a destination for quality scientific research, youth and adult education, sustainable land-management and conservation services, and outdoor recreation.
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: June 11, 2019
CONTACT: Matt Krebs, Operations & Publications Coordinator
(802) 241-8321; [email protected]
#hikevt
Long Trail Digital Map Now Available
Joining the area-specific digital maps offered last fall, Green Mountain Club’s complete map of the Long Trail is now available as a digital map through the free Avenza Maps app in the App Store and Google Play. After installing the Avenza Maps app on your mobile device, visit greenmountainclub.org/digitalmaps to purchase your map today.
You don’t need a network connection to use this map in the backcountry. It is georeferenced, allowing the GPS on your mobile device to pinpoint your location on the map as you go. Other features include the ability to:
- See exact GPS coordinates at any time
- Mark places of interest
- Record GPS tracks
- Plot your geotagged photos on the maps
The Long Trail map combined with the Long Trail Guide and The Long Trail End-to-Ender’s Guide provide the most comprehensive resource to plan your hike on the Long Trail. The map includes up-to-date information about shelter and trail locations, mileages, and suggested day hikes. Proceeds benefit the work of the Green Mountain Club to maintain and protect Vermont’s hiking trails.
“While digital maps and their extensive features are an exciting bonus tool that help to make the backcountry more accessible,” said GMC Operations and Publications Coordinator Matt Krebs, “it is GMC’s recommendation to always carry a paper map and compass while hiking as well. Mobile devices break and batteries die and it’s important to stay found while recreating in the backcountry.”
Visit the Green Mountain Club webstore to see the complete catalog of digital maps, also including Mount Mansfield and the Worcester Range, Camel’s Hump and the Monroe Skyline, Killington Area with Ascutney & Okemo, and Manchester Area with Stratton & Bromley.
Established in 1910 to build the Long Trail, the Green Mountain Club is a member-supported private non-profit organization. The GMC is dedicated to maintaining and protecting Vermont’s historic Long Trail, Appalachian Trail, and trails in the Northeast Kingdom. Every year more than 1,000 volunteers work so that future generations will enjoy the 500-mile Long Trail System. Contact the Green Mountain Club to learn more about the GMC or to become a member.
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: May 23, 2019
CONTACT: Keegan Tierney, Director of Field Programs
(802) 241-8320; [email protected]
#hikevt
Memorial Day Weekend Kicks Off Vermont’s Hiking Season
Vermont – The holiday weekend is traditionally the start of the hiking season in Vermont. Hiking is one of the state’s top summer tourism draws and the Green Mountain Club (GMC) estimates 200,000 people visit the Long Trail System each year. The official protectors and maintainers of the Long Trail, the 109-year-old Green Mountain Club is the premier Vermont hiking organization with numerous hiking guides and maps available to Vermonters and visitors alike.
From its rocky summits to its gentle valleys, Vermont is home to hundreds of miles of hiking opportunities. This is a great time of year to get outside and enjoy a favorite hike or explore a new trail. Higher elevations currently still have snow so hikers should consider staying below 3500’ for another week or two. Lower elevations may still have muddy conditions, so please be prepared to walk through puddles and mud to avoid damaging the surrounding vegetation.
The GMC offers a few tips for early season hikers:
- Plan ahead and let someone know where you will be hiking.
- Carry a map and know which trailhead you need to return to.
- Bring a warm extra layer as mountain tops are chilly year-round and Vermont’s weather can quickly change. Be prepared for winter conditions if you are hiking above 3500’ in the near future.
- Water levels in streams and rivers may be higher than normal this time of year so use caution when crossing.
- Stay hydrated and bring food for long hikes.
- Bring rain gear; even an emergency poncho or garbage bag will help in a pinch.
- Carry out what you carry in and help protect Vermont’s special places.
“Our volunteers have been working diligently to clear the trails of winter debris,” said GMC Director of Field Programs Keegan Tierney. “However, our volunteers were delayed in starting their spring trail maintenance due to late season snowpack. They are still working on clearing the trail and hikers should expect to encounter areas of blowdowns from the winter.”
This season GMC will employ about forty seasonal employees including caretakers at high-use sites and fragile alpine summits and two professional trail crews who will work to improve or rebuild shelters and privies and complete other trail work.
To help plan and guide your next hike, pick up a GMC waterproof map, the Day Hiker’s Guide to Vermont, or the classic Long Trail Guide, all available at greenmountainclub.org and in the Club’s visitor center in Waterbury Center. New this year, GMC is also offering digital maps of popular trails in Vermont through the Avenza Maps app, available in the App Store and Google Play.
Established in 1910 to build the Long Trail, the Green Mountain Club is a private non-profit organization with over 9,000 members. The GMC is dedicated to maintaining, managing, and protecting Vermont’s historic Long Trail, Appalachian Trail, and Northeast Kingdom lands, and advocating for hiking opportunities in Vermont. Every year more than 1,000 volunteers work so that future generations will enjoy the 500-mile Long Trail System. Contact the Green Mountain Club to learn more about the GMC or to become a member.
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: April 16, 2019
CONTACT
Jessica Savage
Department of Forests, Parks and Recreation
802-249-1230
Keegan Tierney
Green Mountain Club
802-241-8320
Mud Season is Here: Help Protect Fragile Trail Environments
MONTPELIER, Vt. – Today the Green Mountain Club (GMC), the Department of Forests, Parks and Recreation (FPR), and the Green Mountain National Forest (GMNF) call on Vermonters and recreational tourists to be wary of the return of mud season to the Green Mountains and to respect associated trail closures and advisories.
The wet soils on and around hiking trails are very susceptible to erosion at this critical time of year. To protect fragile soil and surrounding vegetation, some trails may be closed by land managers. We ask everyone to please respect the signage you see. Hikers walking on saturated soils or on the sides of trails cause damage to surrounding vegetation, widen trails, and inhibit natural drainage of our beloved hiking trails.
“Even though it might feel warm and dry at your house, the trails at higher elevations are still very wet and vulnerable. It can take hours for a volunteer or trail crew to fix what takes just moments to damage by hiking on muddy trails,” says Jessica Savage, FPR’s Recreation Program Manager. “In between spring showers, we are all ready to hit the trails after a long, cold winter. Saving your mountain hikes until the trails are dry will ensure a better, longer hiking season for all.”
The period of snowmelt and muddy trails varies considerably throughout Vermont depending on elevation, solar orientation, depth of snowpack, and amount of spring rainfall. Even as it warms up in town, mountains are hiding cold, wet, snowy, and icy conditions that may persist deep into spring. Hikers who find themselves at high elevations will need better traction and warmer clothes than the valley may hint at. The GMC encourages hikers to use their best judgment. If you encounter conditions you are not prepared for, please turn around. If a trail is muddy, even if it is not officially closed, please find an alternative hiking spot.
“Lower elevation trails and backroads provide more sustainable opportunities for recreating during the spring months,” says Keegan Tierney, Director of Field Programs for the Green Mountain Club. “The sun melts snow and dries soils on lower elevation and south facing trails much sooner than those along the spine of the Green Mountains. Until the end of May, consider checking out trail systems that are maintained by our land management colleagues around the state, being sure to check on their websites for information before heading out.”
The Green Mountain Club, the Department of Forests, Parks and Recreation, and the Green Mountain National Forest thank hikers for their cooperation in helping to maintain one of Vermont’s finest recreational resources, our hiking trails.
For information on mud season and alternative hike suggestions, call the GMC’s visitor center at 802-244-7037 (or email [email protected]) or the Vermont State Parks Call Center at 1-888-409-7579 (Mon–Fri, 9am–4pm). In addition, a weekly trail update with the latest conditions and a list of alternative hikes will be posted on the Vermont State Parks website at: https://vtstateparks.com/hiking.html
Established in 1910 to build the Long Trail, the Green Mountain Club is a private non-profit organization with over 9,500 members. The GMC is dedicated to maintaining, managing, and protecting Vermont’s historic Long Trail, Appalachian Trail, and Northeast Kingdom lands and advocating for hiking opportunities in Vermont. Every year more than 1,000 volunteers work so that future generations will enjoy the 500-mile Long Trail System.
The Department of Forests, Parks and Recreation (FPR) is responsible for the conservation and management of Vermont’s forest resources, the operation and maintenance of the State Park system, and the promotion and support of outdoor recreation for Vermonters and our visitors. In addition, FPR is responsible for the acquisition, planning coordination and administration of all Agency of Natural Resources lands. Department employees are stationed throughout Vermont, including offices in Montpelier and at five regional locations. For more information, visit http://fpr.vermont.gov
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: February 26, 2019
CONTACT:
Kristin McLane, (802) 241-8324
[email protected]
Join a Hike on Winter Trails Day
LONDONDERRY, VT., – The Green Mountain Club, the maintainer and protector of Vermont’s Long Trail, is hosting our 23rd annual Winter Trails Day on Saturday, March 2, 2019.
Winter Trails Day, based at the Flood Brook School in Londonderry this year, features 15 free, guided hikes for every ability, winter workshops, free snowshoe demos, a campfire and s’mores, and children’s activities, followed by an après celebration. Hikes include Stratton Mountain, Prospect Rock, Equinox Mountain, Rootbeer Ridge, Lye Brook Falls, Bromley Mountain, Styles Peak, Lowell Lake, and trails right on Flood Brook’s campus that are perfect for families with young children. Hikes will leave from Flood Brook between 8:30 AM and 1:00 PM.
Green Mountain Club staff and volunteers will be on-site all day to assist visitors with registration, trail information, and winter hiking tips. Workshops include Winter Preparedness, Animal Tracking, and Snow Shelter Making.
“Winter Trails Day is a wonderful way to join the Green Mountain Club community in exploring our local trails in winter, as a beginner or an experienced hiker,” says Executive Director Mike DeBonis. “GMC is excited to partner with local businesses to get community members out hiking, learning, and having a great time outdoors in the winter.”
Participants are encouraged to bring layers of warm winter clothing, plenty of water, and snacks and/or lunch for their hikes. Snowshoes and/or microspikes are recommended. Snowshoe demos are available for the hikes for those who don’t have their own (first come, first served).
Special thanks to our sponsors: The Mountain Goat, Clark’s Quality Foods, Bromley Market, Cabot Creamery Co-operative, Lake Champlain Chocolates, Vermont State Parks, Paratus Exploration Equipment, Killington Resort/Pico Mountain, Orvis, r.k. MILES, J.J. Hapgood General Store, and The Vermont Country Store.
To learn more about Winter Trails Day or details about hikes, visit www.greenmountainclub.org/winter or contact Kristin McLane, GMC’s Membership & Communications Coordinator, at (802) 241-8324 or [email protected].
Established in 1910 to build the Long Trail, the Green Mountain Club is a private non-profit organization with over 9,500 members. The GMC is dedicated to maintaining, managing, and protecting Vermont’s historic Long Trail, Appalachian Trail, and Northeast Kingdom lands and advocating for hiking opportunities in Vermont. Every year more than 1,000 volunteers work so that future generations will enjoy the 500-mile Long Trail System.
