Vermont Land Trust meets $1.85 million fundraising goal to save Bolton Nordic and backcountry land

The Vermont Land Trust announced today that it has raised all the money needed to purchase and conserve more than 1,100 acres of the Bolton Valley Nordic and Backcountry land.
Thanks to the outpouring of generosity of so many people, organizations, and business the 15-month, $1.85 million campaign was a resounding success. The project will have an official closing this spring and the land will be transferred to the State of Vermont as an addition to Mount Mansfield State Forest.
"The Bolton land, its trails, remote forest and wildlife certainly captured the imagination of people from all walks of life,’ said Gil Livingston, President of the Vermont Land Trust. ‘ This success is a testament to our community: the people, the recreation equipment businesses, the philanthropists and the state leaders who know our collective health and the future of Vermont are tied to the great outdoors."
The Vermont Land Trust received more than 1,200 gifts in support of the project, ranging from $1 raffle tickets to three anonymous donors’ $100,000 contributions. Many businesses lent support with events, raffles, and in-kind and financial contributions. A grant from the Conservation Alliance of $50,000 closed the final fundraising gap with just a week and a half to go to the fundraising deadline. The project would not have been possible without an $800,000 grant from the Vermont Housing and Conservation Board.
‘ Just over two years ago, a handful of dedicated skiers came together to prevent the sale of a beautiful niche of Vermont forest that would have closed the land to public use,’ Ann Gotham, the leader of the Friends of Bolton Valley Nordic and Backcountry recalled. ‘ The passion to conserve this much loved parcel ignited the hearts, minds and passions to a large community of people of all ages, extending far past the borders of Vermont. Thank you to every single person who has made this momentous accomplishment happen!’
While the money to purchase and conserve the land has been raised, there is still work to be done. The final purchase is expected to happen this spring. After which, the land will be transferred to the State of Vermont as an addition to the Mount Mansfield State Forest.
‘ The Bolton Valley Nordic and Backcountry property has a rich history of outdoor recreation, and it is part of a large block of important wildlife habitat,’ said Kate Willard of the Department of Forests, Parks, and Recreation. ‘ We are excited about the prospect of adding this land to Mt. Mansfield State Forest and keeping it available to the public."
The land trust is still accepting funds toward the project. ‘ VLT and the Department of Forests, Parks, and Recreation are creating a fund for the future care of this land and the quality of peoples’ outdoor experiences there,’ said Elise Annes, V.P for Community Relations of the Vermont Land Trust. ‘ Any further donations met will be added to this fund.’
The land management fund will be used for physical maintenance and improvements to trails, roads, parking areas, shelters, recreational facilities, and other recreational infrastructure and management needs on the land.
When the Bolton land is transferred to the State, the State will be issuing a license agreement to the Bolton Valley Resort to continue management of the Nordic and backcountry trail system, and the Department of Forests, Parks, and Recreation will take on ultimate management responsibility for the property.
‘ Every so often a conservation opportunity comes along that is at the heart of what Vermonters want to hold onto,’ said Elise. ‘ By helping to protect the Bolton Nordic and backcountry land, hundreds of volunteers, donors and supporters have made their wishes known ‘ public recreation and natural habitat are a part of what makes Vermont special.’
About the Vermont Land TrustThe Vermont Land Trust is a statewide, member-supported, nonprofit land conservation organization. Since 1977, the Vermont Land Trust has permanently conserved more than 1,750 parcels of land covering 525,000 acres, or nearly nine percent of the private, undeveloped land in the state. The conserved land includes more than 750 working farms, hundreds of thousands of acres of productive forestland, and numerous parcels of community lands. This conservation work changes the lives of families, invigorates farms, launches new businesses, maintains scenic vistas, encourages recreational opportunity, and fosters a renewed sense of community.
Vermont Land Trust3.21.2013