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· collected 2026-08-25 · by TOI World Desk
The Vermont Fish & Wildlife Department is planning to acquire timber rights covering 949 acres of the Snake Mountain Wildlife Management Area (WMA), with support from the Trust for Public Land, in a move expected to be completed by early 2027. This would reunite state ownership of the land with timber rights, allowing for more coordinated management of the landscape and creating new opportunities for hiking, hunting, and wildlife watching. The expansion would add 256 acres to the existing 1,215-acre WMA, bringing the total protected area to nearly 1,471 acres. The acquisition is part of an effort to protect and connect habitats in the face of environmental changes, including climate resilience.
Written by the local model on 2026-08-25,
using this article's own text rather than the other coverage of the
same event (that is the story summary below).
A conservation story that began nearly seven decades ago is entering a new chapter in Vermont.
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that → begin → Vermont
What was once a complicated split between land ownership and timber rights at Snake Mountain is now set to be reunited, potentially giving wildlife, forests and outdoor enthusiasts greater protection for generations to come.
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was → set → generations
According to media reports, with support from the Trust for Public Land, the Vermont Fish & Wildlife Department plans to secure the timber rights covering 949 acres of the Snake Mountain Wildlife Management Area (WMA).
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Department → accord → Area
The state also plans to acquire an additional 256 acres in Addison and Weybridge, expanding the popular natural area by nearly 25%.
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state → plan → %
It is reported that both transactions are expected to be completed by early 2027.
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transactions → report → 2027
A major expansion for Snake Mountain
Located between Addison and Weybridge, Snake Mountain WMA currently encompasses 1,215 acres of forested landscape surrounded largely by farmland.
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WMA → locate → farmland
Its proximity to some of Vermont’s largest population centres makes it an especially valuable place for people seeking access to nature.
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it → make → nature
The planned 256-acre addition would expand the protected area while improving habitat connectivity.
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addition → expand → connectivity
The project is also expected to create new opportunities for hiking, hunting and wildlife watching.
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project → expect → hiking
The effort will simultaneously reunite the state’s ownership of the land with the timber rights covering much of the WMA, allowing Vermont Fish & Wildlife to take a more coordinated approach to managing the landscape.
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Fish → reunite → landscape
Why timber rights matter
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rights → matter → ?
When Vermont purchased the lands that became Snake Mountain WMA in 1959, the seller retained the timber rights.
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seller → purchase → rights
This meant that while the state owned the land for conservation and public access, responsibility for growing, managing and harvesting timber remained with the private owner.
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responsibility → mean → owner
More than six decades later, the state is seeking to bring those interests together.
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state → seek → interests
Acquiring the timber rights would allow Vermont Fish & Wildlife to coordinate forestry decisions with its broader goals for wildlife, recreation, water quality and habitat protection.
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Fish → acquire → wildlife
Any future roads or skid trails required for timber harvesting could also be planned alongside conservation priorities.
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roads → require → priorities
The WMA contains eight types of wetlands, including a glacial bog estimated to be about 9,500 years old.
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WMA → contain → bog
Its forests and wetlands provide habitat for a remarkable range of species.
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forests → provide → species
Peregrine falcons nest on the mountain’s western cliffs, while mature trees provide roosting habitat for federally endangered Indiana bats and northern long-eared bats.
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trees → nest → bats
The landscape also supports woodland mammals, game birds, songbirds, amphibians and other wildlife.
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landscape → support → mammals
Protecting and connecting these habitats could become increasingly important as environmental conditions change.
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conditions → protect → habitats
Conservation groups say the expanded and reunified property could play an important role in climate resilience.
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property → say → resilience
The larger protected landscape would provide additional lowland forest habitat while helping safeguard wetlands and headwater streams.
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landscape → provide → wetlands
These interconnected natural areas can serve as important refuges for biodiversity and help species adapt as the climate changes.
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climate → serve → biodiversity
For a forested landscape surrounded by farmland, strengthening those connections could be particularly valuable.
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strengthening → surround → connections
How the project is being funded
The timber rights and additional acreage are being purchased from The A. Johnson Co., LLC, with funding assembled from local, state, federal and private sources.
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rights → fund → sources
The project includes a $1.35 million grant from the US Fish & Wildlife Service’s Recovery Land Acquisition Grant programme, funded through the Land and Water Conservation Fund.
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project → include → Fund
It also includes $417,500 from the Vermont Housing & Conservation Board, support from the Town of Weybridge Conservation Fund and significant private donations.
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It → include → Fund
The availability of federal funding is linked largely to the habitat provided by Snake Mountain for endangered bat species.
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availability → link → species
A long history of conservation
The A. Johnson Co. has managed the timber rights at Snake Mountain for decades.
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Co. → manage → decades
The company has maintained that responsible forestry can coexist with wildlife habitat, recreation and healthy natural communities.
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forestry → maintain → habitat
The planned transfer marks an opportunity to bring those long-standing conservation and forestry interests under unified management.
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transfer → plan → management
Vermont Fish & Wildlife officials say the agency is particularly appreciative of the stewardship that helped maintain the quality of the landscape over the past several decades.
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that → say → decades
More land could soon join the WMA
Snake Mountain’s expansion may not end with the 256-acre acquisition.
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expansion → end → acquisition
In 2026, the WMA is also expected to receive a donation from The Nature Conservancy consisting of two adjoining parcels totalling 88 acres in Addison.
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WMA → expect → Addison
Known as the Willmarth Woods Natural Area, the property contains one of the Champlain Valley’s largest low-elevation mature forest stands.
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property → know → stands
The area features rich soils supporting a high-quality mesic red oak and northern hardwood forest.
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area → feature → oak
It also contains the trailhead for one of the main hiking routes leading to Snake Mountain’s summit.
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It → contain → summit
Planned as an addition to Snake Mountain WMA since 1992, Willmarth Woods could further strengthen the ecological and recreational value of the protected landscape.
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Woods → plan → landscape
