Vermont to reunite timber rights and add 256 acres to Snake Mountain wildlife area

Nearly seven decades after Vermont bought Snake Mountain land while the seller retained timber rights, the Vermont Fish & Wildlife Department, with backing from the Trust for Public Land, intends to acquire those rights for 949 acres of the Snake Mountain Wildlife Management Area. At the same time, the agency will add 256 acres in Addison and Weybridge, increasing the WMA’s size by about 25% and strengthening habitat links for species such as peregrine falcons and endangered bats.

The combined transactions, expected to be finalized by early 2027, will allow the department to align forestry activities with broader wildlife, recreation and water-quality objectives. Funding is sourced from federal, state, local and private contributions, including a $1.35 million grant from the U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service and $417,500 from the Vermont Housing & Conservation Board. Additional acreage may soon join the WMA, with an 88-acre donation from The Nature Conservancy’s Willmarth Woods parcel planned for 2026. Unified management aims to boost climate resilience and protect the region’s wetlands and forests for future generations.