Bird’s Eye Mountain is the defining landmark of the Castleton Management Unit. ANR photos
Vermont Business Magazine The Vermont Agency of Natural Resources (ANR) has finalized the Long Range Management Plan (LRMP) for the Castleton Management Unit (CMU). Located six miles west of the City of Rutland, the CMU spans the towns of Castleton, Poultney, and Ira. It consists of 4,725 acres split between two Wildlife Management Areas (WMAs) owned and managed for wildlife habitat and public access by the Vermont Fish and Wildlife Department in collaboration with the Department of Forests, Parks and Recreation.
Birdseye WMA (3,573 acres) consists of two parcels with five parking areas to support public access. It is one of the largest blocks of uninterrupted forest in the Taconic Range. Its defining feature is the rocky summit of Birdseye Mountain, a known nesting site for peregrine falcons.
Blueberry Hill WMA (1,152 acres) is more remote and is made up of four separate parcels with limited access for management and the public. Forests in the WMA include mast-producing hardwoods like oak, hickory and hornbeam that provide food for wildlife such as wild turkeys and black bears. Its softwood stands also provide important winter habitat for white-tailed deer.
“We steward the two wildlife management areas in the Castleton Management Unit for species as diverse as peregrine falcons, spring salamanders, and white-tailed deer,” said Interim Commissioner of Fish and Wildlife Andrea Shortsleeve. “We also aim to provide Vermonters with opportunities to enjoy nature on these lands, whether through hunting, wildlife-watching, or dispersed recreation.”
Maintaining young forest like this stand of quaking aspen saplings on 3-4% of the CMU is one of the LRMP’s goals.
The LRMP establishes management goals for the CMU based on expert assessments by ANR staff and feedback gathered through public input. The planning process began with public scoping meetings in 2017 and 2021. A draft plan was released in June 2024 for an 80-day public comment period.
Key goals in the plan include maintaining 3-4% of the CMU as young forest habitat aged at 20 years or less, and allowing 25% of the land to mature into old forest conditions including mature trees and abundant dead and rotting wood on the forest floor. These objectives will be achieved through a mix of forest management and natural processes. The plan reflects the principles of Vermont Conservation Design, the state’s framework for maintaining an ecologically functional landscape.
“Our plan for the Castleton Management Unit puts Vermont Conservation Design into action,” said Commissioner of Forests, Parks and Recreation Danielle Fitzko. “Sustainable forest management, through both active tools like well-planned timber harvests and passive strategies that allow nature to shape the forest over time, will guide how we care for these lands.”
The Castleton Management Unit Long Range Management Plan, along with a summary of public comments and ANR’s responses, is available online.
Encouraging old forest characteristics like these blowdowns is another management goal.
Vermont Agency of Natural Resources, Montpelier, Website.
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