Contact:

Hannah Phillips, State Lands Administration Program Manager

Department of Forests, Parks, and Recreation | Agency of Natural Resources

802-622-4661, hannah.phillips@vermont.gov

Public Invited to Comment on Aitken State Forest Draft Management Plan

Mendon, Vt. – The Vermont Agency of Natural Resources (ANR) invites public comment on the draft long-range management plan for Aitken State Forest (918 acres), located in Mendon, Rutland County. The management plan serves as a guide for land management on ANR lands and typically covers a planning period of 20 years. ANR conducts public outreach as part of the planning process to develop a better understanding of the public’s interest in and use of state-owned lands.

A state forest since 1912, Aitken State Forest has hosted a variety of recreation, firewood, hunting, timber and habitat management activities for over 100 years. Aitken State Forest offers opportunities for hiking, universally accessible trail access, snowmobiling, and pedestrian winter recreation. It also includes remote areas for wildlife and nature observation and supports the long tradition of hunting, fishing and trapping in the forest. The Bald Mountain and Tamarack Notch Trails are popular year-round, and a snowmobile trail connects to a VAST trail corridor through Aitken State Forest.

Aitken State Forest is located on the western edge of a large forest block that totals nearly 46,000-acres and is connected to the Green Mountain National Forest by the 1,350-acre Jim Jeffords State Forest and the 17,000-acre Coolidge State Forest. These local and regional connections between large forest blocks serve an important role in maintaining long-term health and viability of plant and animal populations.

Members of the public who wish to review and comment on the plan can visit https://arcg.is/0KinX5 to learn about the Aitken State Forest draft plan and to take the public comment survey. Comment can also be shared by email to ANR.AitkenSFPublicComment@vermont.gov.

###

The Vermont Agency of Natural Resources is charged with oversight and management of Vermont’s natural environment on behalf of the people of Vermont. It is comprised of three departments: the Department of Forests, Parks and Recreation, the Department of Fish and Wildlife, and the Department of Environmental Conservation.