Community Forests of Vermont

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Summary of Vermont Foundation Forests Back to Main Directory (view other states)

Brookfield Farm Danby, VT /87 acres

Two years of careful thought and research by Mrs. Charles H. Simmons resulted in her donation of 87 acres of land in Danby, VT in 1984. This hard work led Mrs. Simmons to the conclusion that NEFF is the only organization that would manage her land for both timber and wildlife.
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Farwell Forest Leicester and Salisbury, VT /182 acres

This property was donated to NEFF in 1984 by Alan S. Farwell. The property came with an endowment for maintenance, which is utilized by the local church that oversees much of the work. Beautiful views extend westerly, towards the Champlain Valley, the Adirondacks High Peak area, Mount Mooselamoo and the village of Salisbury.

Visitors may drive or walk to the shelter. It is a good picnic spot with nice views and is open during the summer in daylight hours.
Map Available

Directions: From Salisbury Village, turn onto West Shore Road. Travel 0.5 miles. Access entrance will be on the right.
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Foxchair Mountain Forest Springfield and Chester, VT /64 acres

This forest was donated in 1994 by Esther Coke of Marshfield, Massachusetts. The property consists of young hardwoods and pines that are recolonizing old fields along Foxchair Mountain Rd., as well as mature forest along the steep hillsides along the back. A harvest was conducted in 1997 to create a more diverse age class distribution in portions of the forest.
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Hawk's Hill Demonstration Forest East Barnard, VT /191acres

This parcel was donated by Richard & Elizabeth Brett in 1963. It was the second Tree Farm established in Vermont. The property is intensively utilized for recreational and educational purposes. There are five miles of trails available for hiking and skiing, including two self-guided nature trails. It is one end of the 10 mile long Skyline X-country Trail, which crosses the valley to Amity Pond Natural Area and follows the ridges to South Pomfret. A brook and three ponds are available for fishing.

Over the past five decades there has been almost constant activity on the forest. This includes cull tree girdling, timber harvesting, tree and shrub planting, weeding and pruning, commercial thinning, wildlife habitat improvement, trail improvement and archeological documentation. A 10-acre red and white pine plantation was established in 1947 in the last open cropland to be cultivated. In 1990 NEFF established a small Christmas tree plantation, a small Japanese larch plantation and a wildlife plant nursery. The wildlife plants are sold to landowners interested in transplanting them on their property as natural bird feeders. Cultural resources include an old town road, which contains a stone culvert, four cellar holes, a small cemetery, a shallow dug well and several stone walls.

NEFF conducts tours of the property to visiting groups of schoolchildren, summer campers, scouts, and adults. Occasionally more intensive forestry workshops are held. The property has a farmhouse as well as a guest house which is rented out to visitors, usually for weekends or weekly stays. Except for four acres of fields and lawn around the houses, the entire property is wooded.
Map Available

Directions: From Interstate 89, take exit 2 at sharon. Go south on Rte. 132, go .10 mile, take right onto Rte. 14N. Go .30 mile, take left over White River. Follow road on right, go 1.5 miles to cemetery on right. Turn left under railroad bridge to Broadbrook Rd, follow 5 miles to E. Barnard village and take a right. After .20 mile take left fork up hill, through sawmill to end of road. Look for signs.
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Isham Memorial Forest Manchester, VT /81 acres

The Vermont Land Trust (VLT) and NEFF signed the final papers on their first joint project in 1990. The Isham Memorial Forest lies on the side of Equinox Mountain, overlooking Manchester Village and the Equinox Hotel. It had been given to the Vermont Land Trust by Robert and Mary Schmid in honor of Mary's family, who had owned it for over 100 years. The land is now owned by NEFF and the VLT holds a conservation easement on the property, assuring that it will remain protected forever. NEFF acquired an additional 14 acres from the Burr and Burton Seminary in 1998.

The property includes many good walking trails and an interesting cellar hole. It is the remains of a "pest house", used by colonists to isolate citizens with communicable diseases.
Map Available

Directions: From the Equinox Hotel in Manchester, turn onto Seminary Avenue. Approximately 0.4 miles past the Burr and Burton Seminary, turn right. Follow this road to a metal gate. From this point, either drive or walk to Equinox Pond. The property line starts approximately 100 feet to the west of the pond.
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Morrison Memorial Forest Stowe, VT /140 acres

This parcel was donated by Katherine Morrison in 1978, in memory of her husband, Charles W. Morrison, and her daughter, Suzanne W. Ganache. It is adjacent to the vonTrapp Family Lodge and Ski Touring Center. One of the center's ski trails passes through the property, first along the Old County Road through the middle of the forest, then cutting across along the southeast boundary.

The land ranges from flat and somewhat wet to steep, ledgy and dry and is dominated by northern hardwoods. A small pond and a spring house are located on the property. A good system of truck and skid roads currently exists due to several years' worth of improvement cuttings in the 1980s.
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Mowry Memorial Forest Elmore and Morristown, VT /274 acres

In 1980, Mrs. Lewis D. Mowry of Morrisville gave the Foundation this parcel of land. Originally called "Timberdoodle" by the Mowrys, this large farm, with vistas of Mount Elmore and Mount Mansfield, provides excellent cover for woodcock, also known as the "timberdoodle".

The forest contains two beaver ponds and associated wetlands, a major brook (Bedell Brook) and two minor brooks. There are two small plantations of red pine. The forest cover is a mix of northern hardwoods, mixed wood and spruce/fir/hemlock. Access by foot is possible on the network of skid roads used for timber management.
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Nichols Memorial Forest Dorset and Mt. Tabor, VT /426 acres

This spectacular property was given to NEFF in the spring of 1981 by Mr. Charles W. Nichols, Jr. of New York City. Nichols Forest contains open and wooded land at the foot of the Green Mountain Range. Bordered on the east by the Green Mountain National Forest and on the south by the Emerald Lake State Park, Mr. Nichols' gift is a significant contribution to forest conservation in the region.

Good timber stand improvement practices have been followed for many years, and the combination of old pasture land, meadow land, and woodland creates excellent habitat for a range of wildlife species. The property is a popular area for hikers, especially the open acres which provide good views. There is a sign-in box at the parking area.
Map Available

Directions: Traveling south on Route 7, approximately 2 miles past the village of Danby, turn left on Town Road #5 (Mad Tom Road). Follow TR #5 for approximately 2 miles. Parking will be on the right.
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Reeves Memorial Forest and Royster/Liebowitz Forest Reading, VT /77 acres

The Reeves Memorial Forest was donated to NEFF in 1983 by John Leslie in honor of his neighbor. The Royster/Liebowitz Forest was donated by Laurence Liebowitz & Constance Royster in 1986. Bridle trails through the property are used by members of the Green Mountain Horse Association, which has trails laced throughout the area. A 1/4 acre vista was opened up adjacent to a trail in 1990, giving a nice view to the northeast. An old town road borders the forest on the east.

The forest contains very good quality sugar maple sawtimber, fair to good quality mixedwood poletimber, and saplings of pioneer species. Two timber harvests have been conducted, including two patch clearcuts in the mixed wood stand. Adjacent to the log landing is a small pond.
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Savage Forest Reading, VT /180 acres

This forest was given to the Foundation in 1994 by Stephen and Barrie Savage. The property is dominated by a beautiful sugar maple forest with associated areas of northern hardwoods, hemlock, and an 8-acre field. The property has extensive road frontage along an old town road and contains over a mile of frontage on both sides of Bailey's Brook.
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S. Lytton Scott Memorial Forest Sandgate, VT /425 acres

The S. Lytton Scott Memorial Forest was given in 1976 by Mrs. Dorothy Sullivan Scott of New York City in memory of her late husband. This picturesque 425-acre forest is a wooded and remote property in rugged terrain with beautiful views. Managed by NEFF since 1974, it is used for quiet recreation and to demonstrate the role of forest management in creating and maintaining wildlife habitat.

Mrs. Scott, expressing what she and her husband felt about the land, quotes Willa Cather, "We come and go but the land is always here and the people who love and understand it are the people to whom it belongs for a little while." Through Mrs. Scott's gift, the S. Lytton Scott Memorial Forest will belong forever to the people of New England.
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Andrew Weeks Memorial Forest Guilford, VT /171 acres

This parcel was donated by Reed and Nathan Anthony, great-grandsons of Andrew Weeks. This gift was made possible by the cooperative working relationship between NEFF and the Vermont Land Trust, which now holds a conservation easement on the property.

A lovely trail follows the brook and is lined with sugar maples. It is suitable for all ages and hiking abilities. There is another trail located across the brook, but is suitable only for experienced hikers. This trail, traversing a sizeable area that has been logged, offers great opportunities to observe wildlife.
Map Available

Directions: At Guilford Center Town Hall turn onto Carpenter Rd. Go over the bridge and up the hill to the field edge on your left. At the back of the field you will find hiking trails along the brook and across to the logging trails leading up Wilkens Hill.
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Elizabeth and Donald Wesbrook Woods Pomfret and East Barnard, VT /27 acres

This forest was donated by Mary and Peggy Wesbrook in 1990 in memory of their parents. The Vermont Land Trust has been given the development rights in conjunction with the donation to NEFF.

Old skid roads were used to establish a nature trail loop in 1991. The log landing serves as a parking area. Originally a potato field and sugarbush, the forest now consists of an even-aged sugar maple stand and an all-aged northern hardwood stand. The property fronts on Broad Brook for 1600'. Hunting, trapping, snowmobiling or other motorized recreational vehicles are not allowed, in keeping with the wishes of the grantors.

Directions: To get there take Exit 2 from I-89 in Sharon. South on Rt. 132 for 1/10 mile. Right onto Rt. 14 North at the T. Go 3/10 mile and take a left and cross the White River over the green bridge. Follow road to the right for 1.5 miles. Turn left onto Broadbrook Road, go under the railroad bridge and follow for 5 miles to village of East Barnard. Go through village and turn left just past the church. Wesbrook Woods is up the hill on the left.
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