Muddy Moose photo. Stowe Land Trust photo.
Vermont Business Magazine Stowe Land Trust announced three significant conservation projects this week that together protect over 350 acres in Stowe and Morristown. Two of the three projects, structured in partnership with Downstreet Housing & Community Development, will convert or construct up to 16 single-family homes as year-round housing for full-time residents. Taken together, the three projects—Muddy Moose in Morristown, North Hill Forest in the Shutesville Hill Wildlife Corridor, and Stagecoach Meadows along Stagecoach Road—represent approximately $7.5 million in real estate value, with only $250,000 remaining to fundraise.
“Muddy Moose and Stagecoach Meadows demonstrate how conservation and housing can work together for the benefit of the community,” said Tom Rogers, executive director of Stowe Land Trust. “These projects protect ecologically important land and bring housing for year-round residents onto the market without a significant new development footprint on the landscape.”
Muddy Moose, Morristown
Muddy Moose protects a 150-acre forest, a magnificent gorge, and established hiking and cross-county skiing trails that were formerly reserved for guests of the Muddy Moose Lodge on Cote Hill. Situated on an 18-acre lot adjacent to the conserved land, eight existing vacation homes will be transitioned from short-term rentals to permanent housing. Six of the eight homes will be permanently affordable homes through Downstreet’s Shared Equity Housing program.
“This is a visionary project for Lamoille County and a model for conservation and housing partnerships more broadly,” says Angie Harbin, Executive Director of Downstreet. “We are adding much-needed affordable housing while ensuring that low- and middle-income homeowners have direct access to open space, trails, and river frontage—amenities that are too often out of reach.”
The Vermont Federal Credit Union and the Vermont Housing & Conservation Board supported Downstreet in ensuring the affordability of the shared equity homes. “At Vermont Federal, we’re grateful for the opportunity to support projects that help our neighbors find an affordable place to live and thrive, while also protecting what makes Vermont so special," said Zack Chilcote, Vice President of Business Services for Vermont Federal Credit Union. "When we invest together in housing and sustainability, we’re not just funding projects, we're helping to ensure that future generations can live, work, and play right here in the beautiful state we’re proud to call home."
"This is a remarkable partnership in Lamoille County, where affordable homeownership meets land stewardship, creating opportunity without compromising the natural heritage that makes Vermont home. Muddy Moose is truly exceptional because it converts vacation rentals into permanent homes for Vermonters, weaving together the essential elements of Vermont's future: homes for working families, and protected land for recreation, wildlife and resilience. It is the kind of thoughtful development that honors our landscape and strengthens our community," said Gus Seelig, executive director of Vermont Housing & Conservation Board.
A stunning property with nearly three-quarters mile of river frontage, the conserved area of Muddy Moose will not only open new recreational opportunities, but it will also keep intact an important low-lying forest that protects downstream communities from flooding. Muddy Moose is within an area The Nature Conservancy has designated a high-value climate corridor and that the State of Vermont has designated as a priority for water quality protection.
“We’re excited about what this project means for the community,” says Jerry Throne, chair of the Morristown Conservation Commission. “Muddy Moose protects a beautiful and important piece of land while also creating new opportunities for recreation and housing.”
The majority of funding for Stowe Land Trust’s effort to conserve the undeveloped portion of this land has already been raised through the Vermont Community Foundation, the Vermont Housing & Conservation Board, and generous private donors and foundations. Stowe Land Trust is launching an ambitious campaign to raise the final $250,000 needed for the Muddy Moose project by May 1, 2026. Downstreet will be hosting an Open House for the eight homes on Saturday, February 7 from 10am – 2pm at 2930 Cote Hill Road in Morrisville, VT. All are welcome to attend. Downstreet will be accepting applications for the six shared equity homes and offers on the two market rate homes through February.
Stagecoach Meadows, Stagecoach Road
A beautiful and ecologically important area off Stagecoach Road, the 124-acre Stagecoach Meadows property protects wildlife, farmland, sweeping views, and public access to the Catamount and VAST trails that traverse the property. As part of the conservation agreement, Downstreet intends to replace aging outbuildings on the property with up to eight single-family homes for full-time residents.
“What’s truly remarkable about Stagecoach Meadows is that the owners generously gifted their home and property outright to Stowe Land Trust,” said Rogers. “They sought out a solution that would bring conservation, thoughtful housing development, and affordability to the table while preserving the natural character and history of the land they enjoyed for many years. It’s an incredible legacy.”
Stagecoach Meadows, Stowe Land Trust.
North Hill Forest, Shutesville Hill Wildlife Corridor
North Hill Forest adds to a growing network of conserved land in the Shutesville Hill Wildlife Corridor. The 74-acre parcel encompasses a bottleneck of protected lands in the Corridor that wildlife–including moose, bear, and bobcats–must traverse to move between the Green Mountains and the Worcester Range.
Spanning the Stowe-Waterbury town line, the Shutesville Hill Wildlife Corridor is considered essential to an international network of connected forestland in the northeast. Since 2010, nearly 800 acres have been successfully conserved through a conservation partnership that includes the Vermont Land Trust and The Nature Conservancy. The North Hill Forest project was supported by generous neighbors and The Nature Conservancy’s Vermont Biodiversity Fund.
“The goal of protecting this land is to allow wildlife to move freely across the landscape throughout the year to meet their needs without having to turn to people’s backyards or human-provided food sources like dumpsters,” said Rogers.” Protecting lands like North Hill Forest helps keep wildlife wild and where it belongs: out in the forest.”
Closing the Funding Gap
The generosity of the property owners, partnership with The Nature Conservancy, and ongoing donor support allowed the Stowe Land Trust to close on both North Hill Forest and Stagecoach Meadows without raising additional funds. Stowe Land Trust is launching a campaign to raise the remaining $250,000 to complete Muddy Moose fundraising by May 1.
“The remaining funds to be raised amount to less than five percent of the total real estate value of these projects,” said Rogers. “The ongoing support of the community and the generosity of the donors who gifted homes, property, and conservation easements on their lands is what allowed us to move forward. Our donors, partners, and volunteers put us in a position to conserve these incredible properties.”
For more information, go to stowelandtrust.org and downstreet.org.
2.2.2026. STOWE, Vt. – Stowe Land Trust
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