Forests
The Two Rivers region is home to many different kinds of forested areas. For instance, our region contains some of the vast unbroken forested ridgelines of the Green Mountain National Forest, as well as several large blocks of conserved forested areas like the Chateauguay No Town Conservation Project, which stretches across the towns of Barnard, Bridgewater, Stockbridge, and Killington. There are also several town forests—for instance, those in Randolph, Fairlee, West Fairlee, Royalton, and Corinth, to name a few. Finally, there are the wooded banks of the White and Ottauquechee Rivers, smaller woodlots interspersed with farmland in rural valleys, and forested parcels in and around villages and downtown centers.
Traditionally, the Two Rivers region was characterized by clusters of residences near small villages, surrounded by rural stretches of farm and forestlands. Over the past few decades, however, commercial and residential sprawl has increased, causing a decline in the open space necessary to support working forests and farms. According to an in‐depth state‐wide study, the number of parcels containing more than fifty acres of ‘woodland’ (undeveloped land with relatively intact forest) has decreased in Vermont by four percent (4%) between 2003 and 2009. This percentage of loss might seem insignificant at first; however, the changes wrought over time could be monumental if unchecked.
Know Your Forester:
Resources
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- Other Resources