Hazen’s Notch

Ski the Catamount Trail, a winter route spanning Vermont from Canada to Massachusetts, and you’ll be surrounded by some of the wildest forests in New England. You may catch a glimpse of an elusive bobcat or a stately moose. These woods aren’t just essential habitat; they are vital to the way of life for Vermont residents, which is why TPL is working to safeguard this threatened landscape forever.

Stretching across 800,000 acres, the iconic Green Mountains are reaching a watershed moment. Increased development pressures, forest conversion and fragmentation, and the effects of severe storms are eroding the ecological health of this landscape.

That’s why TPL is partnering with Cold Hollow to Canada to permanently protect 711 acres in Montgomery and Westfield in a conservation easement to be held by the State of Vermont. Hazen’s Notch is connected to 88,335 acres of public and private conserved land in the Northern Green Mountains. It is part of the viewshed and soundscape of the Long Trail, the nation’s oldest long-distance hiking path.

The conservation easement will protect permanent public access to the property, encouraging Vermonters to connect with nature and each other through year-round activities like hunting, fishing, hiking, bird watching, and wildlife viewing, perhaps spotting some of the ten rare and uncommon plant species, or bringing home some native brook trout from the 3.5 miles of Wade Brook and its tributaries. Ultimately, this will also bring permanent protection to 2 miles of the Catamount Trail, supporting the Catamount Trail Association’s effort to secure the remaining unprotected sections of the 300-mile trail.